If a Windows edition of a Mac applications programme seemed like an odd alternative for one of Steve Jobs ’ stylemark “ One more thing … ” keynote surprises , it should n’t be , analyst who follow the company say . acquire a Windows interpretation of Safari not only benefits Apple ’s high - profile iPhone , it also helps Apple build market place share in the overall browser app market .
Apple ’s Safari announcement came at the end of 90 - instant keynote that kicked off the companionship ’s weeklong Worldwide Developers Conference . And while most of Jobs ’ talk of the town focus on the upcoming Leopard release for Mac OS X , it was clearly the Safari news that caused the self-aggrandising ado among attendees .
The public beta of Safari 3 hits the Web just 18 days before the iPhone hit retail shelf . That ’s no conjunction , says Ross Rubin , managing director of analysis at market - research business firm NPD Group , especially in light source of Jobs ’ other keynote - concluding surprisal — that third - party software makers would be able to make applications for the headphone that unravel within the version of Safari include on the nomadic equipment . Extending Safari ’s hit to Windows allow developers on that platform to familiarize themselves with Apple engineering , Rubin say .
A second rationality for Apple ’s expansion into the Windows internet browser market might be a simple affair of Green River : over the past two years theMozilla Foundation , newspaper publisher of Firefox , has made more than $ 100 million in revenue from implant Google search contact in its web internet browser , consort tothe New York Times . The more Safari users , the larger Apple ’s gross from its own deal with Google .
And that could explicate the motive behind Apple ’s other reasons for create a Windows variant of Safari . “ In addition to the iPhone , there are two things Apple is expect for — increasing overall market percentage to ensure developer are bear it [ Safari ] and bolster the number of alternatives to cyberspace Explorer , ” Rubin say .
Indeed , Jobs said as much during his keynote . According to figure quoted by the Apple CEO , the Mac OS - only adaptation of Safari enjoys a 5 - percent share of the browsing market ; the cross - platform Internet Explorer and Firefox enjoy marketplace portion of 78 percent and 15 percentage , respectively .
“ The Mac ’s grocery share is expectant , but we want to turn , and , in ordering to do that , we have to produce a interlingual rendition of Safari on Windows , ” Jobs aver during his keynote .
Those are the eccentric of plan that tend to get noticed within Microsoft main office , mark JupiterResearch vice president and enquiry director Michael Gartenberg . “ I to the full expect some kind of a response from Redmond , ” he say . “ We are definitely looking at another contemporaries of web browser wars . It was a brilliant tactical move on Apple ’s part . ”
For its part , Apple retrieve the web browser will be a pop addition to the Windows world .
“ What we hump is that people will love an forward-looking web internet browser , ” said Brian Croll , Apple ’s fourth-year director of package production selling . “ We think it will be really popular on Windows . ”
As for the day ’s star , Leopard got the stoolpigeon - peek handling from Jobs this twelvemonth , just like it did for the 2006 developers group discussion . And while Jobs preview several Modern features — chiefly , a redesigned screen background and new Finder — his presentment also recapped many of the enhancement first precede in August 2006 .
psychoanalyst who watch the tonic were n’t put off by the repetition performance . “ This is a case where we saw a good raft of the story last year , but Apple has done a really good job in updating the overall look and feel of the OS , ” Gartenberg said . “ You ca n’t have the same commonplace look and at the same time you have to repel the technology forward — it ’s a balancing act . ”
Much of the motivation behind the updated facial expression - and - flavor appear to be simplifying organization . That ’s the motivation behind Stacks , an increase to the screen background that helps users keep their workspace spare of clutter by allowing them to group files and document together in the Dock .
“ This is one of those features that once you start using it , you wo n’t blockade , ” Apple ’s Croll said . “ That was really the affair we were essay to do — make an elegant background and make it really gentle to use . ”
Apple ’s Finder has been pass append several new features including the power to find out other Macs on a local connection . In plus to being able to login to the remote Mac , users can also divvy up the screen — a feature included inApple Remote Desktop . But that screen background management app is n’t going to be discontinued or downplayed , although the new Finder feature is utilizing some of the same technologies .
“ This applied science is really focused on sieve sharing , ” Croll said . “ Apple Remote Desktop has a wealth of other feature . ”
