[rmathes]

I just read this article over at Insanely Great Mac:

http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=8428

There is no other way to say it. Holy cow is this thing fast! I am currently testing Webkit build r30090 (DMG download link) against standard Leopard Safari 3.04. This unoptimized WebKit build version is running circles around the standard Safari browser. It isn't even close.

sounds like the new webkit is MUCH faster than prior versions and that Safari will benefit. So two questions:

can we expect to see analogous performance improvements in OW?

And if so, when?

[daiyi666@yahoo.com]

From Macrumors.com

Computerworld notes that the latest Webkit nightly builds offer considerable performance boosts over the current public Safari build (3.0.4) -- with Javascript benchmarks over 2.5x faster in some instances.

While these performace boosts in Webkit date to at least November 2007, Weintraub speculates that the optimizations will find its way into the just-beta'd Safari 3.1.

Indeed, we've managed to track down Sunspider Javascript benchmark results from the same build that Weintraub used (r30090) vs Safari 3.1 (Beta) on a Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz. The results:

Shorter times are faster.

Webkit Build r30090: 3495.8ms
Safari 3.1 Beta: 3408.0ms
Safari 3.0.4: 9302.3ms (extrapolated)

Amongst other improvements, the latest Safari beta does seem to incorporate the speed optimizations found in the latest Webkit builds. Webkit is an open source project that serves as the basis for Apple's Safari browser. Webkit's nightly builds offer end-users access to the latest (potentially unstable) Webkit updates. A number of other browsers also use Webkit and will also benefit from these improvements.

[rmathes]

the question is, at what point does OmniGroup anticipate incorporating one of these new builds into OmniWeb?

[Forrest]

If you're looking for a reply from the OG, it's best to contact them directly via Send Feedback from within OW.

They tend to cherry pick WebKit revisions at this point.

[Handycam]

Yes, and FWIW the latest WebKit is not only fast, but works fine with SafariStand and SafariBlock. It makes it hard to justify even bothering with OW. I'd really like to see OW take a leading position again, it regards to useful features and reliability.

[rmathes]

handycam....hard to justify “even bothering” with OW? Are you serious? To each their own, I guess. The last thing I want to bother with is having to manage a bunch of extensions to my browser. I hate the FireFox approach, and I'm not going to do it with Safari to try to shoehorn it into something that approaches OW’s functionality. I can deal with one app, OW, or I can deal with Safari, SafariStand and SafariBlock and still not have the full functionality set of OW. I call the Safari approach the true “bother” but if it trips your trigger, go for it.

[Chiller]

Originally Posted by Forrest

If you're looking for a reply from the OG, it's best to contact them directly via Send Feedback from within OW.

They tend to cherry pick WebKit revisions at this point.

Forrest. Let's hope they pick up this revision real soon. The last update to OW dealing with WebKit was v97340. I don't know how long ago that was but I don't think too long ago. OW AND Safari need a speed boost. I recently read that around half the Mac user base are still using PowerPC CPU's (myself included). Speed is always good.

As long as I have been registered to these forums, the only 2 things about OW I would change are the lack of horizontal tabs and the way the OmniGroup communicates their browser development. I will send this feedback via OW as well. Thanks.

[Handycam]

Originally Posted by Chiller

As long as I have been registered to these forums, the only 2 things about OW I would change are the lack of horizontal tabs and the way the OmniGroup communicates their browser development.

I'd also like to see it reliably work on all sites where Safari works.