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back to article Apple's new Safari snubs older Macs, drops Windows version

Apple has shipped Safari 6 to coincide with the release of Mountain Lion, but to take full advantage of the fruity firm's newest web browser, you'll need to be running its latest OS. Although Lion users can download Safari 6, not all of the browser's features will work on the older OS, and users of earlier versions of Mac OS X …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Surprising ?

    "Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the change"

    They are still not talking to El Reg - so this isn't anything unusual is it ?

    Dropping support for Windows is surprising, that said, I don't know of anyone who used it on a PC (but many people downloaded it because it claimed to be fast - Chrome seemed a bit faster).

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    1. LarsG
      Reply Icon
      Meh

      Am

      Am I the only one in the world that likes a separate search bar?

      9 3
      1. Charlie Clark Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: Am

        No, I quite like it and, as Opera hasn't lost it, I don't miss it.

        2 3
      2. BristolBachelor Gold badge
        Reply Icon

        @LarsG

        No you are not. And it pisses me off royally when I try to go to a machine on the local net by just typing it's local name, and the browser then automagically decides that actually I want to search for information about "prometheus" instead of connect to prometheus, or that when I type "oracle", that I wanted oracle.com

        4 2
        1. tomjol
          Reply Icon

          Re: @LarsG

          On the connect instead of search thing, in Chrome at least, stick a forward slash on the end.

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        2. Neil 38
          Reply Icon

          @BristolBachelor

          http://prometheus

          0 2
    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Surprising ?

      Not really suprising at all.

      Apple have been fooling idiots for years on iOS in the same way. Call something iOS6 on older devices, but it's not really iOS6, it's just the old OS with some of the new bits and a bit of spit a polish. A PR stunt to save face, and make it appear like they are supporting old handsets.

      3 9
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Surprising ?

        Which is better?

        Apple's support of older handsets:

        Release cut down version of OS that provides some new features.

        Microsoft's support of older WP7 handsets:

        Tweak the UI and release that for old phones to make them look almost like the new OS.

        Old handset users have to buy new phone to get the new OS and features.

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  2. Steven Raith
    FAIL

    Universal search field

    "Frequent Googlers will appreciate the new Unified Search Field, which combines the URL and search boxes into one, much like how it is done in Chrome."

    'bout damned time - every time I use safari, I fail to remember it doesn't do this.

    Just finished installing on my late 2k8 alu Macbook - lets see what doesn't work, eh?

    Steven R

    1 4
    1. Fibbles
      Reply Icon
      Joke

      Re: Universal search field

      "which combines the URL and search boxes into one, much like how it is done in Chrome"

      *cough*

      www.reghardware.com/2012/07/25/galaxy_s_3_update_disables_universal_search/

      *cough*

      Google retaliation lawsuit in 3... 2... 1...

      1 4
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Universal search field

        That is a joke Fibbles :-) Google would be the one with more to lose with that move.

        Unified search box means more search, which - unless the user changed the default search engine - means more ads for Google to show.

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        1. Eddy Ito
          Reply Icon

          Re: Universal search field

          I expect Google Search will be following closely behind Google Maps as it seems likely Apple will be switching their default search as soon as any contract they might have expires.

          Hmm, I wonder if working a deal with the ex-GooGirl over at Bing powered Yahoo! Search wouldn't be a nice stick with which Apple's can poke the boys over at Mountain View. Why I can almost hear Merissa now; "I am Mountain Lion, hear me ROAR! MEW! [mumbles to self] Damn, why did they have to pick a Felinae?"

          1 1
          1. Anonymous Coward
            Reply Icon
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Universal search field

            I doubt that Apple will move to Bing search very soon, they know the sort of games Microsoft likes to play.

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          2. Ilgaz
            Reply Icon

            Funny really

            Yahoo is lovely for them. General public doesn't really know/ care it is Bing powered so you can still switch to them without absurdity of switching to Microsoft on ios.

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      2. Fibbles
        Reply Icon
        WTF?

        Re: Universal search field

        4 downvotes for a naff joke? The fanboys must be tetchy today...

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        1. Steven Raith
          Reply Icon

          Re: Universal search field

          Four downvotes for pointing out that Safari seems to be the last major browser to not have search in the address bar?

          They must really be tetchy.

          It's worked alright, by the way - not noticably zippier, but the new notification system is nice (almost as good as must Linux distros/UIs have had for a while!) and nothing seems broken, I'd call that a reasonable deal.

