Leopard: final features and further upgrade details
By Ryan Block 
posted Oct 16th 2007 10:57AM
posted Oct 16th 2007 10:57AM
- Users who bought Apple machines from October 1st on can participate in Apple's Up-To-Date Program, which provides free Leopard upgrades (for $10 shipping).
- Boot Camp's beta Assistant software expires at the end of 2007, meaning Tiger users that want to continue editing / creating Windows partitions on their Macs need to do so before January, or upgrade to Leopard. Post-January you'll still be able to boot to the partitions you've created, though.
- Users shouldn't expect expanded sync capabilities between Mail.app and the iPhone, although it looks like you'll be able to read iPhone notes on your desktop machine now.
- File system is, indeed, still HFS+; OS X now supports read-only ZFS, as we'd heard.
- Don't forget to peep the new features / changes list on Apple's site.
- Call us crazy, but with a 6:00PM Friday launch we think you should expect lines -- but not for Apple to sell out.
- Google Maps integration with Address Book.
- Tricked out AppleScript.
- Automator UI recording / playback.
- Japanese dictionary support.
- New, easily-printable font books.
- Front Row now looks more like "Back Row" (the Apple TV interface) -- too bad it's still not more like Media Center.
- New AirPort menus that show WiFi encryption.
- Disk encryption now supports 256 bit AES.
- Built-in grammar checker. Lord knows we need it 'round these parts.
- Tabbed terminal.
not much exciting
errr...let me guess, you're not a fanboy.
Anyone know where I can get that wallpaper?
"not much exciting"
Looks like you should buy it. You might benefit from the Grammar check...
@derek:
...says the guy who capitalized "grammar" in the middle of a sentence. GG.
purple space background = http://appleology.com/images/space-desktop.png
@derek
english is not my native language, btw you got what i meant!
and... it's Grammar Check on the apple's site, not Grammar check.. you may know why they capitalize almost any word in the titles? so it looks more important?
http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/300.html#dictionary
obey
@Jille
I don't know why I'm getting into this, but...
You won my sympathy when you said that English is not your maternal language. I do get sick and tired of all those comments on bad english aimed at people who do their best to participate in discussions in a language that is not their own, but which happens to be the internet's lingua franca.
However, you spoiled it when you started about capitalization. While it is true that Apple writes 'Grammar Check' and not 'Grammar check', that has nothing to do with their arrogance or domination, but with English grammar/capitalization rules, i.e. it's not Apple specific at all,
Next time you're expecting leniency for your imperfections in the English language, don't try to correct sombody else's.
dixi.
Anybody knows what's the build number?
Cheers.
10.5 - where have you been?
j/k, im messing with you. I dont know the build number.
:-))
Cute little toy.
Put your Wii away.
"Tricked out Apple Script"? What's this?
You can code in Ruby etc within AppleScript now. It has bridges to several other scripting languages. Which is nice, because AppleScript is all touchy-feely, but it's a real pain to do in-depth coding in it.
Cant wait to torrent this. I refuse to pay for service packs. Buying Tiger to upgrade from Jaguar was the biggest waste of money. Next purchase will be for XI.
Degenerate.
I'm an asshole who refuses to pay for things. Why should I pay for something that took two years to make. Similarly, I don't pay for games I download ($60 is just too much for 40 hours of entertainment) or songs I download (I'm not paying 99 cents for a lossy download I could buy from the store. . . except, you know, I don't buy it from the store either). Until Apple releases an OS update as big as Vista I'm not paying a dime! Well, I didn't really pay for Vista either, but it's bullshit that Ultimate is so expensive.
I buy all my games (For XBOX360, PS2, PC, my current consoles). I order imported CD's for my music, and do not download, ever. I buy the software i need, and trial the ones that i only need once. I bought XP and Vista, as well as Tiger.
I buy movies and TV show DVD's because i care about quality.
I will not pay 99 for this patch. Until Apple puts something substantial into their scheduled OS "updates", they wont see a dime from me.
Here's a crazy thought. DON'T BUY IT! If the feature's don't communicate to you the purchasing price, do the grown-up thing.
No Problem, i wont.
Don't buy it AND don't pirate it asshole.
