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Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced one year ago in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.

Safari Technology Preview release 26 includes fixes and improvements for Web API, CSS, Rendering, Web Inspector, WebDriver, and WebCrypto. Today's update also includes a WebGPU prototype, accessible from the Experimental Features menu.

The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.

Article Link: Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 26 With WebGPU Prototype
 

Maniamac

macrumors member
Oct 31, 2007
76
24
Installed on a MBP (w/ Touch Bar) and having problems: Can't access my history and can't load a website by typing URL into address bar. Only selecting the search suggestion in the address bar dropdown will actually load a site. Tried reinstalling Safari Tech Preview and restarting the Mac--same problem. Anyone else?

UPDATE: After about 30 minutes, it started working on its own.
 
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nvmls

Suspended
Mar 31, 2011
1,941
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26th upgrade and as funny as the 1st one. I'm sure many can clarify how well it runs & how much more efficient at the expense of broken features.

Release notes look like Santa's letter.
 
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JoshDoug

macrumors member
Apr 25, 2014
60
110
WebGPU could be interesting, or it could be DOA.
Mozilla just put forward their own (sort of) equivalent currently called Obsidian to Khronos' WebGL-Next, link, could be interesting seeing which gets traction.
 
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casperes1996

macrumors 604
Jan 26, 2014
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Horsens, Denmark

It's a low-level API for the web. As of now, web graphics could go through APIs like WebGL, but with WebGPU the intent is to bring an API more similar to Metal/Vulkan/DX12 to the web interface. It'll be implemented as a cross platform abstraction layer for the underlying technologies like Vulkan, Metal and DX12, so a site using WebGPU would send Metal calls to the Mac, and DX12 or Vulkan calls to Windows, versus OpenGL calls using WebGL.
 

HJM.NL

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Jul 25, 2016
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Netherlands
I always liked safari until recently. At work we've intranet running on sharepoint and the latest versions of Safari runs very slow. I've installed Chrome and that one is as fast as Safari used to be. I've installed the developer preview of Safari but that one stalls too. I hoped I could give feedback on Safari to Apple, but for that you've to have a developer ID. Sometimes Apple can be so frustrating :confused:
 

casperes1996

macrumors 604
Jan 26, 2014
7,392
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Horsens, Denmark
I always liked safari until recently. At work we've intranet running on sharepoint and the latest versions of Safari runs very slow. I've installed Chrome and that one is as fast as Safari used to be. I've installed the developer preview of Safari but that one stalls too. I hoped I could give feedback on Safari to Apple, but for that you've to have a developer ID. Sometimes Apple can be so frustrating :confused:

If it makes you happy, I've already reported it for you.
 

HJM.NL

macrumors 68020
Jul 25, 2016
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Me too, man. Though I would recommend the new Opera Neon instead. It's way sexier and based on Chrome still
I'll try it out. Chrome and safari are both based on WebKit so Opera must be as well. I thought WebKit was from Apple and they open sourced it. Since chrome has switched recently to WebKit as well, it's hard to understand it already does more than Safari. If possible I would prefer opera over Chrome... not giving away all my info to google ;)
 

casperes1996

macrumors 604
Jan 26, 2014
7,392
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I'll try it out. Chrome and safari are both based on WebKit so Opera must be as well. I thought WebKit was from Apple and they open sourced it. Since chrome has switched recently to WebKit as well, it's hard to understand it already does more than Safari. If possible I would prefer opera over Chrome... not giving away all my info to google ;)

All are based on WebKit, yes. And yes, WebKit is Apple and open source. Google customised it quite a lot for Chrome though, and whilst still based on WebKit, there are massive implementation differences between Chrome and Safari still. Opera is pretty much interlay Chrome under the hood, in terms of how it renders webpages. Just looks and feels sleeker in my opinion. Neon at least.
 

casperes1996

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Jan 26, 2014
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Does it mean real gpu:s are coming to Macs?

Well, the API will in theory mean that more visually impressive content can be displayed with less powerful hardware, as it takes less overhead. So if you were going to interpret anything from it regarding GPUs in Macs... It'd probably be the opposite. But even that, I'm not buying. It'll stay roughly similar to what it is now. I'm thinking that a potential future benefit of this however, is WebGPU support on iOS - And of course reducing power drain on portable devices.
 

nvmls

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Mar 31, 2011
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That's why it's a preview and not a general release.

Oh ok thanks I had no clue! then I would point out that it's snappier, it also makes my battery last forever, like the new soldered computer components, even on freezes, it prevents battery drain, truly magical.

It's wonderful that an experimental browser running on a "premium" priced machine will keep my info safe from Snowden and Julien, I also encrypted all the rabbit porn just in case.
 

coolfactor

macrumors 604
Jul 29, 2002
6,993
9,587
Vancouver, BC
WebGPU could be interesting, or it could be DOA.
Mozilla just put forward their own (sort of) equivalent currently called Obsidian to Khronos' WebGL-Next, link, could be interesting seeing which gets traction.

"WebGPU"

So, what does it do?

Yah it would've been nice if this was answered in the article, given that it was mentioned in the headline. :)
 

theLedger

macrumors member
Aug 12, 2008
78
90
Franklin, TN
I always liked safari until recently. At work we've intranet running on sharepoint and the latest versions of Safari runs very slow. I've installed Chrome and that one is as fast as Safari used to be. I've installed the developer preview of Safari but that one stalls too. I hoped I could give feedback on Safari to Apple, but for that you've to have a developer ID. Sometimes Apple can be so frustrating :confused:

I experienced the same thing. Switched over to Chrome. I like the fact that with Chrome I have more flexibility over its settings.
 
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6836838

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Jul 18, 2011
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And..... STILL no WebRTC! Apple are hugely lagging behind now. I'm having to tell all clients to switch to Chrome, as much as it pains me to do so.
 

friednoodles

Suspended
Feb 4, 2014
601
830
And..... STILL no WebRTC! Apple are hugely lagging behind now. I'm having to tell all clients to switch to Chrome, as much as it pains me to do so.

Apple has checked in WebRTC support into WebKit, so the core support is there now. See this changeset: https://trac.webkit.org/changeset/210942

But naturally it can't be enabled until the rest of the implementation work is done (all the permissions and associated UI stuff has to be built for Safari and the OS, the same on iOS, etc) - it takes time, but with the functional support checked in that's a big step of the way there.
 
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sudo1996

Suspended
Aug 21, 2015
1,496
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Berkeley, CA, USA
How do you get Safari DP on El Capitan? There used to be download links, and now they're gone. My regular Safari doesn't work anymore for some reason, so I'm using DP, but the one I have is old.
 
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