          Steven R

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    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Universal search field

      Address bar search in Firefox has been a feature for years.

      I seem to recall it was even a feature in later versions of the Netscape browser although I could be wrong about that.

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  3. Don

    Windows Users

    "Windows users, on the other hand, might start looking around for alternatives. ®"

    Both of them? Chrome roundly spanked Safari.

    9 1
    1. Rob Carriere
      Reply Icon

      Re: Windows Users

      Actually, I know quite a few people with Windows Safari. All of them build or test websites. All of them now have a choice between getting budget for a Mac or taking the (pretty good) bet that if it works in Firefox and Chrome, it'll probably work in Safari.

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      1. JDX Gold badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: Windows Users

        Were the Win/Mac versions of Safari identical in all cases anyway?

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    2. RICHTO
      Reply Icon
      Mushroom

      Re: Windows Users

      And IE9 spanked Safari, Chrome and Firefox - fastest of all of them when it was launched and has better security with fewer vulnerabilities.

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  4. dogged
    Meh

    Windows version dropped

    Good thing you mentioned that or it'd be YEARS before anyone noticed.

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  5. Craig Foster
    Facepalm

    "Frequent Googlers will appreciate the new Unified Search Field, which combines the URL and search boxes into one, much like how it is done in Chrome."

    So stealing a method of searching from Chrome and IE is just OK, but when stealing a method of searching on a phone it's an obvious patent violation?

    5 5
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Paris Hilton

      There's a (Google) patent for that

      Google has a patent application for that kind of search box but why would they ever threaten to ban something that encourages the use of their services?

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      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: There's a (Google) patent for that

        See my earlier post. Mozilla have been doing address bar search for years. This could be fun.

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        1. Anonymous Coward
          Reply Icon
          Stop

          Re: There's a (Google) patent for that

          Well as Mozilla received most of it's funding from Google anyway, I doubt they have much to fear.

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      2. Charlie Clark Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: There's a (Google) patent for that

        They don't need to threaten but it might be admissible in the kind of court that accepts these ridiculous patents. Can you see where this going? Car manufacturers are going to be suing each other for including speedometers in dashboards or petrol gauges; people will start suing each other for driving the same route to work...

        Oh, this is about a new version of Safari. I'm always surprised by how many Mac users actually use Safari. I think they are impressed by the lack of controls.

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  6. Adrian Taylor
    Unhappy

    the poor orphaned mac pros

    come and share your grief if you have an orphaned MacPro

    https://www.facebook.com/AppleBringMountainLionSupportToEarlyMacPros

    Apple have happily maintained a 32/64bit split kernel for the last two versions of OS X, they simply could have continued this model... in fact the early developers preview of Mountain Lion included a 32bit kernel, capable of running on unsupported macpros.

    So in effect they developed the solution and then decided not to employ it.

    If i want the upgrades to iCloud which are essentially the biggest changes in ML I need to purchase a new machine, so they are effectively saying that my Mac Pro which has 8 x 3.0ghz cores 16gb ram etc etc is not capable of using the icloud services.

    5 6
    1. Steen Hive
      Reply Icon
      Gimp

      Re: the poor orphaned mac pros

      You can usually boot an unsupported mac pro in 64-bit using an ... er .... "alternative" bootloader. You might have success depending on which graphics card is in it, and I'm unsure about sound support. If you have spare harddisk to mess with, it's an educational way to while away a weekend.

      http://netkas.org/?p=978

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      1. Edward Groenendaal
        Reply Icon
        FAIL

        Re: the poor orphaned mac pros

        Dropping support for the stock 7300 GT graphics on the mac pro is the real killer for a hackintosh mac pro. I am a bit sad about this. My 2007 mac pro is still going strong and doesn't like being marginalised. My next mac pro will be a true hackintosh.

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        1. Ilgaz
          Reply Icon

          Re: the poor orphaned mac pros

          Buy lots of RAM and win server edition. That is what I would do if they abandoned my workstation.

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    2. Preacher
      Reply Icon
      Trollface

      Re: the poor orphaned mac pros

      That's the price you have to pay for being loyal to the fruit company

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      1. Ilgaz
        Reply Icon

        As a quad g5 user

        I laughed when they called "Mac pro" as it was clear Apple was heading to be a toy company.

