Many of you know that I’m a big-time Microsoft guy. Still, I have to keep my eye on the competition.

Tonight I decided to try Apple’s Safari for Windows. It’s a beta version, but it’s about the 3rd beta.

I have to admit, it’s impressive.

The Clear Text is a little easier to read than IE7 and miles more readable than FireFox. Performance is excellent. The look, though, is fantastic. Nothing on the screeen that you don’t need–unless you want it.

I know some people like crowding out the content people like me create. They want weather, shopping, bookmarks, history for the past 7 years of browsing, and fudge recipes encircling the meat of their browser. But I like lean. Safari is lean.

I can’t endorse a non-Microsoft tool, but if you’re curious about Safari on Windows, the beta is worth a test-drive.

UPDATE AmerenUE, the electric utility company that flooded a state park by breaking its own resevoir and left tens of thousands without power after a thunderstorm managed to drop my and 1,600 other customers' power last night at 10:36. By 1:00 a.m., I was awakened by rising pool of sweat in my bed. The power’s back on, now, but I’m wide awake. The more I use Safari, the more I like. This could give IE a run for its money, and it really threatens Firefox by offering a high-quality alternative to IE.