Apple tries to get a bite out of the search market by launching a Windows version of the Safari browser.

There was a time when Apple wouldn’t even consider launching a product for MS.DOS or Windows. iTunes changed all that.

Not only did iTunes give Apple a leading position in the online music sale market, the combination of iTunes and the iPod also attracted Windows-users over to the Mac-platform.

Switchers

This can be one reason for why Apple is launching a Windows-version of its Safari web browser. If it can make some of the Windows iTunes-users also use the equally elegant Safari browser, they may achieve two things:

1. Some of them may be so taken by the brushed metal design, that they decide to go for the real thing, and buy a Mac. Then there is that branding effect.

(On the other hand, if the iPod doesn’t make them switch, maybe nothing will.)

2. Even if they stay on the Windows platform, they may start using the Safari Google powered search field. We are sure that Apple has an agreement with Google, whereby Apple and Google share some of the ad revenue.

For Google this is a good thing, as they may attract some users that otherwise would use the default Explorer Windows Live search feature.

(On the other hand: Google already controls most of the search market. There is not much to gain).

Apple also needs to attract developers to the iPhone, and the iPhone will use Safari for web browsing.

Security vulnerabilities

Apple claims that the Safari is the fastest browser running on Windows, based on the industry standard iBench tests, rendering web pages up to twice as fast as IE 7 and up to 1.6 times faster than Firefox 2.

Apple is taking a big chance though. It is one thing to develop a browser for the Mac, where there is little malware and few viruses. The Windows platform is under constant attack, and Apple will have to provide updates and patches on a regular basis.

Indeed, there are already discussions underway on Safari security vulnerabilities.

The most innovative browser?

Steve Jobs calls Safari the most innovative browser in the world.

Much as we love Apple, this is not true. Yes, there is tabbed browsing and integrated search, but this is something both Firefox and Opera have had for a long time. Safari is a decent browser, and has a much cleaner and easy to understand interface than the new Explorer, but it is not the most innovative browser.

We are Mac users, and use both Safari and Firefox. Firefox remains our favorite, also search wise.

We have tested Safari in Windows, and it is fast and it is beautiful. It worries us a bit, though, that it is unable to render some of our headlines correctly (or at all). We will definitely take a look at our style-sheets, but we are not loosing sleep over this — yet.

Safari 2 public beta download
Apple Introduces Safari for Windows (press release)