Speed up Safari by 13% on the Mac

Operating system updates tend to add more code and bloat to the system and they don't often result in increased speed. There are frequently bug fixes, security patches and the occasional new feature, but speed isn't usually a benefit. However, if you download and install the latest update to OS X Lion on the Mac you'll find that 10.7.2 includes an update to Safari that makes it 13% faster. Now that is a useful speed boost to the web browser.

Speed has become the focal point for all web browsers and all like to claim that theirs is faster than everyone else's. It often depends on which speed tests you run though. Safari's speed boost comes from an improved JavaScript engine that is 13% faster in Safari 5.1.1 than the previous 5.1. JavaScript is used a lot in web pages, especially for the more complex types of pages that include online applications, so it's a useful update.

In addition to the increased performance there have been many bug fixes and some improvements, such as better handling of video sharing websites like Vimeo. A much needed security update is the removal of .dmg and .pkg from the safe file types list. Safari used to download and automatically open these types of files and virus writers have taken advantage of this to install malware on the Mac. However, it is still better to disable auto-opening of all file types, not just these. Go to Safari, Preferences, General and clear the tick against Open safe files after downloading.

OS X 10.7.2 includes better support for iCloud, which is the replacement for MobileMe and you really need it to complete the transition from the old service. After updating the system you will be prompted to log in to iCloud by the new iCloud pane in System Preferences.

To get OS X 10.7.2 click Software Update on the Apple menu. Warning: It's huge, so you need a fast internet connection.