Is a Safari-like browsing experience possible ?

[gjarold]

Read carefully, because I don't want to explain later:

- I don't like macs, this is not a mac fanboy comment
- I don't have any preference in the browser wars
- I understand that building pdf/flash into a browser decreases future flexibility.

With that out of the way, a question:

Is it possible, with any browser that will run in X, to duplicate the Safari user experience, wherein PDF and Flash support are NOT provided with plug-ins ?

Again, I don't use macs much, and I sure don't want to, but _wow_ is it nice to have pdf and flash "just work" because they are both _built into_ the browser. Not plug ins, not helper programs, not other apps - but honest to god built-in.

I am totally open-minded - I am happy to use Opera or Firefox or Konqueror or whatever. So can anyone tell me, is there any browser, or browser package, that gives me a safari-like experience wherein pdf and flash are _built into_ the browser itself ?

I think the answer is "no" ... and if that is the case, why ? Why in the world doesn't opera just build pdf reading into opera ? Why isn't there a distro of firefox that just has it all built-in ? Am I really the only person that finds this _extremely_ desirable ?

[gjoellee]

You have Firefox, you can install this addon "iFox" install it here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1106

that will make Firefox look more like Safiri. You do have a whole lot of addons that can make your FIrefox installation feel like Safari

[gjarold]

You have Firefox, you can install this addon "iFox" install it here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1106

that will make Firefox look more like Safiri. You do have a whole lot of addons that can make your FIrefox installation feel like Safari


I think you misunderstood.

First, I don't want FF (or any other browser) to "look like" safari. I don't care what it looks like.

Second, I was asking if there was a way to do it _without_ any add-ons or plug-ins. iFox is an add-on.

I am asking if there are any FF/Opera/konq distros that have pdf/flash viewing _built into them_. Further, since I assume the answer is "no" I am asking "why not ?"

The nicest thing about browsing with safari is that pdf and flash are nothing special anymore - they are just pieces of web pages, just like GIFs and HTML. It boggles the mind as to why all browsers can't do this...

[gjoellee]

Oh, I may have found something, (but I have not tried it): http://www.ubuntu-unleashed.com/2008/03/howto-install-safari-on-ubuntu-with.html

[Zyphrexi]

i've never used safari. what's the difference between built-in and a plugin?

compatability + speed?

[gjarold]

Oh, I may have found something, (but I have not tried it): http://www.ubuntu-unleashed.com/2008/03/howto-install-safari-on-ubuntu-with.html

No.

Although that certainly is interesting (installing Safari in Ubuntu) you'll note this part of the instructions:

wine install_flash_player.exe

And that is what I am trying to avoid.

Please let me clarify again:

I am not trying to run Safari, per se - I really don't care what browser I run. What I am trying to do is find a packaging or distribution of _any_ browser that has pdf and flash _built in_. Or, if that does not exist, I'd like some comments as to why Safari is the only one that does this (very nice, very useful) thing.

[BUSHYBOB]

From the Safari product overview

"Safari on Windows supports the same browser plug-in format as Firefox, so if you’ve
already been using Firefox you’re likely good to go. If you’ve previously used only
Internet Explorer, you may need to download updated versions of browser plug-ins
such as Flash, Adobe Reader, RealPlayer, and others. You can find links to the
download sites for these plug-ins at www.apple.com/safari/download."

[spupy]

Why are you sure that Safari isn't using plugins? You could remove the "Plugins" tab from Tools->Addons and Firefox won't have any plugins, visibly. Also, I'm not familiar with OS X, but could it be that flash and pdf are built into the OS, not into the browser? OS X certainly isn't as open as Linux so there isn't an easy way to tell what safari is using...

[hictio]

I agree with spupy. AFAIK, Flash is a plugin on Safari, at lest it is treated like that on my Tiger's Safari (which incidentally, I habe disabled because it sucks all the CPU upon a Flash animation)

But, leaving all that aside, please, what would be the benefits of having pdf + Flash built in on the browser?

[gjarold]

I agree with spupy. AFAIK, Flash is a plugin on Safari, at lest it is treated like that on my Tiger's Safari (which incidentally, I habe disabled because it sucks all the CPU upon a Flash animation)

But, leaving all that aside, please, what would be the benefits of having pdf + Flash built in on the browser?


I just find it very convenient. One less thing to install and configure and troubleshoot, and further, pdfs are no longer some "other thing" on the web, they're just part of web pages just like GIFs and so on - it's very nice.

I just wonder why nobody else does it.

[hictio]

I just wonder why nobody else does it.


Don't know about pdf support, but I bet Flash isn't because of propietary problems.

[BUSHYBOB]

I just wonder why nobody else does it.
Nobody does it (and I'm certain this includes apple) because they would have to bring out a new version of their browser every time a new version of flash etc is released.

[BUSHYBOB]

This seems to contradict what the op has been saying


http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=331040

[gjarold]

This seems to contradict what the op has been saying


http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=331040


Well, I will admit I have no idea.

All I know is:

a) I don't like OSX

b) I love safari

and the reason is, it "just works". I just browse the web and click on whatever I want, and it just opens up and that's it. Flash and pdf are no longer "other things" when you are using safari, they are just plain old links, just like images or tables or html or whatever.

So I'm just looking for a way to duplicate that in XWindows because I don't want to run OSX.