Arthur's pissed because he thinks BlahBlah's going to hurt Apple's market share in the OS department. Not until Apple ports Mac OS for the PC will it gain any more ground.
How about this, I vow to purchase Leopard when I'm able to install it on my rad PC.
Until then, it's OSx86 project for me.
"Arthur's pissed because he thinks BlahBlah's going to hurt Apple's market share in the OS department. Not until Apple ports Mac OS for the PC will it gain any more ground."
I couldn't give a damn about Market Share for apple. I just think it's bullshit to say, "They're charging too much for this, so I'm going to download a cracked version of it and install it for free." Either you should buy it or you should not buy it AND not use it.
10.3 > 10.4 might *seem* like a small update, if you just look at the most obvious user features added. However, each system updates adds *massive* updates to the developer frameworks that come with the OS. There's tons of apps you just can't run on 10.3 because the system doesn't support it, or it got a quadrillion times easier writing some kind of app for 10.4 (Core Data, anyone? Core Image?).
10.4 > 10.5 is an even bigger transition than 10.3 > 10.4, and I'm sure we're going to see some /amazing/ third party apps for 10.5 very shortly.
Oh, and Time Machine is (going to) kick *so much ass*. Finally an incremental backup solution that actually works, is fast *and* easy.
How many kids running bootcamp you think bought Vista / XP at $300 a pop or more?
It *is* difficult to generate huge enthusiasm for this; all the emphasis on huge icons for resolution independence, the chance to have an advanced filesystem (read-only... what that means is you can't write to it, and so the use is limited to attaching drives created on systems that CAN write it... I'm sure that'll help a lot of people out. Not.) Resolution independence would have been awesome. Time machine is good and I'll probably buy it just for that, and as someone just above mentioned, the developer frameworks will be changed, and so if you want new sw - like the new Delicious Library - you'll either go to Leopard or you'll do without. Still, I can't help looking at all the fumbling about with the iPhone and think they could have paid better attention to the OS. They overpriced the phone, limited the market by locking it to ATT, stumbled with that store credit refund, made it a closed platform... and all the time, the OS is languishing in the background... now here we have release, and two of the bigger features didn't make it. Sigh.
@ arthur barnhouse
get a fucking job.
"I order imported CD's for my music, and do not download, ever."
More Japanese techno/trance worming its way out of their borders to the delight of self-righteous, trench-coat-wearing software piraters everywhere.
Cheers!
@Rian:
WTF? I order black metal and death metal CD's from sites that import from Finland, Germany, Sweeden, etc.
I need help! Wanted to know if I am eligible for upgrade to leopard.
The thing is I bought a laptop off ebay on the 14th of October but it was sealed and not opened at all.
When I checked support.apple.com, they said it was bought on 18 September 2007.
Can I just register my macbook today and claim my copy of leopard? I do not have a receipt but can I just say that it was purchased on the 14th of october? Tried calling apple but they weren't very helpful they said i need a receipt but I don't!
Thanks!!!
Gerald
I would go to an Apple store with the unopened box and try to return it for a different one.
He says he doesn't have a receipt.
Sorry my friend. I don't think you're gonna get it.
That's what you get when you buy off ebay.
Maybe he could buy another one at the store, getting a receipt. Then return the first one with that receipt, and keeping the one with the new OS on it. If they don't take it back, then put it up on eBay again.
Too bad they put the serial number on the receipt. Sorry, Apple store doesn't work like WalMart.
I have an idea, what if I, register my macbook TODAY. and lie that the date of purchase was on the 2nd of october?
I wonder it thats possible!
I love my 24" iMac, but damn it all! I had to purchase it in MID SEPTEMBER. If I had just waited half a month, I'd have Leopard for $10.
Oh well. At least there's education pricing . . .
And you didn't know that apple was releasing a new OS in October? New here?
I knew it was coming in October, but I didn't know how far the policy would reach for upgrades.
I was hoping they might cover computers sold in the month prior to release. That would be- y'know- nice.
No big deal. I was going to get it either way.
any news on resolution independence?
Alas, resolution independence didn't seem to make it.
http://forums.macnn.com/90/mac-os-x/350984/resolution-independent-gui-not-leopard-after/
Bummer... that would have been absolutely amazing. The forum thread above is very depressing... no one thinks it'll make it anytime soon.
