While I can't really put the changes indicated "in context," some people who actually use Safari and/or Mac stuff might relate the exclusion of the "newest" Safari updates to the Microsoft exclusion of the latest internet explorer from WinXP.

I'm not sure that IE9 won't run on WinXP, but it's "approved" only for Vista and Win7 (and maybe Win8 but we don't know yet). On the other hand, WinXP is 12 or 14 years old, well past "scheduled support termination," and still running on about 40% (?) of Windows machines extant - and the IE versions it does run do still get patches.

Versions excluded from this Safari update are only about 2(?) years old. (the terms "Baby" and "Bathwater" come to mind?)

Apple could have plans for a separate update for the older ("pre-adolescent" as opposed to new "infant") versions. It's also possible that it's just taking a little longer to get Safari for Windows patched, so they've pulled new downloads temporarily, until they figure out what to do with it.

It's not so much that the "New Apple" doesn't present a pretty picture. It's just that the picture is an incoherent Picasso - at least for now; but then Windows users who might have thought about it (the 0.32%?) have always found Apple somewhat unscrutchable.

John