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June 18, 2007

business

Yahoo! search option is MIA on OS X Safari

Posted Jun. 18, ’07, 1:32 PM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Business

yahoosearch.jpgIn making the transition from OS X to Windows for Safari, Apple made a few tweaks to adapt the browser to Microsoft’s platform. While the result is pretty nearly an identical twin to its Mac counterpart, there’s little danger of users falling into the infamous Parent Trap.

While we Mac users of course like to think of Mac Safari as the nothing-less-than-perfect version of the software, scrawled on a crumpled cocktail napkin directly from the hand and mind of Steve Jobs himself, there’s one additional feature on the other platform that didn’t make it into OS X’s Safari 3.0 beta, and that’s the option to search Yahoo! rather than Google in the integrated search bar.

Rumors have been flying that much of the release of Safari for Windows was prompted by the money that Apple gets from Google on searches made from the toolbar. I’m not sure I agree with that theory as the prime mover, though I’m sure it didn’t hurt in the decision-making process. I tend to lean more towards thinking that Apple wants to increase Safari’s market share so that more web designers will worry about their sites being Safari compatible. That has the added benefit of making more sites iPhone-compatible as well; and it lets Windows web developers join in on the iPhone app-making fun (though I know a few web developers who might be bummed that they may not be able to justify getting a Mac at work for compatibility testing any more—that might be shooting yourself in the foot, Apple).

But how come Yahoo! isn’t an option on OS X? If it’s a matter of money, you’d think Apple would want to increase the number of potential revenue streams. Despite the fact that Firefox has long had a varied and easily extensible search box on their toolbar, and third-party add-ons have enabled the same functionality on OS X Safari, Apple has made no move to change the search toolbar on OS X since Safari’s introduction in 2003.

The speculation voice inside my head (which sounds surprisingly like James Earl Jones) suggests that the deal Apple and Google struck on OS X Safari may involve an exclusivity clause for the big G. But mayhaps Steve kept his mouth shut on that other little project they were working on in the back room and so that point didn’t extend to the Windows version. According to the iPhone demo of Safari on Apple’s site, there’s a quick search box there, too (displayed when you go into text entry mode); in the demo, it’s using Google, but we don’t know if Yahoo! is an option as well—I’m guessing not, but we won’t know for sure until launch.

So why is Yahoo! on the Windows version of Safari? There’s the possibility that it’s a shot across Firefox’s bow—“hey, we have more options than Google too!”—but given their respective offerings, that’s kind of like threatening an aircraft carrier with a BB gun. Apple’s been making deals with Yahoo! in other places (Yahoo mail will be offering “push” IMAP service for the iPhone), so perhaps this is just icing on that deal. Then again, maybe Steve Jobs just has a thing for exclamation points.

In the end, perhaps it just boils down to Apple being Apple. I’d suspect we won’t see Yahoo! searching on the Mac version of Safari even when the final version ships in October, and it will continue that way until my theoretical exclusive deal expires—five years from Safari’s introduction, perhaps? That’d make it 2008 which is, hey, next year. So there’s the nutshell: If Yahoo! search is in Safari’s toolbar next year, I can officially claim the MacUser Chief Prognosticator Belt of Glory (it’s a black/brown reversible jobby with a nice silver buckle). If not, nobody will likely remember this little post (myself included). Welcome to the world of blogging.

[Screenshot: Pat Nakajima]


5 Comments

Greg said:

You want YAHOO, well known for slapping Mac users around like red-headed stepchildren (Yahoo Messenger is a prime example of this) to get their hands into SAFARI?!

June 18, 2007 6:24 PM
bud said:

You have the smartest take so far; it is to help with iPhone compatibility and WW3 standards. (I slammed into my first Firefox only site in ages, today).

Apple likes strong partners, but doesn't want to be reamed by them (remember Motorola? IBM), so it only makes sense NOT to upset Yahoo. Yahoo has Flickr, which has more mindshare than Googles version. And there are probably as many Yahoo email accounts out there as Gmail.
The others presence keeps options open, and the partners in line.

June 18, 2007 7:07 PM
Brandon said:

Now that Apple does have the groundwork laid for multiple search targets, i wouldn't be surprised if someone figures out a way to add others in there as well. Not that I care, I use Inquisitor.

June 18, 2007 11:18 PM
John Lockwood said:

What's annoying about Safari's search box is that unlike Firefox or even Internet Explorer, it does not automatically switch to the local (UK) version of Google when doing searches.

Again, I believe it is possible to hack the Safari pref file to do this, but it would be much nicer if Apple did this for you.

Is this yet another sign of Apple neglecting international customers?

I suppose I can't grumble too much, we do have more than our fair share of Apple stores here in the UK.

June 19, 2007 5:20 AM
Greg said:

bud, it makes perfect sense TO upset Yahoo. I hate to say it, but Mac users are treated horribly on Yahoo and have a sub-par messenger in addition to lackluster webmail features in comparison to Windows.

They need to be upset and get off their collective duffs to give Mac users feature parity.

June 20, 2007 3:35 PM

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