Safari 4 Beta on Older Machines

[unknown1]

I have been using Safari 4 on my 400MHz Pismo since the beta was released and all I can say is it is amazing! When you aren't doing anything with it is barely uses ANY processor! Still can't play videos, but that is to be expected...

I usually use Opera 9 (Opera 10 Beta wouldn't even open on my system) as it is the only thing that has any usable speed. I also use Firefox 3 (G3 version called Minefield) so I can use my plug-ins and have access to my Foxmarks bookmarks. But Firefox uses about 60% of system resources when it is sitting there doing nothing! Immediately goes up to 100% when doing anything Flash of course, but that is the problem with the video card in this old of a machine.

I have been messing around with some changes and user style sheets (mostly from http://PimpMySafari.com and have gotten rid of most of the advertisements. I really don't mind ads, especially text ones, but really get annoyed at yahoo's placing dating ads with beautiful women all around my emails saying 'flirt with me'! I guess since my profile shows that I am a middle aged geek that that is what I am looking for...

Has anyone had any experiences in using Safari 4 Beta on older machines?

I am really looking for a way to control Flash objects on a site-by-site basis and don't have the cash for some of the advanced Safari Plug-ins (It's a different world when most of the Firefox plug-ins are 'Donation Ware'.)

I am running 10.4.11 and I think that is the minimum for Safari, but it 10.4 runs great on my Pismo with 384 MB of RAM as long as I don't use too many cool musical widgets and such!

Russell - Idaho USA
Back on the Pismo with the dying hard drive...

[Turboladdade]

I'm glad to hear that Safari 4 improves performance on G3 class machines. One of my main gripes with some older G3 hardware is that, while word processing, emails and IMs still work as they always have, something seemingly so trivial as web browsing is proving more and more tedious.

[kriegvision]

unknown1, can you be so kind as to run some browser rendering speed tests on your G3 system using various browsers and the test at http://scragz.com/archived/mozilla/test-rendering-time as well as the scripting tests at http://wd-testnet.world-direct.at/mozil ... meTest.htm and report back to us?

[unknown1]

I'd be glad to. I'll try to do it Sunday (tomorrow) evening.

[unknown1]

I'm glad to hear that Safari 4 improves performance on G3 class machines. One of my main gripes with some older G3 hardware is that, while word processing, emails and IMs still work as they always have, something seemingly so trivial as web browsing is proving more and more tedious.

The modern web is just really complicated I guess. Active 'AJAX' (I think that is what it is) pages like Yahoo's new mail interface are slow on older web browsers (like Firefox 2, almost unusable). But I think the most insidious problem to older systems has been Flash. Flash EVERYTHING. As soon as I hit a flash video, even it if is a little side ad without sound, the processor usage shoots up to 100%!

Flash is a nice little piece of software, it is only about 1.5 MB, but I think it offloads most of its processing needs to the graphics card (or processor in older systems) so it ends up being slower than Java (read Molasses, a glacier, or your favorite euphemism for excrement here!) on things like my PowerBook 3400 (Currently retired, awaiting resurrection).

Back in 2005 when I was using the 3400 exclusively, I could browse the web with iCab and listen to iTunes simultaneously with few problems in OS 9.1. Last time I ran it a few months back, it could barely keep up with the web and most web pages had some rendering problems or wouldn't even load in Mozilla-'WamCom'. I could never do that on my FIVE TIMES FASTER Pismo with Firefox 2, Firefox 3 for G3 'Minefield' was better but Safari 4 blows it away.

I am listening to Hendrix's 'Crosstown Traffic' now while writing this (with four tabs open) and the processor goes from 25 to 60% or so!

The thing I really HATE about Flash is the need to buy $400 worth of their software to make a basic webpage! I have been doing a little web work for friends but really can't advance to the commercial end without about a $2000 investment in a newer Mac and software. If I just don't pay rent for a few months I guess I could advance my career. That just ticks me off!

[Turboladdade]

My desktop computer is a Mac Pro tower, but right now I'm using a PowerBook G3 Kanga with Mozilla 1.something and as you said, HTML only websites are fine but even the slightest flash throws everything off.

As far as making websites, I do it on a semi-professional level and I never use flash in anything. Flash is not a "requirement" for most types of business websites and I usually recommend clients avoid it.

[unknown1]

As far as making websites, I do it on a semi-professional level and I never use flash in anything. Flash is not a "requirement" for most types of business websites and I usually recommend clients avoid it.

I agree, it is unnecessary. There is really nothing 'useful' on a web page you cannot do with Javascript, css or some of the more advanced web apps. But it seems every ad for web design on Craigslist says 'Must know Flash, this software, that software, etc., etc.' When I went to Vocational Rehabilitation with a list of software I needed, they just about laughed at the prices. So I gave a list of books that would at least help me to get started and wouldn't even consider the $500 for those. I just walked out and now have several part time jobs to supplement my Disability.

So I have just got to get to updating my own pages to what I think is a 'classic-modern' professional style and just tell them to look at those to see what I can do!