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Possible Introduction of Safari Extensions at WWDC

I don't get it...

What's so great about this? I've tried Firefox and Chrome both (used FF quite a bit actually) but always found myself gravitating back to Safari. I installed a few extensions but never really found them to be that useful. Mostly just glorified bookmarks. I feel like I'm missing the point...

So I guess my question is if Apple adds extensions to Safari, what will it do? How does it make it a better experience than it is today?

I doubt I would ever use this but still good news as some of you guys seem to really like and use the extensions in other browsers.
 
Safari has needed this so bad. I wouldn't have to use Firefox if 3rd party plugins were available. Everything would be available in Safari. Crossing my fingers.
 
mox358 said:
What's so great about this? I've tried Firefox and Chrome both (used FF quite a bit actually) but always found myself gravitating back to Safari. I installed a few extensions but never really found them to be that useful. Mostly just glorified bookmarks. I feel like I'm missing the point...

So I guess my question is if Apple adds extensions to Safari, what will it do? How does it make it a better experience than it is today?

I doubt I would ever use this but still good news as some of you guys seem to really like and use the extensions in other browsers.
Click to expand...


It's great for development. There are a lot of tools out there that safari doesn't have that make development really nice.
 
CANEHDN said:
It's great for development. There are a lot of tools out there that safari doesn't have that make development really nice.
Click to expand...

Interesting... I do some web design so I'll investigate this a little further. I never got far enough into them to really learn much.
 
There are plenty of add ons for safari already, glims is excellent, and there are bookmark managers, and all sorts of other add ons...
 
CANEHDN said:
Safari has needed this so bad. I wouldn't have to use Firefox if 3rd party plugins were available. Everything would be available in Safari. Crossing my fingers.
Click to expand...

There are plenty of safari plugins available at the moment, not as many as ff for sure, but I can't see how you might have missed those already available for safari...:confused::rolleyes:
 
hailst0rm said:
Am I the only one who detests extensions. I really don't want to see google toolbar being bundles with every bit of software I want to install :(
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No. I find a large majority of the plugins have no need to be tied into the browser and on OS X at least there are stand alone apps that can remain running without any penalty, that are just as accessible and accomplish the same tasks and often better.

That's not to say that there aren't areas where browser extensions could be useful, but a lot are just fluff additions.
 
Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.50 (Nintendo DSi; Opera/507; U; en-US))

I just love Web-Kit based browsers (I am a website designer), because they are so advanced. If this gets Safari more market share, then this is a good day.
 
applesupergeek said:
There are plenty of add ons for safari already, glims is excellent, and there are bookmark managers, and all sorts of other add ons...
Click to expand...

applesupergeek said:
There are plenty of safari plugins available at the moment, not as many as ff for sure, but I can't see how you might have missed those already available for safari...:confused::rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Vmaatta said:
There already are extensions / plugins in Safari. Unless someone failed to mention it was about the iPhone OS… that would be news.
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Those plugins break every time Safari updates. That's the current problem with Safari. With an official extension APIs support, Safari shouldn't be breaking the plugins every time it gets updated.

Not to mention the plugins will be more stable as they do not need to resort to hacking into Safari to work and not mess with other plugins.

mox358 said:
What's so great about this? I've tried Firefox and Chrome both (used FF quite a bit actually) but always found myself gravitating back to Safari. I installed a few extensions but never really found them to be that useful. Mostly just glorified bookmarks. I feel like I'm missing the point...

So I guess my question is if Apple adds extensions to Safari, what will it do? How does it make it a better experience than it is today?

I doubt I would ever use this but still good news as some of you guys seem to really like and use the extensions in other browsers.
Click to expand...

1Password, Evernote Clipper, Instapaper, Tab and Session Management Tools and etc. They promote security, integration with web services, and ability to manage the tabs as well as saving/restoring them in your own way. They do improve the productivity for the users.


hailst0rm said:
Am I the only one who detests extensions. I really don't want to see google toolbar being bundles with every bit of software I want to install :(
Click to expand...

Extensions != toolbar bundles. Safari isn't going to be bundled with anything and nor will it force you to install anything, it's a choice that you make, not Apple.

Look at my last answer above to see what it can provide for users.
 
I've given up on Safari. I use firefox as my main browser and have chrome installed on here, but only ever use safari on the rare occasion a website wont load properly. (Like accessing my back account)

I do like Chrome and it does many things well, but firefox uses less memory on my mac when active than chrome does, so I can give up a bit of speed for a more efficient browser that doesn't spy on me.

As for safari, all I miss from leaving it is top sites (I cant find any good alternatives to that) and opening new windows/tabs by right-clicking the dock icon.
 
