Apple OS X 10.5.7 released, updating to ensue

That's right Mac lovers -- your mildest dreams have come true. A new update of OS X is now available via your friendly Software Update window... a little something Apple likes to call 10.5.7. What are you waiting for? You know you love updates. Full list of fixes / tweaks after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

What's included?

General

• Includes latest security fixes.
• Includes additional RAW image support for several third-party cameras.
• Improves performance of video playback and cursor movements for recent Macs with NVIDIA graphics.
  
• Resolves an issue with Dvorak keyboard layout in Mac OS X 10.5.6.
• Improves the reliability and accuracy of Unit Converter, Stocks, Weather and Movies Dashboard widgets.
• Addresses a situation that may cause issues when logging into Gmail.
• Improves reliability when syncing contacts with Yahoo!.
• Expansion Slot Utility for Mac Pro now reports the correct PCIe slot configuration.
• Improves network performance when connected to certain Ethernet switches that have Flow Control enabled.
• Improves stability for network home directories hosted by Mac OS X Server v10.4.
• Improves Finder search results for network volumes that may not support Spotlight searching, such as Mac OS X Server v10.4, Time Capsule, and third-party AFP servers.
• Includes several improvements to Directory Service and Client Management, which are described in the About Mac OS X Server 10.5.7 Update article.
  

iCal

• Improves overall reliability with CalDav.
• Improves reliability when automatically syncing with MobileMe.

Mail

• Addresses reliability and sync issues with Notes.
• Addresses an issue that may cause the BCC field to populate incorrectly when redirecting a message from the Sent mailbox.
  

Parental Controls

• Improves consistency with Parental Controls and application restrictions.
• Addresses an issue in which time limits may not work properly with full-screen games and Fast User Switching.

Printing

• Resolves an issue that may cause certain third-party printers to print to the incorrect paper tray.
• Non-admin user accounts can now be allowed to add and remove printers by enabling Parental Controls and selecting "Can administer printers".
• Includes other printing reliability and stability improvements.

[Laron @ May 12th 2009 4:18PM]

Finally...

[eMax @ May 12th 2009 5:38PM]

Finally? Finally what? this list of fixes seems pretty small to me, and while its great they are fixing things i think 5.6 is pretty stable and haven't encountered any of these issues.

So if your interested in getting a higher number version of the OS and have been waiting long months for it, then yeah Finally, but otherwise, this is a ho-hum update...

[Laron @ May 12th 2009 6:04PM]

@eMax

Every single person that ordered the Apple ATI 4870, were waiting for this update as apple sold it without the proper drivers in 10.5.6. So basically people had a graphics card with no drivers; this has been going on for the past couple months.

[D.J. @ May 12th 2009 7:05PM]

As a guy who snatched up the Pro with the ATI 4870, and who also was upgrading from a 4-year-old Powerbook G4... I'm intrigued. I don't see any mention of new drivers in 10.5.7, but also havn't been left wanting new ones either... which is probably simply because I experienced such a jump in performance and didn't know the difference.

All this to say: If that's true, where should I be noticing improvements now that I've updated? Exciting stuff. :)

[Laron @ May 12th 2009 7:38PM]

@D.J.

The update "hopefully" fixes mouse-jumping, and better support for 3rd party monitors.
If you bought the 2009 mac pro, you aren't affected as those machines came with a "custom build" of 10.5.6 with the beta drivers of 10.5.7 already on it. People that bought the upgrade kit lacked the drivers so they couldn't even use a majority of their apps: FCP, Motion; even games like WOW wouldn't load. Without drivers no quartz extreme, no core image, etc.

[Cronick @ May 12th 2009 8:58PM]

Please go ahead and update your boxes. Then, let me know if you find any bugs. THX.

ROTFLMAO.

[nohoy @ May 12th 2009 9:55PM]

On the driver note, I wish they updated their windows drivers instead... nice bit of a marketing lie that their (at least aluminum) macbooks work with windows when the drivers are completely worthless and quite possibly defective by design

[iphonerulez @ May 12th 2009 9:48PM]

OSX.5.7....Light years ahead of Vista and probably even Windows 7. Go Apple.

[Josh Ladella @ May 12th 2009 11:21PM]

"Breaking"

Typical Engadget…

[Blackstar @ May 13th 2009 12:41AM]

When news 'Breaks'... Engadget 'Fixes' it.

[Geir E @ May 13th 2009 3:09AM]

Update installed, everything works (mac pro). The difference however is like turning the tap on, tasting the water, turning it off and on again and comparing it to that. Whatever it fixed it didn't affect me.

But +1 to it works. ;)

[Paul @ May 12th 2009 4:18PM]

meh....i'm in no hurry to get this update...

[KarlW @ May 12th 2009 6:38PM]

What possible reason could you have for refusing a free update that fixes bugs and improves the stability of your system?

The only possible answer is that you're worried about compatibility with mission-critical application X, but issues from point updates are relatively uncommon.