        0 2
    3. mike2R
      Reply Icon
      Black Helicopters

      Re: the poor orphaned mac pros

      And hopefully your poor orphaned Mac is not still on 10.6 or earlier, since it seems 10.7 has disappeared and can no longer be purchased from the App Store.

      Planned obsolescence, this is Apple's install base. Apple's install base, say hello to planned obsolescence. Or have you already met?

      5 1
    4. Armando 123
      Reply Icon

      Re: the poor orphaned mac pros

      I dunno, I can sympathize, but think about it: would you rather deal with a company looking out of the windshield or the rearview mirror? I'll take the former, thank you, because the cost there is a little more obvious. (And I say this as someone who's still on a G5 tower at home ... still runs find, still does what I need, though at 7 years it *is* starting to get long in the tooth.)

      2 0
  7. Furbian
    WTF?

    Wot? Not for Windows...

    .. come on, I thought a bit of development effort would be worth when hoards of Windows 8, rather Metro, users look for a desktop experience that works with a mouse?

    Admittedly not me, yet, unless I upgrade my PC and find that Window 7 drivers are missing or kludges, in which case it will be a toss up between Linux and a Mac.

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  8. david 12 Silver badge

    Apple agrees with Microsoft

    ...that Windows is a legacy platform.

    5 3
  9. csumpi
    Paris Hilton

    Foxconn-rebrander

    What happened to Foxconn-rebrander? Fruity firm sounds so pretty.

    0 1
  10. Jean-Paul

    Loving the iCloud tabs

    I've been using the iCloud tabs now for just over a week and got to say I like it a lot. It may depend on ones habits, but mine are to constantly hop between devices (desktop, laptop, tablet, phone) and being able to continue where I left of on another device is brilliant...

    0 1
    1. Fuzz
      Reply Icon

      Re: Loving the iCloud tabs

      I agree, sync is my favourite feature on firefox. Nice to see Apple have caught up with the other browser makers. Just need Microsoft to do something now and this functionality will be available for everyone.

      1 1
  11. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    RIP RSS reader

    Sadly they've nuked the RSS functionality in Safari :(

    0 1
    1. Norphy
      Reply Icon

      Re: RIP RSS reader

      And in Mail... I lost all of my RSS feeds, I'm quite annoyed about that!

      1 1
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: RIP RSS reader

        Yes, as an Apple beta tester for ML I filed this dropping of RSS very early-on as a BUG Report. I had hoped in the GM that some magic App deep in the OS would take over this role, but so far I haven't found it!

        There is a paid App floating around somewhere in App Store but as I'm from Yorkshire I don't do paid Apps if there's any free alternative...even if it takes a month to find

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        1. Dan 55 Silver badge
          Reply Icon
          Happy

          Re: RIP RSS reader

          Those would be Firefox and Thunderbird...

          1 0
  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    They've dropped the Windows version?

    Wow that going to piss a few people off. Maybe, what 3 or 4, perhaps even as many as 10.

    5 1
    1. GrumpyJoe
      Reply Icon
      FAIL

      Re: They've dropped the Windows version?

      How are developers supposed to cross check browser compatibility now - especially if they don't have the budget for Macs? They'll just test Firefox/Chrome/IE. Bugger Safari.

      Good move Apple.

      4 1
      1. Greg J Preece
        Reply Icon

        Re: They've dropped the Windows version?

        And that cross-browser testing is definitely necessary. Part of our system requires a pop-up to appear (it's meant to go on projector screens and the like, while the controls are on a separate screen.) During testing we tried this in Safari 5, only to find that not only did it block the popup, it also failed to inform users that the popup had been blocked. So from the end user's point of view, they clicked the button and nothing happened. Thanks, Apple!

        1 1
  13. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Facepalm

    Nice one Apple

    Tying the browser to the OS. Worked for IE 9.

    1 0
  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Didn't some company get sued for having a browser in their OS and being "uncompetetive"?

    Isn't withdrawing your product from another OS also uncompetetive? WIll Apple get hit with a massive fine for this?

    4 2
    1. Tom 38
      Reply Icon

      No, Apple does not have a monopoly on browsers, anything they choose to do with their browser is entirely fine. MS got fined because they abused their dominant OS monopoly to force their browser on everyone in order to deliberately destroy Netscape (the company).

      Apple withdrawing a browser which has a tiny market share from one of its platforms is in no way equivalent.

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