In actual daily use, though, I’d still argue the Web Inspector “way” is easier if you’re using a mouse, and here’s why: As a user, I find an element I want to inspect. With both Firebug and Web Inspector, I must first hover my mouse over the target element. And here’s where Web Inspector’s usability superiority emerges, in my view. (Again, assuming you’re using a mouse.)

In Web Inspector, I needn’t move my hand at all to proceed. I merely right-click and select the contextual menu command in one smooth, quick motion.

In Firebug, I have to release the mouse and move both hands to the keyboard to enter the necessary keyboard command. Don’t get me wrong: I’m a big keyboard-shortcut fan, too. However, I think they’re most useful when one’s hands are already on the keyboard. Shortcuts that require a user to switch from one input mode to another aren’t nearly as useful as those that allow seamless use of a single mode.

It’s pretty easy to test the fact that the Web Inspector method is also faster than the Firebug method. Far fewer skeletal joints are involved, for one thing. If you’re using a trackpad or similar device on a laptop, the difference is less. I’m not a big laptop user myself, but presumably when you’re fingers are on the trackpad they’re much closer to the keys needed for the shortcut, so the disconnect in input methods is less significant to usability.

And there you have a simple statement of Leland’s Single User Input Mode theory of computer usability, FWIW.

Regarding releases of Safari, I don’t have any official insight into this, but I do know that in the point releases for Mac OS X (and by this, I mean, for example, 10.4.7 vs. 10.4.6—not 10.4 vs. 10.3, which are not point releases, though they appear to be—Safari is quite often updated. 10.4.7 did include a Safari update, to version 2.0.4, and 10.4.3 included an update to Safari 2.0.2, etc. Sometimes the Safari versions are released separately as downloads (2.0.1), and sometimes not. Usually, the point releases of OS X include Safari updates even if the Safari version itself has the same point release number; this is reflected in the parenthetical version number for Safari (for example, the latest version I have is 419.3). This number has no relation that I can see to the WebKit nightlies, the latest of which is 16052.

Cheers,
Leland

As for showing the applicable style rules as well as the computed style: The Mozilla/Firefox DOM Inspector has this since the stone age.

I’m a little confused by this part:

…now get all the details on any element of the page with a right-click of my mouse (control-click for some folks) and a simple selection of “Inspect Element.” Now come on Firebug fans, don’t you wish you could inspect an element that easily

Firebug _does_ have this feature, and its just as easy. Command-shift-c, click the element you want, and its highlighted in firebug.

Also, is it just standard for the WebKit/Apple team to not release any Safari updates between major Mac OS versions?