Anyone know if Classic will still work on 10.5 powerpc macs? I have a few biology programs that only run in classic.
They will not, 10.5 is the death of Classic.
Does anyone know if Leopard will support Bluetooth A2DP?
I'm wondering too, I've heard it will but I have never got it confirmed...
Yeah it does. My friend, who is a beta tester, confirmed this.
Thank god...I (stupidly) bought bluetooth headphones and figured they would work on my iphone. Strike one. Then, I hoped they would work on my MacBook. Strike two. My last hope was my Vista desktop that I built. Strike three. Nothing had native support for A2DP. That is one of the biggest drawbacks of my iPhone. I will be happy to have it working on my laptop soon. :-D
Does it now support A2DP?
My question also. From what I've read here in the comments, it does support A2DP.
Does anyone know if iLife 08 comes with Leopard or do you have to buy that too?
iLife comes with a new mac purchase, but not with Leopard. You'll need to download it separately. =]
That "patch" will cost $79.
But theres a ton of websites that carry apples "patches".
"That "patch" will cost $79.
But theres a ton of websites that carry apples "patches"."
BlaBlah strikes again! Burning time while traded bad porn for pirated anime divxs on leached wifi while you wait for you mom to pick you up?
haha
Is it released in the UK on the 26th aswell? Or will have to wait longer and pay more? As per usual.
Well at least were patient people...!?!?
Wow a Vista catchup patch that costs 120 bucks and screws older users. Why are people so loyal to Apple?
Look, I'm not an Apple or MS fanboy. But are you serious with the "Vista catchup patch" remark? Seriously, MS and most PC manufacturers are back porting to XP because of Vista's issues. If you're going to sling "rocks" at Apple fanboys, find some better "ammo" then Vista. Even MS isn't standing totally behind that OS.
@newgalactic
of course MS is standing totally behind vista. Why do you think they keep releasing performance, compatability, and security patches, beta testing SP1. Wait until SP1 or SP2 and vista will be as compatible as XP is today.
"Wow a Vista catchup patch"
Are you stupid!? Vista was a "Catchup patch" to Tiger!?
Leopard is a "Rip Vista A New Butt Hole....Again Patch"! Obviously you haven't used OS X to make qualified statements....I love how MS lemmings love to point out that the Apple fans are "too loyal"....how lame can people get!
*Newsflash.....Apple makes good products! Turn on the news once in a while and do some research!
I have to use OSX every f#$*ing day (at work). I crashes all the time. I have to open an image to even see what it looks like. It's animations are goofy. It looks boring as hell, who is the beige box again? The finder is broken (pannel mode sucks), Vista's is much nicer. All the software I use on it is better on a PC (squeeze, primire over FCP, the entire office package, I even like the DVD builder better on Vista). I'm always getting bizzare errors when switching mobile disks. I junks up the file system on fat32 drives with all the hidden files. Your joking me OSX is not the god on high OS you think it is. It had some great improvements on XP but Vista is a much better OS. I supposed IF I used the UNIX shell it might be better but there is nothing that makes me want to install it at home. Nothing in this update should cost anything. And apple has suckered you all again.
@jesse
I know, I hate how you have to open each image to see what it is.
http://i20.tinypic.com/154dkj9.png
In finder, View -> Show view options (command j) -> Show icon preview.
If your Apple computer at work is screwy, then it's something they've done to mess it up. There really is no way of knowing how an OS will feel until you buy it, or install it new, and do things 'your way' from then on. Take the plunge. At least now, If OS X doesn't work for you, then you will be able to install windows, and you still have a decent laptop.
@mike Bitros
if MS was standing completely behind Vista, why did are they offering a downgrade (actually an upgrade) from Vista to XP?
Kevlar: If a windows installation is messing up it is something the user is probably doing. I have had all kinds of problems with OSX that were literally just imaged. I have installed OSX86 on PCs before and I've installed Vista on my friends Macs. I still prefer Vista. It is rock solid and just has a lot more to offer for me. Apple makes some nice laptops but they are outrageously expensive for what your getting. I prefer Asus laptops they offer the same quality and performance. And I can eject the DVD drive with a button. There are a lot of choices hardware wise on the apple lappies that make them less than ideal. I prefer a more open option and to save the 6-800 dollars buying an Asus W2 series. It's about 1/2 what a comparable Macbook pro costs. It's just slightly thicker and heavier but it come with a matching bluetooth mouse digital TV and a sexier black aluminum and blue led look.
