Thread: Safari 4 for Windows

The latest version of the Safari browser from Apple claims to be the fastest browser in the world. In the current stable release, the browser has got some improvements to its JavaNitro engine and a number of UI improvements. Let's look at some of the tweaks you can use to improve functionality further.

Show menu bar

Safari4 does not display the menu bar (File, Edit, View, etc.). To turn on the menu bar simply go to the general settings drop down button at the top-right corner and select "Show menu bar".

Choose download destination

To be able to organise downloaded files properly, it is important to assign a specific download folder. By default, Safari downloads into the Downloads folder. To change this location go to Edi t > Preferences or [Ctr1] + [ , ] and under the General Tab, change the destination folder for "Save dovmloaded files to" option.

Fake other browsers

Certain web sites require that you open them only in specified browsers such as IE or Firefox. If your browser is not compatible they may not open at all. In such cases, you cannot switch browsers each time. What you can do is change the user agent string for your browser. This way the web sites you are visiting can be fooled to thinking Safari is Firefox, Opera, or even an iPhone. To do this, first add the Develop button to the Menu bar by going to Preferences [Ctr1] + [, ] and under the Advanced Tab, check "Show Develop menu in menu bar". Now go to Develop > User Agent. Choose a suitable option.

Disable popup blocking temporarily

Although pop-ups can be very annoying (as they mostly consist of ads), certain operations such as online banking or registration processes require pop-ups to be turned on. By default, Safari attempts to disable pop-ups through its pop-up blocking feature. To disable pop-up blocking in Safari go to Edit and uncheck "Block Pop-up Windows" or hit [Ctr 1] + [Shift] + [K].

Optimise font smoothing

The amount of font smoothing can be changed in Safari to improve legibility. Depending on your monitor type, resolution and preferences, experimenting with these settings can improve appearance. Go to Edit > Prefer'e;nces and click on the Apprearance tab. Click on the up-down arrow next to "Font smoothing" and select your desired font smoothing from the list provided standard, light, medium or strong.

Enhance security

Most browsers support Java applets, and while they run in a secure sandbox, running some malicious Java applets might compromise your security. So disabling Java applets can greatly enhance security. To do so, go to Edi t > Preferences > Security Under Web content, uncheck Enable Java.



Set minimum font size

We often visit web sites with a painfully small font size. We find ourselves squinting hard for a while, before realising this and changing the font size. Fortunately Safari has the feature to set the minimum font size for all web pages. To do this press [Ctr1] + [,]. Once in preferences, go to Advanced > Universal Access.En~r your preferred minimum font size. We recommend a font size of 9.



Search tips
Simply highlight a word or set of words, right-click and hit "search with Google". The highlighted words will be searched with your default search engine. To make the web search experience even more smooth, Safari provides something known as the SnapBack function. Once you type a search term or phrase in the search field and visit some of the results, you will notice that an 6r'ange circle with a left-pointing arrow appears in the search field. This is theSnapBack button. Click the SnapBack button to return to the search results from where ever you are.


Customise tool bar

You don't have to make do with only the Back/Forward or refresh buttons that appear in the toolbar by default. You can add other buttons too. Go to View>Customise Toolbar. You will get a window with more buttons that you can simply drag and drop into the toolbar. We recommend adding the download and zoom buttons.