Safari for Windows

In this article titled "Safari on Windows? The real reason behind the new release" Alan Graham does a real good job of explaining why Apple decided to release its home grown Safari browser for Windows. (Almost immediately, people started finding bugs in the Windows version of the browser and Apple's stock went plummeting. Thanks Apple!)

1. As Safari continues to be downloaded and grow in market share, we’ll see more and more developers of web sites that will test their code to see that it complies and works with Safari. Good for Mac users…good for Apple. I don’t think it is impossible to see Apple jump another 5-10% in browser market share in the next 6 months.

That's it right there. I've made a lot of websites in my day, and VERY rarely do I do any testing on Safari. I test out the site for Mozilla and IE, and move on. Even if Safari wasn't able to display 10% of the websites on the internet, that's no way to hold on to market share. If Safari wants to play with the big boys, the decision to go to Windows is the logical next move.

2. It might save Quicktime, Apple’s slowly dying web streaming technology. While Apple might debate the dying aspect (given it travels with every version of iTunes), almost no site outside of Apple uses Quicktime anymore (I rarely see it) and there is no Windows Media support (MS killed it). Not to mention that flash has made some serious inroads on Apple’s once strong web technology. But with better Quicktime integration into the Windows-based browser, we might see a new push to recapture lost Quicktime market share.

Quicktime, worthless. Let it die.

3. iPhone, iPhone, iPhone. We know that Apple is releasing a Safari/webdev kit so developers can develop web apps for their new phone. Why limit this to Mac developers? The phone is obviously designed to appeal to Mac and Windows users, so to ensure development for the phone on the Windows side, they need a platform to build on. Safari will no doubt be the major component that ties the phone and iTunes together, and we’ll likely see an explosion of web app development this fall after the phone is released. Windows support is crucial to their long-term phone strategy and that is especially important when it comes to browsing. Just look at all the sites that are popping up to work with the Wii…I have no doubt in my mind we’ll see lean and mean Safari sites for the iPhone.

Totally on target. iPhone will drive Apple's bottom line for the next 2 years until production catches up with demand. iPhone is the driver, and Safari is along for the ride.