Apple chief executive Steve Jobs unveiled Safari versions for Windows XP or Vista operating systems, as he kicked off a Worldwide Developers Conference that the maker of Macintosh computers holds annually in San Francisco.

"We'd like Safari's market share to grow," Jobs said smiling. "We are bringing all the Safari innovations to Windows. What we've got is the most innovative browser in the world and the fastest browser on Windows."

Microsoft's IE browser is on 78 percent of the world's computers while Safari, made exclusively for Apple's Macintosh machines until Monday, has about five percent of the market, Apple said.

Apple will distribute Safari software as part of its iTunes online store that sells music, movies and other content for the company's globally popular iPod MP3 players, according to Jobs.

Jobs offered Safari as a compromise to developers pressuring Cupertino, California-based Apple make them privy to iPhones' inner workings so they can customise programs for the devices.

Jobs told developers that Safari is the gateway to the Internet for iPhones and that they can get it from Apple via the Internet.