Oh great Gruber says it - must be true

That's right hang a bunch of hooks off Safari. Make it just like Windows with even more ways for the black hats to reach in and take control of your machine. I <:apple: gruber
 
WilliamLondon said:
Nor has Safari crashed on me. I've no idea but are we both talking about Safari on OSX?



Chrome has one purpose, to invade your privacy, communicate everything it can grab about your online behaviours to Google, which monetizes it and sells it to their advertisers. This is the purpose of Chrome. If you think that a speed increase of x milliseconds for the price of your privacy is good value, go for it, have fun, be psychologically manipulated by all of Google's advertisers, and buy more stuff which they tell you to buy.



Perhaps you should step away from Google's release cycles for just a moment. This isn't a race. Apple's platform is beyond adequate, and in my opinion has a better user experience than any other offering out there. Just because Google released a big advertising platform, with in your opinion are a few better features, faster than Apple's release cycle doesn't mean that Chrome is better. Patience man!
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Well said, William!
 
Robocopper said:
Unfortunately for Apple... Chrome is just simply a better browser right now.

I use both, but Chrome is faster, and unlike Sarafi it has never crashed on me. I have at least one Safari crash per week (Mozilla on Windows never crashed on me either, at least in more recent times).

What does Chrome have? A faster experience; a combined URL/Search bar which is awesome; better CSS inspection; better bookmark management; cross-platform.

How it is that Google, a third party developer, for Mac can do a better job than Apple on such a core part of the modern computer experience. I could understand them doing better on the PC, but on my Mac???
Click to expand...

WilliamLondon said:
Chrome has one purpose, to invade your privacy, communicate everything it can grab about your online behaviours to Google, which monetizes it and sells it to their advertisers. This is the purpose of Chrome. If you think that a speed increase of x milliseconds for the price of your privacy is good value, go for it, have fun, be psychologically manipulated by all of Google's advertisers, and buy more stuff which they tell you to buy.
Click to expand...
WORD.

WilliamLondon said:
Perhaps you should step away from Google's release cycles for just a moment. This isn't a race.
Click to expand...
Save your breath... in all likelihood, Robocopper works for Google.
[his sales-pitch bit just seemed a little too eager beaver. :cool: ]



macsmurf said:
I must say this would really surprise me. Apple doesn't strike me as a company that would provide tools that allow developers to change the way Apple's software interact with the user. After all, Steve Jobs knows best.
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Apple isn't in the habit of producing the hippest whiz-bang browser with all the latest gizmos to impress 17-year-olds who yearn to be hotter than everyone else. (Look Ma, no skins). If folks want to be cool, just use Firefox or Chrome or Camino or Opera or iCab or Shiira or SeaMonkey or OmniWeb or . . .

...really, Steve won't mind. [that's the purpose of 3rd-party wares.]
 
I would consider switching to Safari if there were plug-in/add-on options. Add-ons are one of the main reasons I've been sticking with Firefox, but by doing so I'm also missing a few nice features of Safari that integrate well with OSX.
 
Good news for those who like add-ons. Personally, I've never seen the need for them.

Yes, I use Glims, but that's because I'm UK based and want to search Google.co.uk as default, not Google.com. Other than that there is nothing that would enhance my user experience in Safari.

I've got Opera, Chrome and Firefox on my Mac and have used them all. I do a bit of website development so want to see how they all handle things, but I always go back to Safari as my default.

I use a browser to browse the web, Safari does this fine without them, so why do I need added tools? Could someone please explain what extensions they use and what benefits they bring. I'd genuinely be interested to know.
 
for a long time i have been using safari...but lately, i have been using chrome and im starting to like it...

If safari doesnt bring anything to the table and I mean safari 5, I will switch to chrome...but they gotta do sth especial not just bring safari on par w/ firefox and chrome...
Im confident apple will push safari 5 beta out in a few weeks, cause chrome is eating their marketshare more than ever before now that is out of beta..

sometimes it seems that apple has diverted all their attention on the iphone/ipad OS, no longer cares about improving the mac OS..

I personally like extentions, but with chrome I use their google voice extension which is very useful
 
Just look at Chorme preferences pane and ask yourself if it's out of beta. WebKit ir WebKit, but UI is terrible and don't tell me that tabs on top is better, because it's just personal not an axiom.
 
alent1234 said:
why is apple always behind on these things?

i predict they will have to go through an approval process that will take months and if you're rejected you will know when apple goons come to beat you with lead pipes for wasting their time
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Apple always behind? I see the opposite. And those areas of functionality that would potentially harm the user experience are thought through and time taken, to learn from others mistakes, before implementing.

I for one am glad that there is a strict approval process. I don't want any crap to be accepted, when I hit download/purchase/install I want to feel safe in the knowledge that standards, security and stability are not compromised.
 
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