Safari Beta Takeup Tops Firefox, IE and Chrome

nk497 writes "The release of the beta for the next version of Apple's Safari browser last week helped drive Apple's market share above ten per cent. The Safari beta has gained users at a rate of about 0.5 per cent a day since its release, topping one per cent by day four. For comparison, Microsoft's beta of IE took six months to hit one percent, Chrome needed almost a month, and Firefox 3 took a week."

Comments

Okay, but why do we want it?

[ProppaT]

It looks to me like all they've done is rework Safari to make it emulate Chrome. They stole Chrome's UI, they made a point to rework how javascript is processed to make it faster than IE and Firefox. So, you could use Safari and get the features of Chrome at a larger memory footprint or you could just run Chrome. Chrome isn't as full featured as Safari, but covers 95% of what people need for normal web browser. Personally, I would rather use FireFox as a backup browser...it's more compatible than Safari anyway.

Are they still sneaking it in via iTunes updates?

[Assmasher]

Just curious because that's the kind of thing people lambast Micro$oft for...

Forced upgrade, not uptake

[certain death]

I was running 3.2 and came in to my computer to see that I was being force fed an upgrade to the latest beta. That might have something to do with the numbers.

Re:Forced upgrade, not uptake

[Zymergy]

YES, My stepfather HATES Safari and I have (gladly) iUninstalled it at least 3 times so far....
For some reason when he iClicks the prompted iApple iPod iSoftware iUpdate he gets a NEW iTunes and iQuicktime installation for his never-used-since iChristmas iPod and iVOILA! he has the new iSafari iInstalled AGAIN.

So understandably, he is unhappy (again) as to how this unwanted and unsolicited browser on got there again and how dare it decide to be his browser, where's the IE he has used forever with all of the links? (phone call follows to come over and remove the offending browser...)
Too bad he bought some iDRM'D iMusic with iTunes at iChristmas or I'd uninstall *ALL* iApple software on his PC.

iSOLUTION: Maybe he'd just use a shiny new Creative Zen or anything not brought to him by the letter "i" ?!?
I bet he would dump the iPod and iTunes when iI show him the magic of simply dragging MP3 into the new drive letter of his standards-based USB cable connected media player in Windows Explorer (iTunes iSucks and is altogether unnecessary and VERY BADLY BLOATED... once users move to actual non-DRM media files.)
The challenge will be to teach new software to him that simply organizes and helps create playlists on the player not incrimentally attempt to take over his universe.
He will greatly enjoy the ease of backing up his MP3 and WAV files on his external drive using the very complicated "Copy" command in Windows Explorer (and even putting them on all of his media players..... SNAP! )
iI iMay iHave iJust iConvinced iMy iSelf...

Comparison to Chrome

[noundi]

Chrome needed almost a month...

Yeah it's really fucking hard to gain share when the browser comes bundled with your OS, way to go Apple, fucking bravo. I think I will spend the day screaming "Go Steve" at random occasions, as a tribute to this fucking moonlanding Apple just did.

Re:I'm getting old, I don't understand the New Mat

[commodore64_love]

Who cares? This whole article is just a "pat yourself on the back" for Apple fans to justify to themselves why they were so smart to buy a $4000 computer that could have been bought for $1000 if they acquired a generic brand instead. I know. I'm a recovering Appleholic myself. Been there; done that. The only fact that matters is - How many people are using Safari today?

8%

Tiny.