Apple launches Safari 4 beta

A beta version of Apple's latest browser software, Safari 4, is available to download now.

You can download the Safari 4 beta from Apple's website.

The company claims that Safari 4 is the "fastest and most efficient" browser available for the Windows or Mac operating systems.

"Apple created Safari to bring innovation, speed and open standards back into web browsers, and today it takes another big step forward," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

"Safari 4 is the fastest and most efficient browser for Mac and Windows, with great integration of HTML 5 and CSS 3 web standards that enables the next generation of interactive web applications," Schiller continued.

New features include Cover Flow, something iPod and iPhone owners will be familiar with, which lets you search through your history or bookmarks visually.

Safari 3 was the first version of Apple's browser that was compatible with Windows but was criticised for not being secure enough.