Apple’s Safari has released version 5 and it finally adds extensions. This is a huge step forward, since it is extensions that really make Web browsers powerful research tools. The Safari Extension gallery has just over 110 extensions now, which is comparable to Microsoft Internet Explorer but significantly behind both Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome‘s available add-ons. Many of the initial extensions are familiar, converting pre-existing Mac-only plugins or porting add-ons from other browsers, like Adblock, Delicious Safari, Rapportive, and WOT to Safari. As the link to Mashable below indicates, the official gallery is not the only place to find Safari extensions so search around to find new extensions.
While I use more than one Web browser on a regular basis, Safari hasn’t made it into my toolkit. If you are on a Mac or considering Safari, you should see some of the round ups of extensions that have been posted in the last week or so:
Lifehacker: What’s Useful in the Safari Extensions Gallery
MakeUseOf: 5 New Safari 5.0 Extensions You Should Definitely Check Out
PC World: 8 Killer Safari 5.01 Extensions
Mashable: 15 Awesome and Useful Safari Extensions
Apple and Safari have never had much place in the legal world and I think this will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. As I’ve said in other posts, Safari is too far behind Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome as alternatives to the legal profession’s dominant Web browser, Microsoft Internet Explorer. But as the iPad and other Apple devices gain ground in legal circles, it may be that Safari cracks open a niche that brings them more exposure to lawyers.