[sam @ May 13th 2009 8:49AM]

@Karl: I can see five hundred megabytes of possible reasons up there.

Five. Hundred. Megabytes.

For a security patch/bugfix?

Don't get me wrong I'll be getting it - my DSL is shit slow but I can leave it running overnight, no big problem. But imagine if you're in the small-but-not-zero percentage who can't get broadband (or the larger percentage who can but don't). Imagine downloading that over a modem? Didn't think so.

I think it's big because they include all previous patches as well, and then deliver the same file to everyone regardless of whether you have the earlier patch or not, thus reducing testing. Makes sense, but it's still a damn big download.

[jrshymansky @ May 12th 2009 4:19PM]

wait....isnt 10.5.7 snow leopard

[AJ @ May 12th 2009 4:22PM]

I'm pretty sure that's 10.6

[bondsbw @ May 12th 2009 4:22PM]

No, that's 10.6.

[daniel.samuels1 @ May 12th 2009 4:22PM]

No, 10.6 will be.

[jeff @ May 12th 2009 4:23PM]

no, 10.6 dummy

[jrshymansky @ May 12th 2009 4:24PM]

haha nvm got ahead of myself for a second

[kjb434 @ May 12th 2009 4:25PM]

Yep, they are going to make you pay for that 0.3 of updating! LOL

[murmermer @ May 12th 2009 4:27PM]

GEEZZZ 10.6 will be Snow Leopard, DUMMY!!!!

(I just wanted to get a shot in while the going was good)

[??? @ May 12th 2009 4:36PM]

@murmermer: That is unbecoming of you. Seppuku is the only option.

[richbum @ May 12th 2009 4:56PM]

No. That is 10.6

[X-Blade @ May 12th 2009 4:58PM]

No, that will be 10.6.

[Gregorian @ May 12th 2009 5:26PM]

I just want to join the 10.6 conga line.

10.5.7 is the Mexican Hopping Leopard.

[Joseph @ May 12th 2009 6:04PM]

i think that is 10.5.8 or was it 10.6....

[smaa @ May 12th 2009 7:17PM]

why did he get voted down for his perfectly neutral 2nd comment

"haha nvm got ahead of myself for a second"

did everyone still hold a grudge from the first? pfff fanboys

[ran @ May 13th 2009 11:26AM]

@smaa: Cause it's fun!

[barc0de @ May 13th 2009 12:07PM]

Isn't that 10.6?

[Kris @ May 12th 2009 4:23PM]

10.6 is Snow Leopard

[Keith Flint @ May 12th 2009 4:26PM]

R u sure? Im on 10.5.6 on my Macbook and iMac and Software Update gives me nothing. 10.5.7 is not even in the Apple downloads page. Was this a premature posting?

[Zak @ May 12th 2009 6:37PM]

nohone, where do you get this stuff? Where did I say you had the same problem as greggo? And you're complaining about ME twisting facts? That's hilarious. I think you just don't like it when a Mac person argues using facts, because then you can't respond in any way other than "you're twisting facts".

And let me guess, you're going to entirely discount the fact that I have a whole studio of people printing exactly where they want to print just so you can try to support your stance that it must be the Mac causing the problem? Because that's a whole lot of evidence for you to ignore. Don't you think that if Macs printed to random floors all the time, somebody would have noticed it by now? The Engadget forums alone would be awash with Apple haters bitching about it.

But no, continue to assume that the Mac is the the problem, despite evidence that strongly suggests the contrary, and despite your own near total ignorance of the Mac platform, never mind your complete lack of any troubleshooting skills thereof. It's just more fun for you to draw your conclusions out of your ass, right?

[craig0ry @ May 13th 2009 4:59AM]

@ZAK:

Hey "broski", save that ID10T and PEBCAK shit for somewhere where it will be appreciate, like a newsgroup circa 1992. For the rest of you normal people, he was trying to be humorous - "Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard", etc.

Fucking lame man.

Quite frankly, Mac printing sucks - we'll see if this fixes the VERY REAL problem where I select the correct printer tray (for photos) and the p.o.s. prints on a full letter size sheet. That problem has existed for me with my printer that is sold in the APPLE STORE itself of all places for over a year.

[Lundmark @ May 13th 2009 5:42AM]

@craig0ry:

Install the fucking drivers for the printer and you won't have that problem. And be sure to select the photo tray instead of the main tray when you print.

[sweet greggo @ May 12th 2009 4:24PM]

What do these 500mb of changes consist of? Will it affect the Adobe Suite? I have to use a Mac at work and don't want to screw it up with a flawed update. The damn thing is problematic enough as it is.

[kjb434 @ May 12th 2009 4:27PM]

I never update my computer at work since I don't own it. That is the IT (or whatever you office calls it) department's domain.

At home, it's a different story.

[JS @ May 12th 2009 4:50PM]

The Apple ads make fun of Windows updates .. but Mac OS gets frequent updates too .. so I dunno wtf they are on about.

