Apple Launches Safari 4 Into Public Beta, Claims 30 Times Faster Than IE 7

Apple has launched a public beta of Safari 4, the Apple OS web browser.  The Cupertino company claims that Safari 4′s Javascript engine, dubbed Nitro, can process Javascript 30 times faster than Microsoft’s IE 7 and 3 times faster than Firefox.  They also lay claim to loading pages 3 times faster than both competitors.

So what else is new?

• Top Sites – See your favorite websites at a glance. Open one with a single click.
• Cover Flow – Flip through your site history or bookmarks like you flip through albums in iTunes.
• Full History Search – Easily retrieve sites you’ve seen before. Spot the one you want in Cover Flow.
• Tabs on Top – Manage your tabs elegantly and open a wide window for exploring the web.
• Nitro Engine – Wait less. Browse more. Surf the web with the world’s fastest browser.
• Windows Native Look and Feel – Vista and XP users: feel right at home in Safari for Windows.
• Developer Tools – Access the best suite of development tools ever included in a browser.

[Apple]