Apple has released as a public beta their Safari web browser. Not having (or wanting) a Windows machine at home, I can’t test it and have to rely on the “experts”. Well according to an article in Ars Technica, it’s not all wonderfulness from Cupertino.
Stability has been an issue with crashes occuring frequently. I have also read about some security issues. Also, the interface is not Windows-like. Before the howls of protest begin, remember that this is a WINDOWS program. Yes it came from Apple, but it isn’t up to the developer to force users to learn a new interface, but for the developer to use the guidelines of what’s come before to make it as easy for the users as possible.
As an example I give you (please take it as I don’t want it) Microsoft Word 6 for the Mac. When it was being developed, Microsoft decided to make both the Windows and Mac versions look as identical as possible. A lofty goal made with the best of intentions I’m sure, but for a Mac program it just didn’t work very well. Users howled in protest and the next version was more Mac-like (as it should be).
If Apple wants to develope for the Windows world (I doubt that QuickTime, iTunes, and Safari will be the last), make those programs look, feel, and work the way Windows users expect them to.
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