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Apple Encouraging Chrome and Firefox Users to Try Safari After Installing Yosemite

Safari is fine for the casual user, even if benchmarking proved it faster on certain tasks that doesn't makeup for its overall deficiency compared to Chrome.

If one could have a relaxed discussion then I'd get into specifics, but those biased towards Apple have deep emotional attachments that prevents them from staying calm and on track. Short of effusively gushing with praise of Apple, anything less results in being a target.

Yet that said if Apple must stoop so low to get people to try the product, perhaps it's been too long since they've looked in the mirror.
 
I use safari on my late 2013 MacBook Pro Retina and since the update to Yosemite, I've been having more issues with pages not loading, temp freezes, force quits. I'd like to do a clean install of yosemite but then I'd need to setup everything again and that is a chore. I'm hoping more updates will fix these issues. However, if the issues I'm having get worse, then I may just decide to clean install.

The one thing I really miss from Chrome or firefox, is being able to right click on bookmarks from the bookmarks menu or the bookmarks bar and being able to delete, rename, etc. Like a context menu that allows you to do bookmarks edits on the fly rather than requiring you to use the "edit bookmarks page" or using the sidebar.


Given that I have an iPhone as well, there are too many continuity features for me to want to use something than Safari as my main browser.
 
Favicons

I wish Safari would show the favicons in its tabs. It makes things so much easier to distinguish when looking at multiple tabs. I just tried Glims for the first time, which is supposed to add them, but it doesn't seem to work correctly in Yosemite.
 
RedTomato said:
Why I use Chrome not Safari:

- click-to-play (as part of the core functionality, not as an extension that takes more memory). Massive help in reducing flash adverts, energy and RAM usage. It's mainly why I don't use adblock any more (bonus - rewards websites that advertise but don't use flash adverts)

- easy tab switching - press command-option-left/right arrow to switch between tabs. Three buttons next to each other under my right hand. Couldn't be easier. (I try to reduce touchpad usage to keep my RSI under control.)

- Chrome has its own built in Flash. Keeping Adobe's software off my mac is always a help, especially something so buggy and hack-prone. It's one less thing to keep updated.

Does Safari have all these things?
Click to expand...

1. It's been built in for about a year now, and isn't limited to just Flash.
2. Yes, but the default shortcut isn't as obvious (though you can easily change it to whatever you want, same for Chrome on Mac if you really wanted to). Control-tab (and control-shift-tab for backwards).
3. No to this one. However, you should know that Chrome's version of the Flash Player is still written and developed by Adobe. It's nice to not have the separate install though, I agree with you there.
 
5232152 said:
- Ad Block Plus
- Google Dictionary
- Dont Track Me (Very important)
- Ad block for Youtube
- Google Documents extension
- World clock
- Flashcontrol

And a feature that makes the whole difference too - the fact you can see what window is playing music.

Safari is only snappier if you run it against other browsers without extensions, that many find obligatory.
Click to expand...

I haven't had any issues with Ad Block Plus on Safari.
I use the built in OS X dictionary, just 3 finger tap on the word you want defined.
Disconnect is a plugin that works on Safari (and all major browsers) that disables tracking scripts - written by a former Google engineer no less.
WTF do you want a world clock browser extension? There are any number of good apps or menu bar extensions that do a better job of this.
 
Takes too long to open new tabs in safari. Hate the zooming compared to chrome. And no favicons in the bookmark bar.

Chrome still feels faster IMO.
 
I have nearly always used Safari primarily (sometimes Firefox instead), but c'mon, these messages are annoying. It's like what MS does with IE.
 
Avenged110 said:
Safari's disputable superiority aside, this is the stupidity that bugs me so much. I realize that the tiny corner notification isn't a big deal, but it's almost like advertising. They did the same thing with the "See what's new in Mavericks" notifcations a year ago. I literally could not give a ****, leave me alone. I will choose to use what I want on my computer and how I want to. I wish there was a terminal command or something specifically to stop stuff like this so people who would benefit will still get them and those who don't want to be bugged can opt out. Why is that so hard?
Click to expand...

It looks like you're trying to write a complaint. Do you want help with that?
 

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bobright said:
Which ones are some of your must have, just curious?
Click to expand...

AdBlock Plus, which blocks video ads on some sites, is somewhat behind on Safari. Regular AdBlock is the same. But there are also Safari extensions I like that aren't available on Chrome. Click2Flash makes YouTube so much better.

