Safari 4 Beta solves that problem by adopting a true Windows-native appearance, including native Windows font rendering. (Mac-style font rendering is available as an option in Safari 4 Beta's preferences.) No longer does Safari look completely out of place when running on Windows; it now looks like it belongs on the operating system, which is a good thing if you're a Windows Safari user.

First impressions

Safari 4 Beta adds a slew of new useful features--for both end users and Web developers--to what was already a very good browser. While it may take time for some to adjust to tabs on top of the window, the overall feel of Safari 4 Beta is one of speed and efficiency. The user interface does its best to stay out of your way (while still being quite feature-rich), and the low-level changes in the browser mean that web sites load quickly and efficiently. A full review will have to wait for the final release, of course, but based on what I've seen so far, I'm impressed with this beta version.

[Senior editor Rob Griffiths also took a look at the Firefox 3 beta last year.]