There is also a certain attitude that comes with owning a mac that I just don't identify with. Macs almost feel like the gray/beige box feel to them as more and more people buy them. I turn a lot more heads with my W2 than any MBP I've seen. I would say to you all who probably haven't even tried vista or a decent PC maker. Give it a try it won't cost you an arm and a leg.
Jared That is for business systems that would be forced to incur large upgrade costs (mostly RAM) to install Vista. It has nothing to do with Vista really but more about MS doing everything in it's power to support the people who rely on them. And that was original point Apple just draws an imaginary line (usually about 2 years in the past) says if your behind this we are sorry but we do now have new hardware for you. Seriously ipods/iphones all die within 2 years. They are focused on constant upgrades. Clearly their focus is squeezing a premium price out of you every 2 years for toys. It's all about perceived prestige and consumer perception.
That "patch" will cost $79.
But theres a ton of websites that carry apples "patches".
So, what's up with the Boodcamp? Why was it given to Tiger users to be taken away come 2008? Are there more details on this? I'm not familiar with the situation, I only know what's printed on the top of this article. Curious if anyone knows more about this.
Because bootcamp is currently in beta...beta licenses expire so you have to buy the full version eventually. In this case, you don't have to buy bootcamp, but you do have to buy leopard to get it.
@ insertAlias
Gosh, that stinks. Can't Tiger users just keep the free Beta version (it is free, right?)? I hope Google doesn't decide to charge for their software once it leaves Beta. I'll have to go back to Yahoo.
What most people don't seem to get, is that boot camp is a pretty partitioning tool, and drivers. If you want to install Windows on your Mac without Boot Camp, try rEFIt. (Google). That will handle booting, OS X has a partition manager anyways... All you need are drivers! Other than, say, iSight, or the laptop trackpad, they're all pretty easy to find.
What market share?;-)
I guess their loyal because they actually enjoy the products and find that they work for them.
I suppose if you don't like the list of features then you don't need to buy it.
If you insist on downloading it illegally, then obviously you do like the features and really want the product, but just don't feel you need to part with cash.
Most of the people who download these things claim it's because they "don't think it's worth the cash" or "it's too expensive". The same people wouldn't have the balls to go into a shop and lift one off the shelf.
I'll go into one of the apple stores, try it out on a demo machine for a bit, then decide if what I say is worth the upgrade.
And aren't patches usually bug fixes?
More like Media Center!?!?!?!?! OMG Media Center SUCKS!!! I had it running on a mac mini hooked to my 47" LCD and it was unusable! Front Row is made for TVs, while media center is not. You're such anti-Apple zealots Engadget.
You had Media Center running on a Mac Mini? Sounds like a complicated setup. Did you have Bootcamp running or something? Either way, are you sure that the hardware is capable of supporting that setup? Could the problem have been "user error" by chance? I'm curious why you would use this setup.
i have no idea if you're being for real, or if you're poking fun at how engadget usually gets the rep of being biased towards apple.
if you're being for real... windows media center is incredible and definately made for TV.
if you're not being for real... good one
You, sir, are an idiot. You are equating the Windows Media Center interface, which is a 10-foot user interface, with Windows Media Player; which does not have a 10-foot UI. The "anti-Mac zealot" comment is also ridiculous. RIDICULOUS.
So you used media center on a mac mini, which contains no dedicated graphics card, way to go ! did you try running the Unreal 3 demo on it too ?
And people wonder why mac zealots are known to have a lack of technical knowledge,
From someone with an HDTV a mac and a pc , I have found media center to work great for everything i need, it will also play any video type which is a trick front row has yet to manage, and where is the TV tuner ????
