Okay, so maybe you’re a Macintosh user like me. Quick, which web-browsers can you use?

Yes, Safari and FireFox are the big two. In the periphery we have Camino, Opera, and OmniWeb; and then the small fry: Shiira and Flock.

Now I’d say all MacOS X users like Safari. At least, in theory. Cos the problems with the other browsers are:

• FireFox: Ugly.
• Shiira: Wierd.
• Flock: Neat concept but kludgy and unfinished.
• OmniWeb: Over-engineered feel.
• Camino: Falling behind and slightly foreign-feeling.

…whereas Safari feels quite natural, is well-integrated, but… seems to crash. A lot.

There is a way out of this mess. It’s called… WebKit.

“Huh?” some of you say. “Isn’t that what Safari uses as its engine?” I hear from a few of the more tech-savvy users. “True”, I reply. “And because of the fact it’s an engine… you can replace the engine.”

I’m not sure why it escaped me so long; and if it escaped Mr. Mac so long, it could have escaped you other Macoids as well. But WebKit nightlys are available for download which offer a Safari experience with a gold-embossed icon. Faster, more responsive, and: not crashy.

It’s made my surfing much more complete again. Do it safe in the knowledge you are essentially getting a preview of what Safari will be like in Leopard, as well…