And yeah I own a Mac.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ May 12th 2009 4:29PM]

I'm no scientist, but... wait a day or two?

[sweet greggo @ May 12th 2009 4:38PM]

I see the updated post with the changes... a couple of those I can use, mainly the print fixes. I wonder if it will fix it to when I send a print to a specific printer, it actually prints it there instead of the one on the floor below me? God I hate Macs.

[Zak @ May 12th 2009 4:58PM]

No, greggo. The update will not fix ID10T errors, nor will it fix PEBCAK issues. Since the Mac OS will not just print to a random printer on different floor without you telling it to, you should probably look a little harder at where the problem actually lies.

[sweet greggo @ May 12th 2009 5:24PM]

@Zak

I'm just an art dude, I have no idea what you just said. Probably my IT dept doesn't either, because those knuckleheads can't figure out wtf is wrong with this thing.

We've reinstalled drivers many times, with the same result. Oddly enough, I'm the only person in the building running 10.5, everyone else has 10.4 (or something like that). We're all using CS4, and the same print drivers. I'm the only one with the problem.

[Nohone @ May 12th 2009 5:29PM]

@Greggo

The real question I have about the update for printers is why there is an update. Zak, it has been said before that Macs do not need printer drivers, so why do I need to update the printer drivers for the HP connected to my Mini? And why is it user fault that a Mac is not printing to the right place. Macs are so easy to use, that these problems do not happen. Right?

Can you give a resonable answer, or are you going to spout your usual "you are too stupid to be around the brilliance of the all powerful Zak"?

[Zak @ May 12th 2009 5:54PM]

Greggo and nohone: I have an entire studio full of people who can print exactly where they want to print. There is no random printing to other floors. Since we're all using Macs, and Greggo is also using a Mac, the problem would seem to lie squarely with greggo himself.

This is basic logic and troubleshooting. If this is too difficult for either of you, I'll understand. And nohone, I don't remember ever saying Macs don't need printer drivers. New printers are released all the time, of course we need new drivers. HOWEVER, OS X comes with a vast array of drivers so the correct statement would that unless it's some kind of specialty printer, you generally won't need to INSTALL drivers.

OS X also comes with zero conf networking and will automatically connect to most modern printers on a network using the correct drivers without any configuration. Hence the name "zero configuration". But oh wait, let me guess. That's not a reasonable answer either, right? Facts are just so boring, aren't they?

[sweet greggo @ May 12th 2009 6:06PM]

*freakin engadget comment system drives me nutz!!!* anyways...

@Zak

"Since we're all using Macs, and Greggo is also using a Mac, the problem would seem to lie squarely with greggo himself."

I assume you meant to say "the problem would seem to lie squarely with greggo's mac", because outside of choosing which printer I want to print to, there ain't a whole helluva lot more I can do. I'm no IT geek, but I know how to print a fucking document.

BTW, when it DOES print to the other floor, the quick fix for me is to print the file again, choosing the EXACT SAME PRINTER in the pull down menu.

So let's see, I send to print once, it goes to another floor. I send to print again, repeating my steps exactly, and it prints to the correct printer. Yeah, sounds like *I'M* doing something wrong.

[Nohone @ May 12th 2009 6:20PM]

Zak, first I did not write ***you*** said that Macs do not need drivers. I had that in what I originally wrote, but changed it before posting because I had no proof you specifically said that. I guess facts are boring only when they do not fit what you want, so you create your own "facts". But it has been said many, many times by some around here that Macs do not need drivers, I was just looking for a Mac fan to say that was not true.

But you also said somehing that is very important; that it requires some troubleshooting to fix Greggo's problem and can be too difficult for some. Greggo also said that he is an artist. Since Macs are geared to the artist type, and an artist is having problems printing to the correct place, then Macs are not the panacea that many make it out to be, that it can be complicated for some.

Also, I never said I was having the same problem that Greggo is having. But, once again, you are twisting facts, to fit in your narrow minded world.

[rjrawlings @ May 12th 2009 9:50PM]

I love it how when noobs use computers (not just macs) and there is some setting that is wrong it's "the computers fault".

[sweet greggo @ May 12th 2009 11:40PM]

@Zak

Wow. A lot of pent up angst there. I'm guessing you weren't the star QB in high school. All of your passwords are "GOD" aren't they?

If you would have actually read what I posted you would have seen that I am not part of the IT here at my job. I am merely a graphic artist. When my computer does something unexpected, I call someone of your ilk to fix it.

And if you would have continued to read what I posted you would see that I can perform the exact same function and get 2 different results. I take it from this explanation you either think I'm lying or too stupid to push the same button 2 times in a row. With the inferiority complex your projecting I'm going to assume it's the latter. I feel sorry for the poor souls at your company who you have to "help". Most likely you're the most popular cat in the building.

[Mike @ May 13th 2009 2:17AM]

0.5GB! come on!! it sucks when you've dont have unlimited bandwidth.

[Marcus @ May 12th 2009 4:24PM]

When are they gonna fix the terrible font rendering?