Apple Updates Mac/Windows Safari to 4.0.4 — Raises Stakes in JavaScript Wars
Apple has just released desktop Safari for Mac and Windows to 4.0.4, which improves full history search performance, has the mandatory stability improvements, and security fixes, but the big news as far as we’re concerned is the number one item on the list — Improved JavaScript performance
Desktop Safari is the big brother of the iPhone’s Mobile OS X Safari, and they share a rendering engine (WebKit), and a JavaScript engine (Nitro), and improvements in desktop Safari and Nitro have traditionally filtered down to Mobile Safari with the subsequent iPhone OS update. That’s right, we’re looking at you iPhone 3.2 (where ever you are!)
Since the current iPhone 3.1 Safari is still outperforming even brand-new devices like the Droid, that may seem a little greedy, but we know Google’s Android and Palm’s webOS aren’t sitting still in the rendering race, and have updates of their own in the pipeline, so once again, competition benefits the end users. Bring. It..
November 11th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
yes can’t wait for the next iPhone update, maybe a bonus google navigation to be included???? I hope so!
November 12th, 2009 at 12:33 am
Comments cleaned up. Please respect each other and the site enough to stay on topic and discuss the story. Thanks!
November 12th, 2009 at 12:59 am
Apple has just released desktop Safari for Mac and Windows to 4.0.4, which improves full history search performance, has the mandatory stability improvements, and security fixes, but the big news as far as we’re concerned is the number one item on the list — Improved JavaScript performance
November 12th, 2009 at 1:53 am
@Rene I know this has nothing to do with the article, but just wondering how you got the screenshot of just the Software Update window. Been trying to figure out how to do that for the longest time but still can’t. Mind sharing the shortcut?
Again, sorry for the off topic post.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:12 am
@Rene What topic???
November 12th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Command Shift 4
November 12th, 2009 at 9:28 am
@Ringo:
November 12th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Apple is doing good work with Safari & Webkit. Having said that, I wouldn’t ignore Opera’s great work with speed and design on Mac, Windows, Linux, and mobile.
No one tries Opera and says it’s slow. All new Opera users are shocked at how fast it is when they play with it for a few days.
In fact, I think it’s a good bet that it’s faster in real-world usage (and that’s without Opera’s next-generation javascript engine, Carakan).
They’ve been designing advanced, super-fast, secure browsing for 15 YEARS, and helping ease web developers’ pain by aggressively promoting web standards, as well. http://www.opera.com/docs/history/
Let’s give them credit, instead of ignominiously ignoring them. Remember the big picture: IE is the problem. For all intents & purposes Opera, Apple, Mozilla and Google are on the same side with identical objectives for users and developers…
November 12th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
@Ringo: < http://www.apple.com/pro/tips/screenshots.html >
Btw, glad you & Paul are still hangin’ in there, but what’s with that lame Apple Corps. thumb drive.