It would seem as though the past week has been all about hardware for Apple, but now it is time to focus on software. Safari 5.1.4 has been release for Mac users, and despite the very small x.x.1 version number increase, there is a massive improvement in JavaScript performance to look forward to, as well as the usual plethora of bug fixes and general tweaks. The catch? You have to be running Lion in order to install this latest version of the browser.

Any claims about performance increases for software are usually open to interpretation and individual user experiences will differ from one machine to another. However, Apple is claiming that users running a reasonably specified system should be able to reap the benefits of up to an 11% improvement in JavaScript performance. This can do a lot to improve the responsiveness of web sites, but there are also a number of other improvements included in the browser.

Safari 5.1.4 offers improved JavaScript performance

In the field of security, the Remove All Website Data feature has been fixed so that all data is actually removed when this option is selected and Private Browsing has been enhanced. Now if you visit a site in Private Browsing mode that you have already visited in the regular way, any cookies that have been created can be accessed and made use of – of course, no new cookies are created to maintain your privacy.

There are also fixes for a number of other problems that have emerged in previous versions of the browser including a bug that caused screen dimming when watching HTML5 videos. Other bug fixes include better performance and stability when extensions are in use, problems with screen flashing when switching Safari windows, and issues that prevented the pressing of US Postal Service shipping labels and embedded PDF files.

You can find out more and download a free copy of the app by paying a visit to the Safari 5.1.4 review page and view the full list of changes at the Apple web site.