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Avenged110 said:
I wish there was a terminal command or something specifically to stop stuff like this so people who would benefit will still get them and those who don't want to be bugged can opt out. Why is that so hard?
Click to expand...

A "I literally only updated so I could use the new Xcode, so please leave me alone" mode would be perfect for me.
 
Max(IT) said:
Don't see a single reason to not use safari under OSX
Click to expand...

because Safari doesn't allow true full screen (presentation mode) like Chrome (not sure about Firefox) but your toolbar or some kind of bar always has to sit there at the top of your screen and look at you confusedly :confused:

so ironic, since Steve Jobs is the one who pushed for the minimalistic design of apps
 
Rigby said:
Firefox Sync works fine as well (and is also supported by some iOS browsers such as iCab). Has better privacy than Chrome sync too since it encrypts your information before uploading.
Click to expand...

Firefox doesn't use the Keychain to store passwords, so I consider it totally not safe.
 
A challenge for you:

Run Chrome and Safari, open up the Activity Monitor too. Make sure you have Activity monitor in the CPU window and sort by Process Name (click the "Process Name" in the bar). Make sure you show the same page on both browsers, just to be fair, this one is good (this forum).

Have a look at the CPU usage of Chrome, see where Safari is. Note: Google is made up of "Google Chrome" and "Google Chrome Helper" (more than one normally), Safari is "Safari" and "Safari Networking" and if you are here a "http://www.forums.macrumors.com".

For me:
Chrome is using 2.2% when in the background "idle". When repeatedly typing text in here 9 to 15%.
Safari is using 0.3% when in the background "idle". When repeatedly typing text typing in here, 5 to 7%.

*By "background idle" I mean either minimized or not the active window. By "repeatedly typing text" I mean I have this form open in the "post reply" page, just typing randomly in the edit box.

I changed to Safari from Chrome a few months ago...
 
Last edited:
Without the ability to forbid refresh, Safari (and others) can get lost!

Firefox is essential for those sites which insist upon installing refresh scripts - I'll decide when I refresh, thank you very much!
 
chriscrowley said:
I wish Safari would show the favicons in its tabs. It makes things so much easier to distinguish when looking at multiple tabs. I just tried Glims for the first time, which is supposed to add them, but it doesn't seem to work correctly in Yosemite.
Click to expand...

+1 to favicons, also:
I wish the close tab button was on the right (or at least shown and not invisible).
I wish it had that "play" icon like chrome when a tab has sound playing (like a youtube video) so you can see which tab is making noise.

On the other hand:
I wish in Chrome you could have a bookmarks bar on the left constantly open.
I wish it didn't use so much CPU and battery power, especially when idle.
 
I really like the new design and the 'snappiness' of Safari, but I'm locked into Firefox because of the extensions. Probably I could live without the most of them, or find more or less adequate substititions. But in the end it's just one extension, which makes browsing so much easier, that I don't want to miss it anymore: Drag & DropZones.
 
Avenged110 said:
Safari's disputable superiority aside, this is the stupidity that bugs me so much. I realize that the tiny corner notification isn't a big deal, but it's almost like advertising. They did the same thing with the "See what's new in Mavericks" notifcations a year ago. I literally could not give a ****, leave me alone. I will choose to use what I want on my computer and how I want to. I wish there was a terminal command or something specifically to stop stuff like this so people who would benefit will still get them and those who don't want to be bugged can opt out. Why is that so hard?
Click to expand...

WOW. One little dialog box requiring one little click to go away and you're about to go POSTAL? I hope you don't live in my city. :)
 
Freyqq said:
Also, if Chrome or Firefox is your default browser, when you open safari the next time it will ask if you want to make safari your default.

Honestly, it felt a little low for Apple. If I want to make safari my default, I'll do it without apple begging me to change over.
Click to expand...

I don't think that it's "low" for Apple. Just seems like they feel a lot more confident about this version of Safari since it is a huge improvement, so why not try to get more users to use it! ;)
 
Parasprite said:
1. It's been built in for about a year now, and isn't limited to just Flash.
Click to expand...

Please elaborate - it's a feature that's kept me on chrome.
I know Safari has a plugin blocker, but it's an all or nothing per site. Whenever I set it to "ask", it asks when the page loads, I click allow, then that's it, it's permanently allowed. For all of that plugin on that page, and not just that one video I wanted to watch.

Chrome is an "always off", that allows me to click a single flash (or other plugin) block-out, and run this time. Everything else on the page is still blocked, and next visit it's all blocked.
I've not been able to get safari to work like that, or even a compromise.
 
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