Apple releases Safari 5.1.4 -- get it NOW!

For Apple, the past week was about post-PC devices and apps; now comes Mac software. Today Safari 5.1.4 released, and despite the very small x.x.1 version number increase, there is a massive improvement in JavaScript performance to look forward to, as well as the usual plethora of bug fixes and general tweaks.

Any claims about performance increases for software are usually open to interpretation and individual user experiences will differ from one machine to another. However, Apple claims that users running a reasonably specified system should be able to reap the benefits of up to an 11 percent improvement in JavaScript performance. This can do a lot to improve the responsiveness of websites, but there are also a number of other improvements included in the browser.

In the field of security, the Remove All Website Data feature has been fixed so that all data is actually removed when this option is selected -- and Private Browsing has been enhanced. Now if you visit a site in Private Browsing mode that you have already visited in the regular way, any cookies that have been created can be accessed and made use of -- of course, no new cookies are created to maintain your privacy.

There are also fixes for a number of other problems that have emerged in previous versions of the browser including a bug that caused screen dimming when watching HTML5 videos. Other bug fixes include better performance and stability when extensions are in use, problems with screen flashing when switching Safari windows, and issues that prevented the pressing of US Postal Service shipping labels and embedded PDF files.

You can find out more and download a free copy of the app by paying a visit to the Safari 5.1.4 review page and view the full list of changes at the Apple website.