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Apple releases Safari 4.0.5 with performance, stability improvements

Apple Thursday evening released a new update to Safari for Mac and Windows, with the latest browser version improving its performance, stability and security.

The update, available directly from Apple, weighs in at 30.52MB for Snow Leopard Users, 38.59MB for Leopard, 26,78MB for Tiger, and 30.18 for Windows Vista, XP and 7.

The update addresses a number of issues related to the browser, WebKit, ColorSync, ImageIO and more. Apple noted the following changes for the browser in Safari 4.0.5:

  • Performance improvements for Top Sites
  • Stability improvements for 3rd-party plug-ins
  • Stability improvements for websites with online forms and Scalable Vector Graphics
  • Fixes an issue that prevented Safari from changing settings on some Linksys routers

AppleInsider first reported on Safari 4.0.5 last Friday, noting that the browser update offers improved HTML5 video playback, faster JavaScript performance, better performance loading YouTube, and an overall reduced memory footprint. Additionally, the release was also said to include a much improved plugin manager aimed at reducing the number of crashes caused by plugins, including Adobe Flash.

The last update to Safari, version 4.0.4, came last November, when Apple addressed a vulnerability that could allow an image file to exploit Macs with older software.