Thoughts on Safari 3 Beta

I’m going to stretch my prognosticatorial wings here and write about that of which I know very little. (Yeah! I do know the sentence sucks.)

The use of beta software is not for the faint of heart. Beta software (as most MyMac.com readers know) is software that is not quite ready for prime time . . . but the developers think they have the most egregious kinks ironed out.

AND, (This part is important) they know there are still going to be issues; so they put it out there for the beta testers to find out where those little varmints lurk, and report back so the slippery rascals can be properly dealt with.

—

Which brings us to who uses beta software.

Answer: Two types of people. The first is the techitype. He loves to go in and try to break that new version. He will gleefully report back to Apple that Safari will hang on a Wall Street PowerBook if you click on Dilbert.com while dancing widdershins around an open grave during the second full moon of odd-numbered months.

The second just wants the latest and greatest.

I hereby report that a) I am in the second group, and b) Safari Beta has not crashed on me yet. In fact, one of my portal sites now renders correctly after several years of giving garbage instead of dates.

Be advised that some plug-ins and widgets that depend on Safari’s engine are broken due to Safari 3.

Windows developers quickly found “vulnerabilities” in the PC version of Safari 3. Apple quickly patched them.

—

So — What was Steve Jobs thinking when he decided to release Safari 3 Beta for Windows? It was obviously not quite ready for Beta . . . much less prime time!

He’s thinking money. Lots and lots of money. Billions and Billions of wheelbarrows full of dollars being dumped into Apple’s bank account.

Let’s look at iTunes/iPod.

The iPod is a runaway success. The iTunes Music Store sells tunes and videos and GIVES AWAY ALL OF THE PROFITS! Apple is making money hand over fist from the iPod.

Enter the iPhone. The amount of hype over this half-baked, underpowered, last generation cell phone, with a dinky 2-megapixel camera that isn’t even out yet (and the fine print not even printed) is totally without precedent.

There is NO WAY it won’t be a success.

But what what will make it a Phenomenon?

Safari!

Safari for Windows!

Steve Taketh Away and Steve Giveth

Steve first tooketh away by locking out third party applications on the iPhone. Then he turns around and givethed by announcing that developers could write for the iPhone using Web 2.0. (Forget that Web 2.0 runs a poor second to a full-fledged application.)

Here is where Steve’s patented reality distortion field is going to conquer the world.

Developers. Windows developers — can now write “Applications” for the iPhone and test them on Safari Beta for Windows. Tons of widget-like, Javascript-based applications; to which Steve can point proudly and state, “There are already more than _____ hundred third-party applications for the iPhone!” (Fill in the blank with a random number and ignore the wizard behind the curtain telling you that Web 2.0 is just as good as a real application.)

This alone will sell millions of iPhones.

You see, Steve doesn’t give a rat’s attooey whether or not Safari makes a dent in the Windows browser market. The sole reason for Safari on Windows is to sell iPhones.

In that, he will succeed.