Apple has launched a version of its web browser Safari for Windows, competing head to head with Microsoft’s Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox.
Apple Inc has set the stage for yet another rivalry with Microsoft Corp by launching a Windows version of its Safari Internet Browser and inviting developers to create Web-based programs for its upcoming iPhone.
The move by Apple, which has expanded beyond its Macintosh computer core with iPod media players and the upcoming iPhone, could let the company control how large number of people uses the Web at a time when services and programs are increasingly Internet-based.
Chief executive Steve Jobs said Apple “dream big” and wanted to expand the 4.9% market share Safari enjoys.
Apple made the announcements at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, where it mainly highlighted the features of its next upgrade to the Mac OS X operating system, dubbed Leopard and due to be available in October.
Addressing concerns that the iPhone would not support programs not created by Apple, Jobs said Apple would let outside developers create applications for the iPhone by tapping Safari, which is included in the multimedia device, softening the company’s previous position that the device would not support other software due to security concerns.
He said Safari was “the fastest browser on Windows,” saying it was twice as fast as Internet Explorer.
We think Windows users are going to be really impressed when they see how fast and intuitive web browsing can be with Safari, said Mr. Jobs.
Soleil Equity Research analyst Shannon Cross said the availability of Safari on Windows would boost popularity of the software and encourage Web site creators to make their sites compatible with the browser.
It should also help increase Apple’s exposure to the Windows community and potentially attract a larger audience of switchers, Cross wrote in a research note.
Jobs said the OS has 300 new features and demoed 10, including a new organizational system for the desktop called Stacks and a new folder system which lets users browse files and applications visually, just as music lovers can browse album covers in iTunes.
He also unveiled Quick Look, a feature which lets users preview files, such as movies, photos and documents, without having to open up a related application. For example, users will be able to preview a movie file without having to open up QuickTime.
Leopard is due for release in October and will cost $129 (£89).
However, some industry analysts viewed the moves as infectious ways for the Cupertino-based company to attract new converts to its products, but investors were apparently betting on more astounding news from the Wall Street darling.
But investors were disappointed that Jobs — known for his surprise announcements — did not have bigger news to unveil — and Apple shares sank nearly 3.5 percent, their biggest one-day fall in about four months.
Apple always hits a home run, and when they hit a triple, it is a disappointment, said Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray & Co. who has an “outperform” rating on Apple stock.
It helps with market share and helps with customers that are on the fence trying to move to the Mac, Phil Schiller, head of Apple’s product marketing, said in an interview.
After the event, Goldman Sachs raised its 12-month price target on Apple stock to $135 from $120, saying the company was poised to outperform expectations.
A test version of Safari 3 for Windows XP, Vista and Apple Macs running OSX, is available for download from the Apple website. Apple is hoping to replicate the success of iTunes, which has proved enormously popular on both Macs and Windows machines.