Rumors are starting to circulate suggesting that extensions might be on their way for Apple’s Safari browser, bringing it into line with other browsers such as Firefox and Chrome.
Technology enthusiast and blogger John Gruber has alluded that such an announcement might be made at this years Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC).
“The other big thing that’s missing (compared to both Chrome and Firefox) is a proper extension API. If only Apple had an imminent developer conference where they could unveil such a thing” wrote Gruber.
While not exactly confirmation, the possibility of an announcement at this years WWDC is entirely plausible, and would be a very welcomed addition to the Safari browser.
We will keep you updated if this story continues to develop over the coming weeks.
Alex wrote on May 26, 2010 at 2:21 pm
As a Firefox user myself on both Mac and PC, this is something that could make me switch browser. I love the speed of the Safari browser, but it lacks the extensions that I love in Firefox.
Yes there is Chrome, and yes it has extensions, but the Chrome extension API is very limited in what it allows, so for me, it really isn’t a contender.
An announcement from Apple regarding this would be a great win for consumer choice, and could help increase Safari’s market share.
Tiago Sá wrote on May 26, 2010 at 7:40 pm
I think people shouldn’t expect much out of this. Internet Explorer and Opera also have extensions (with different names), and they all suck. Heck, even Google Chrome’s extensions suck when compared to Firefox. The reason for this is that Firefox is the only browser that is open source, and the only browser that gives appropriate freedom for extensions to flourish. Google Chrome’s, at least, are too strangled by its sandbox model, they can never be as deep and complex as Firefox’s. Of course, Mozilla is also the only developer that dedicates considerable resources to test and check all extensions submitted to their gallery, not only for viruses and stuff, but also for security vulnerabilities and big bugs.