The Safari browser till recently had only been available to Mac users. However, with the launch of the Safari version 3.0 (beta) for Windows, Apple looks set to step into the Windows arena, traditionally dominated by incumbent behemoth Microsoft Corp.



While we won't expect to see anything similar to the browser wars where Netscape Corp faced off against Microsoft for a share of the browser marketplace, Steve Jobs? announcement at the 2007 Worldwide Developers Conference shows that Apple is serious about Safari's cross compatibility with Microsoft's Windows operating system.

Steve Jobs announced that Safari 3 would run on Microsoft's Windows XP and Windows Vista platforms.

Apple has tied up alliances with search engine giant Google as well. Safari 3.0 (beta) also works with GoogleDocs and allows for rich formatting in Gmail. These were previously unavailable in earlier Safari versions.

Another issue which came up was a security exploit which followed Safari's initial beta release on June 11, 2007. Subsequently a few days later, apple released a Windows 3.01 Safari update which addressed these security issues.

Which brings us to take a closer look at the Apple iPhone smartphone.

The iPhone sports a modified version of the Safari browser and it will allow full facities offered by web pages. Previous smartphones tended to display a condensed or abbreviated verions of web pages.

The Safari browser will also serve as a gateway between the iPhone and the user's music collection. Although the exact details aren't available yet, it could be that the Apple's iTunes software could have a part to play in this.

Most users however, will not spend excessive amounts of time worrying about the technical details of these software issues.

What they will experience however, is Apple's attention to detail and a pleasant user experience.

Being able to transfer data, music and other digital media like photos between their iPhones and their laptop or desktop will be something they can certainly look forward to.

It may seem strange, but with one fell swoop, Apple's designers would have created a new paradigm shift in the people's thinking about the iPhone and their computer. Rather than regarding them as two separate pieces of equipment, they may start to think of the iPhone and the computer as it's docking station.

The seamless transition of iPhone and computer into a single device has begun.