OT: Mac users...

[shredhead666]

Apparently Webkit (the engine Safari is based on) just released a new version for testing. Holy crap, it is SCORCHING fast. I've been running it all night and doing some javascript benchmarking (sunspider tests). So far it stomps every browser I've tested it against (IE, Firefox, Opera, Camino, Safari, Konqueror, Shiira, et al). I think it's finally going to get me to switch from Opera -which is no small feat. The SafariBlock (adblocking) software I tested it with works marvelously well also.

Here's the SunSpider test results (lower time is better

Webkit - Total: 3,581.0ms +/- 0.4%
Opera - Total: 7,009.0ms +/- 0.5%
Firefox - Total: 13,203.0ms +/- 0.7%

I think we have a new contender in the browser wars. There's a version for Windows, an OS X installer, and a tarball for compiling it from source for *nix environments.

http://nightly.webkit.org/

 

[duesentrieb]

Thanks man, I'm downloading it and will report how it works in krautland.

 

[duesentrieb]

The speed bump is noticeable after four clicks. Wow.

 

[Phishphood]

I'm confused, not sure what to do with the files (windoze version). Is this a new browser altogether or a mod to safari?

 

[shredhead666]

The speed bump is noticeable after four clicks. Wow.

Told you!

 

[shredhead666]

I'm confused, not sure what to do with the files (windoze version). Is this a new browser altogether or a mod to safari?

K, this is the rendering engine that Safari is based off of. It just happens to have an installer that allows you to run it bare-bones w/ a graphical interface. Webkit is to Safari the same way Gecko is to Mozilla/Firefox/Camino/etc....

Just downloaded the zip file for windows. Okay, in the nightly builds, there's a program called Drosera which is nothing more than a JavaScript debugger - pay no attention to this. There looks like there's a .CMD file in there. That will run under a DOS window. Go to Start > Run and type CMD and click OK. Drag the file called run-nightly-webkit.cmd into the DOS window and then press enter. I *think* that's the installer, but I"m not sure. I'd have to fire up the windows virtual machine to see what that file actually does.

Looking at that .CMD file in the text editor, it looks like it just launches FindSafari.exe. So it may be faster to just double-click on FindSafari.exe?

*I take NO responsibility for what the Windows installer does as I've not even touched it*

 

[jkdsteve]

Does it install a new version of WebKit over Apple's own so that it works in Safari ?

woow....faaaaast, wonder if all the features work?

Totally weird experience though..since it just opened another Safari window when I ran it

 

[Phishphood]

I'm confused, not sure what to do with the files (windoze version). Is this a new browser altogether or a mod to safari?

K, this is the rendering engine that Safari is based off of. It just happens to have an installer that allows you to run it bare-bones w/ a graphical interface. Webkit is to Safari the same way Gecko is to Mozilla/Firefox/Camino/etc....

Just downloaded the zip file for windows. Okay, in the nightly builds, there's a program called Drosera which is nothing more than a JavaScript debugger - pay no attention to this. There looks like there's a .CMD file in there. That will run under a DOS window. Go to Start > Run and type CMD and click OK. Drag the file called run-nightly-webkit.cmd into the DOS window and then press enter. I *think* that's the installer, but I"m not sure. I'd have to fire up the windows virtual machine to see what that file actually does.

Looking at that .CMD file in the text editor, it looks like it just launches FindSafari.exe. So it may be faster to just double-click on FindSafari.exe?

*I take NO responsibility for what the Windows installer does as I've not even touched it*

Says "findsafari.exe is not a recognized command" when I do that. If I double click it I see the command prompt flash for a split second but then nothing happens

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

Dude this thing smokes! I've just installed it and jumped around to a few webpages and it is way fast.
Thanks man.

 

[shredhead666]

Does it install a new version of WebKit over Apple's own so that it works in Safari ?

woow....faaaaast, wonder if all the features work?

Totally weird experience though..since it just opened another Safari window when I ran it

It looks like it pretty much runs stand-alone from the standard Safari install. It masquerades itself as Safari when you launch it I *think*. All I know is it hauls ass.

 

[jkdsteve]

Looks like the updates are coming in Safari 3.1 / OSX.5.2 :

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/02/09/saf ... -snappier/

 

[Phishphood]

Does it install a new version of WebKit over Apple's own so that it works in Safari ?

woow....faaaaast, wonder if all the features work?

Totally weird experience though..since it just opened another Safari window when I ran it

It looks like it pretty much runs stand-alone from the standard Safari install. It masquerades itself as Safari when you launch it I *think*. All I know is it hauls ass.

Not for the windows version it doesn't. After I installed safari for windows clicking on the cmd copies about 50 files into the safari folder. Find safari launches the safari browser

My results weren't quite as exciting. It was in the 8000s, but this may be because my computer sucks ass because my firefox time was 23766.6

Despite the numbers I don't myself switching. The interface and rendering on firefox is better (safari messes with all the fonts) and it doesn't really feel any faster when I'm actually using it. I'll have to give opera a try though, I couldn't adapt the first time I gave it a shot but it was definitely faster

Ok I have to give opera some respect. Not only did it reload the playboy skin I had installed but it kept my tabs open from the day I unistalled it