Sleipnir for Mac is an interesting take on the standard web browser. It was designed for browsing the web with multiple tabs open at the same time, instead of having to navigate back and forth in one combo view.

Sleipnir for Mac has removed the URL bar that is normally found in the browser’s main interface. However, there is a small search box to the right of the tiny, thin controls above the main window. The design idea is really very simple; you either go to already bookmarked websites or go through the search.

Key features include:

• Webkit base.
• Support for HD Retina* displays.
• Support for additional search services.
• WebKit and OS X security.
• Sync bookmarks with iOS devices.

To navigate the web, Sleipnir for Mac displays a set of horizontally scrolling thumbnail tabs. As you scroll through each tab, you will see the name of the tab and the option to close it. You can also drag tabs on top of each other to group them together.

For web searches, as soon as you enter a subject, you get results from the search engine of your choice (configurable in settings). By clicking on a tab, you can find the same term on Amazon, eBay, Wikipedia, or any other site.

Sleipnir for Mac has several useful features such as tab gesture support; to close a tab, just use the L-shaped gesture, to reopen a closed tab, use a square U shape, or you can reload the page by drawing a circle. It takes some extra work, but in testing they seem to work pretty well.

All in all, Sleipnir for Mac is a refreshing change from the standard web browser we usually come across. The search tool is really fast and the UI is really well presented and not hard to navigate, just takes a little time to get used to. Where the browser suffers a little is in performance. In testing it was found to be lacking in speed and some pages were not responding properly. Also, if you’re trying to do any CPU-intensive tasks, Sleipnir might run into trouble.

*For Mac computers supported by Retina display.

Looking for a Windows version of Sleipnir for Mac? Download here