Apple launches Safari 3.1

Apple has launched a new version of the Safari browser, compatible with both Mac OS and Windows-based PCs.

According to Apple, the new browser is "blazingly fast" and loads web pages 1.9 times faster than Internet Explorer 7 and 1.7 times faster than Firefox 2.

Safari 3.0 was the first version of Apple's browser that was compatible with Windows-based PCs and was launched in June 2007.

"Safari 3.1 for Mac and Windows is blazingly fast, easy to use and features an elegant user interface," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

"And best of all, Safari supports the latest audio, video and animation standards for an industry-leading Web 2.0 experience," Schiller continued.

Recently, testers of the latest beta version of Firefox 3 claimed that Mozilla's browser was out-stripping all other browsers in head-to-head tests.

Microsoft is currently in the process of beta testing its new version of Internet Explorer, IE8, with a view to launching the full version soon.

Another well-known browser, Netscape Navigator, recently went to its cybergrave.

Safari 3.1 for Windows requires Windows XP or Windows Vista, a minimum of 256MB of memory and a system with at least a 500 MHz Intel Pentium processor.

Safari 3.1 for Mac OS X requires Mac OS X Leopard or Mac OS X Tiger version 10.4.11, a minimum of 256MB of memory and is designed to run on any Intel-based Mac or a Mac with a PowerPC G5, G4 or G3 processor and built-in FireWire.

Safari currently has about a 5.7 per cent share of the global browser market, with Firefox holding a 17.3 per cent chunk, and Internet Explorer dominating with 74.9 per cent of the market.

www.apple.com/safari