Safari
Safari is Apple's ubiquitous web-browser, available across all Apple platforms. If you've used an i-Device in the past decade, you're probably at least a bit familiar with Safari. Automatically installed on all of Apple's devices, it is the company's answer to Microsoft's Internet Explorer and its solution to browsing across an entire family of devices. Taking a closer look at the browser reveals it to be more than just a pre-packaged program, though. In comparison to many other browsers, Safari is relatively clean. It takes Apple's commitment to user-friendly design to its logical conclusion, providing a quick and easy web-surfing experience for users. There's not a lot of customization options here, of course, but there are plenty of solid features. Top Sites is an interesting take on the bookmarks list, providing users with an easy-to-scan list of favorite sites. Reading List also provides an easy way for users to save article URLs so they can read later. Interesting features aside, Safari is actually quite limited. It only works with iOS devices, so those who use Safari on their phone or tablet won't be able to access the browser's features on their PC. Likewise, it's impossible to synch Safari from a Mac to an Android phone. The fact that the software is limited by hardware is an odd choice, especially since so many other browsers tend to be platform agnostic. It's an example of Apple's walled-garden approach to be sure, and one that hampers the overall utility of the browser. In short, Safari is a fantastic browser as long as you are willing to buy into Apple's ecosystem of products. If you use any non-Apple machines, though, you'll find that the utility of the browser drops significantly. Taken on its own, though, it does offer a clean and fast - if impossible to customize - browsing experience.
- Quick and clean interface
- Bookmarks at a glance with Top Sites
- Synchs across Apple devices
- Preloaded on all iOS machines
- Very easy to use
- One of the fastest browsers
- Synchs across multiple devices
- Great search plug-in
- Only works on Apple devices
- No customization options