OmniWeb 4.5 public beta 1 is the first version of the Omni Group’s Web browser to incorporate WebCore and JavaScriptCore frameworks from Apple — the same frameworks Apple uses for its own Web browser, Safari. More specifically, improvements been made to bookmarks, AutoFill, plug-ins, history indexing and more. OmniWeb 4.5 beta 1 requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later. In other OSX releases, CodeTek VirtualDesktop 2.3.3 was released.
OmniWeb 4.5 Public Beta Released
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
A great browser application only missing tabs with a new more compatible rendering engine… yay!
What are the key features of OmniWeb? Features that others don’t have.
I can’t believe anyone would ever pay for this browser when Safari already outpaces it in many areas and will eventually dominate it. Now, if it were open source I could understand but it’s not.
Omniweb has some unique features, like the textarea form edititing, not found elsewhere.
However, I agree with you, Safari will dominate as it will come by default with the OS. Also, even if they use the exact same engine, Safari is still faster than OmniWeb. Scrolling on Safari a long page is visibly smoother than OmniWeb.
Both Safari and OmniWeb uses KDE’s KHTML html engine. Yay for KDE!
Well, that’s not entirely true. They both use a modified version of KHTML. Apple has put vast amounts of effort into improving it. Anyone who doubts this needs to go look up David Hyatt’s blog.
Omniweb has some unique features, like the textarea form edititing, not found elsewhere.
You mean, like opening up a text editor for filling in an HTML form? That’s been on IBrowse since back when OmniWeb was a NeXT app.
Apple has put vast amounts of effort into improving it. Anyone who doubts this needs to go look up David Hyatt’s blog.
Does anyone know if these changes have been/will be incorporated back into KIDE’s browser ?
Its already being intercorparated into khtml and will be in KDE 3.2 .
I thought this was a really cool browser, but I must confess I’ve never used this or Mac OS X before. But I’ll always support the underdogs *cough*Opera*cough*BeOS*cough*. What’s the monospace font used in the HTML editing window? I want it!
One other feature unique to Omniweb is the ability to edit and then redisplay the page’s source code.
On my G4 the new Omniweb is easily faster than Safari and just as fast if not faster than el Camino.
> But I’ll always support the underdogs *cough*Opera*cough*BeOS*cough*.
Mac OSX isn’t an underdog?
>> But I’ll always support the underdogs *cough*Opera*cough*BeOS*cough*.
> Mac OSX isn’t an underdog?
Actually, Mac OSX is not the underdog in all markets. So chris has a point. As far as OmniWeb, I use it all the time now, it’s my main text editor. I like it a lot more then the one that comes with netscape. Some of the buttons need a pixel taken off each corner. Besides that, it’s great.
Disclaimer: I am not Eugenia, I just want to be her
The changes Apple has made to khtml are being are being added to the stock version that comes with KDE. It seems they usually take a couple of point releases to appear though.
One other feature unique to Omniweb is the ability to edit and then redisplay the page’s source code.
So unique, it’s been in IBrowse for years. I find it very useful, when the webmaster has been up to mischief.
I also find it faster than Safari. The reason for that could be that OW is using newer version of Webcore. It also renders some pages correctly now. I can log into my bank with OW plus when I put check spelling as I type in forms, it stays that way.
Can’t wait to see new Safari. The future of OSX browsing is bright. Does anyone remember stories of about a year ago when everyone complained how slow web browsing was on Macs?
I can’t believe anyone would ever pay for this browser when Safari already outpaces it in many areas and will eventually dominate it. Now, if it were open source I could understand but it’s not.
Agreed. If I were OmniWeb I would have gone to Opera and licensed the Opera 7 rendering engine, then build it in to the existing OmniWeb interface. It seems like such a simple solution to a mutual problem: the OmniGroup has an excellent interface design (for OS X) and Opera has an excellent rendering engine but horrible problems with an OS X port. The Opera 7 rendering engine, being more advanced and standards compliant, would give OmniWeb an additional edge over Safari. As is, OmniWeb just seems like Safari repackaged, only they’re going to ask money for it…
I used Omniweb on NeXT for years, and it was my browser choice til Chimera/Camino got stable enough that I couldn’t ignore the speed difference anymore. A couple weeks ago I switched to Safari because I had a couple gripes with minor Camino bugs, but I never really liked the Safari interface or how it handles bookmarks.
Omniweb 4.5 is a godsend. Safari-like speed with a true coca interface. Once they optimize it for speed it’ll be perfect. Thanks Omni!
Sarfari is just a beautified Firebird. The features seem to be almost copied. That must be why I like it soo much!
“Mac OSX isn’t an underdog?”
There are underdogs under the underdogs.
>>>>I can’t believe anyone would ever pay for this browser when Safari already outpaces it in many areas and will eventually dominate it. Now, if it were open source I could understand but it’s not.
<<<<Agreed. If I were OmniWeb I would have gone to Opera and licensed the Opera 7 rendering engine, then build it in to the existing OmniWeb interface.
Opera is just as dead financially. Opera’s main source of revenue is on the cellphones, pda’s and internet appliances —- and not on PC’s (their work on PC’s is just for show, a PR thing with no real revenue coming in). Who is to say that nokia is not doing a “Safari” on opera? —– i.e. secretly making khtml smaller to fit a cellphone, and then wham!!!, opera gets sideswiped by a nokia/khtml port. Trolltech also gets screwed too, because nokia will probably write a wrapper around khtml so that they don’t have to pay for a QT license.
ROFL NOT-EUGENIA!!
I know Safari will dominate, but I don’t think OmniWeb or, for example, Camino, are a waste. These new aspects to OmniWeb have been sorely needed. The one thing about OmniWeb is that it has always rendered pages beautifully.
On a TiBook 667MHz w/ 768 MB RAM running 10.2.6 I get the following:
Startup Time (precached and loading http://www.google.com as home page)
Safari: 8 sec
Omniweb: 12 sec
Loading OS News
Safari: 2 sec
Omniweb: 6 sec
Loading Slashdot
Safari: 4 sec
Omniweb: 8 sec
Loading Wired
Safari: 5 sec
Omniweb: 7 sec
Loading CNN.com
Safari: 7 sec
Omniweb: 10 sec
(Timed off the clock in the menu bar based on the time it takes from hitting the enter key after typing the URL. Stopping timing when the blue progress bar for Safari has gone all the way right and cleared, and when the spinning progress indicator for Omniweb has stopped)
Omniweb was the first browser I got really attached to after switching to OS X 13 months ago, it is really a beautiful browser and has a superb interface. The lack of tabs and the speed issue are still deal killers for me.
DaveC
With OmniWeb, Safari, and Camino the future looks bright for Mac web browsers, in light of what Microsoft is doing these days, who needs the piece of crap that is IE on the Mac. PS Opera is dead on the Mac along with IE.
Omni makes really good software. People who used NeXT know that. Their OmniGraffle and OmniOutliner applications are great. I use OmniWeb 2.7 on my NeXT workstation 🙂
I was a big fan of OmniWeb when I used Mac OS X Server 1.0, the pre-Aqua, Rhapsody OS. I alternated between OmniWeb and Chimera until Safari was released, but Safari’s speed makes it too compelling a product to ignore. I grown to like the interface, and each subsequent release is an improvement.
Even though Safari is THE Macintosh browser now, competition is good. Users should have plenty of choice. As long as I’m not forced to use Internet Explorer in any form, browsing for the Mac has never been better.