Mac OS X Lion Restart to Safari goes right to web

Apple has made a mild nod in Google's direction with a just unearthed feature of the WWDC preview version of Mac OS X Lion. Much like Chrome OS, a Restart to Safari option will load directly to the browser instead of having to login. The step seen by MacRumors would not only speed access for those who just need to check the web but sandbox the system by preventing access to other apps or personal files.

Resuming and auto-saving would still work even in the limited environment. A restart back to the special mode would take it to the most recently visited page.

The move isn't a direct attempt to clone Chrome OS since Lion still has the traditional overhead of a desktop OS. It would, however, suggest an attempt to compete in the business environment Google is looking for by catering to kiosk operators that would want a simple, safe web browser portal. So far, Google is offering Chrome OS stand-alone through the open-source Chromium build but only offers commercial support to specially designed hardware that meets its criteria.

By Electronista Staff