Safari on Windows... What's up with that?

We've known for a while now that iPhone was going to have a Safari-based browser. What's new as of last week is Windows has one, too: Safari 3 Public Beta. While Cringely thinks this was done to misdirect critics and generate buzz at the WWDC, I think Apple is something different.

We've read that Google will be the premiere application provider for the iPhone. Google knows nothing about consumer electronics software development, but they have web application development down to a science. Not only are they good with their backend, but client-side innovations in Google Maps, GMail and Google Gears are quite impressive. Let's say that at least one of the iPhone apps they develop will be pretty neato (if not Killer).

Now, say you're in Apple's position and you have your neato (nay, Killer) apps from Google. If you do nothing, they'll run on all the iPhones you can sell. But, since it's browser-based, it'll also run on the 20MM OS X machines already out there. And, thanks to Safari 3, you can now run it on the 200MM compatible Windows boxes out there. Nice work, Apple! You'll sell a few more iPhones because of these apps. And, those iPhones might create more switchers, so they could see a bump in hardware sales too.

Meanwhile, the big G keeps drawing eyeballs and turning ads. Way to go Google. (And you thought this was an Apple post).