You gotta be kidding me I have no problem with Vista and there is no mass exodus to XP. Vista may not be the end all be all of operating systems but it is very good. And nothing in this update is really anything but catch up to Vista. Flyouts on menus thats been an object dock trick since 98. Time machine. Thats not much of an OS update and it costs as much as Vista Home Premium and you already paid a ton of money for your Mac in the first place. I have just seen so many people bitch up and down about the cost of Vista and it's 'lack of features' and how it's a difficult upgrade. But here again Apple gets a free ride. With modest updates at best and features that cost a lot and leave older users twisting in the wind. MS put and immense ammount of effort in supporting just about every piece of software and hardware that they have ever supported and here again we see apple drawing a clear line that says throw down money or we are leaving you behind. I'm not poking 'Fan Boys' I don't care but it baffles me as to why people give Apple a free ride.
hd dvd / bluray ?!!?
Check the Apple UK store, it is! My pre order is going in tomorrow :)
The trick that seems the coolest to me is the ability to view a file (any type of file) with haveing to open the application, or without even having that application. You can view a full screen size image of that file with needing to open anything. How cool is that!
Yo! Leopard is coming out!!!
Great new features!
stupid fanboys, no matter if you are sucking steves or bills balls.
vista and osx are operating systems! feel free to like one or the other or both or linux or dos or whatever, but dont make a freaking religion out of it.
just as wiht vista there are some improvements and some changes for the worse. if you think the inprovements are worth it, then go buy it. if you dont think so, then dont buy it. its easy!
i will continue using tiger and xp until i either get it the new system with a new PC/ mac, or if i find something that makes me absolutely need/ want the new system (very unlikely).
and if i get a new pc/mac and find out the hard way that the new one sucks, then i just install the old one.
the only thing that really sucks is that bootcamp wont work with tiger anymore. i now it was beta all the time, but instead of demanding money for it, they require you to buy a complete new operating system?
qwert
I'm surprised that Bootcamp comes with a "trial software" expiring license too. That really blows. Personally, I think that it has been in the wild too long to be pulled back now. I know someone will get upset with that idea and shoot back with "Apple has every right to ...", but it's still lame, end of story.
for future reference, bootcamp is expiring at the end of the year, but all partitions that were created will continue to function, so really if youve used boot camp beta now then your worry free, they just dont want to give out software for free, but they will let people keep the effects of the app. just download it and use it before january and youre home free
bootcamp will continue to work with Tiger.
You just will not be able to install new Bootcamp partions after 2007, unless you buy Leopard.
May I inquire why of all the languages existing in the world you're looking forward to a Japanese dictionary in Leopard?
Looks like I'm heading to Laval's Apple store Friday after school to pick up my free copy.
64 bit, fuck yeah. :P
wow appple has such weak support. I tried to call them about a techinal question that i had to see how much storage i would need for this time machine thing. Well in shorter words the rep basically told me that is not a matter of NOT KNOWING the answer is a matter of not being able to discoule any information because the software is not out. Well ok i get it but come one, i wanted to find out how much of a hard drive i would need for time mahcine. For example, if it just creates a hardrive image and dumps it in a volume then technically if my harddrive is 160 gbs and its full i would need a place to dump that same 160gbs in right???? so mmm i don't think their compression mechanism is that great to shrink that much data down, i don't know i think this time machine is going to be a big fiasco... what do you all think?
Sigh. I've been on hold with Apple customer service because I wanted to use the 100 buck iphone rebate and it's coming up invalid. Been on hold for coming up on an hour now.
first!
"Boot Camp's beta Assistant software expires at the end of 2007, meaning Tiger users that want to continue editing / creating Windows partitions on their Macs need to do so before January, or upgrade to Leopard. Post-January you'll still be able to boot to the partitions you've created, though."
Wow, that's funny!...Apple using Window and bootcamp to force people to buy OSX. Apple riding on Windows, yet at the same time, they criticize it...go figure, damn fanboys. Apple can't expand on its own ASS, er OS.
Read that comment you quoted again. Apple isn't forcing them to get Leopard. The Bootcamp beta is just like the Halo 3 online beta, it lasts only so long. Its a beta for a reason.
And apple is allowing Tiger users to keep there partitions if they don't upgrade. So if they don't upgrade to Leopard and Bootcamp expires they still have access to the partition. Meaning if they used bootcamp and installed XP, they can still boot up XP because Bootcamp doesn't delete the partition once it expires.
Apple products are not perfect, and Leopard isn't going to be. But I use Apple products such as OS X 10.4 (and I'm going to upgrade) because it is above par compared to others. It's not just a lifestyle thing, it's simply because it works for us and the benefits are great. It's like buying a car- you buy what "works" for you.
And, oh, it's being released on my b'day so...
I'm using bootcamp to do everything, basically my machine is a windows machine, so by the software expiring, do they mean that after january, I won't be able to change the sie of my existing partitions and create new ones? Will I still be able to use the windows partition I've got at the moment? Cos if not, I'm screwed. Answer be appreciated :)
That question has been answered at least twice already in the thread above, try reading through before asking questions but no, your partition will be safe, you just won't be able to make changes to it's set-up after Jan without Leopard or until someone hacks bootcamps time limit.
* Google Maps integration with Address Book.
Already available on Outlook / Thunderbird
* Tricked out AppleScript.
This is a meaningless statement
* Automator UI recording / playback.
Could be useful....maybe?
* Japanese dictionary support.
Available via download already.
* New, easily-printable font books.
More fonts? Really, that's an OS update and not just a free download?
* Front Row now looks more like "Back Row" (the Apple TV interface) -- too bad it's still not more like Media Center.
Well said.
* New AirPort menus that show WiFi encryption.
I just shit myself with glee. What an amazing feature.
* Disk encryption now supports 256 bit AES.
Free with Truecrypt
* Built-in grammar checker. Lord knows we need it 'round these parts.
Part of Office since 2000 - way to be on the ball, Apple.
* Tabbed terminal.
Already available with iTerm, Teriminator, or mrxvt. No real coder uses Terminal.app, and the other 90% of mac users would never care about a tabbed terminal anyways.
Really? We waited two years for this?
Brad,
No that is not all we waited for. Why don't you actually look at Apple's site instead of trolling
http://www.apple.com/macosx/
Also, this is global grammar and spell checking -- not just in a word processor. Any place you can type a word can have spell and grammar checking (including text fields on web pages). Yes, individual programs can and do have the same thing, but the "global" nature of Apple's solution is fairly unique.
Still feels like too much of an incremental upgrade. But they were working on more important things I guess - Apple TV, iPhone, new iPods...
It seems more like they've turned their backs on the OS - that it's an afterthought. I don't even think that branch of Apple turns a profit still, does it?
figures I bought mine sept 25 so I am out of luck, guess I am going to get it through school and pay 70 bucks...
Emanuel
I've noticed that this thread has been flooded with Microsoft fanboys criticizing Apple. Your an idiot if you think XP or Vista is superior to Leopard. And your an idiot if you think Leopard is superior to XP or Vista.
There both good and they have there uses. I have found Tiger works better for me for school work than XP or Vista. And for gamers, the obvious route is to go with XP (or Vista if your PC is fast enough)
Leopard is perfect for me:
Stacks: I can have easier access to school work. It may sound lazy since I could just click a folder and have access but I like organization for school work and this is easy.
Spaces: Great if I am working on multiple school assignments and have other applications open. Instead of minimizing them I can use spaces and take advantage of the organization.
Quick Look: This is what I want. After having tons of school work saved up being able to quickly see what the assignment is without opening up the application seems easier and more efficient.
Time Machine: Finally having reliable back up software. My MyBook came with horrible backup software(still a good external HDD) and I don't want to by software. And time machine is really nicely integrated. And if I ever need to access some old assignment that was deleted, I can use Time Machine.
There, Leopard has its uses. Now Microsoft Fanboys get it through you thick heads. Not everyone wants to use there computer for gaming and some people don't give a damn about market share.
All OS's have there uses.
I think you forgot that XP / Vista are used for getting real work done, that custom and specialty software the world over - the kind that lets businesses really do business - is almost always done on Windows. The primary reason for that is the historic support of developers has been better with MS than Apple, and companies don't want to get locked into a single hardware / software / support vendor. If you can get your hardware from one company, you can at least leverage that against others. Odds are when you go out and get a real job after college, you will use XP or Vista for work, not games.
You're right, it isn't about market share - it's about not walking into a job and being completely clueless on the computers everyone uses.
Or you can be that one Mac guy that sits in the corner and says "No, my system is better." I think ours answers the phones.