software

Jaguar took OS X to the next level. Sure it was a familiar level, but it was a more stable operating environment, and provided several needed enhancements. Now, Panther takes a giant step forward in the evolution of the Mac platform.

An all new, easier to use finder. Upgrades to several of the popular iApps which Apple has been nurturing. Plus, iChatAV instant messaging software which will work seemlessly with the iSight camera. File Vault - 128-bit file encryption. Fast user switching, to make it easier for families who have individual user sets on a single machine. Font Book - to load and keep track of font families. Exposé, which will tile all of the windows you have open with the click of a hot key. And, it's all Unix based for faster and easier integration with Windows networks.

On top of all that, it'll work more efficiently on the G5 Macs, and make the G4's work even faster than before.

If I see one problem, it's that this major upgrade comes along too soon after Jaguar. There should be a scaled upgrade platform so that those of us who bought Jaguar last year could get a deal on Panther this year.

Oops! Hit save twice without meaning to, and I can't seem to edit out the rest of this review. Sorry!

I ordered this product because I was suffering some difficulties with an earlier version of OS X (10.2.8), and because this one promised some nice improvements and a speed jump.

Goodness.

Installation was a snap. Several online news sources strongly recommended running disk and permissions repair from the Disk Utility; that took about a half-hour for both--I have a 40GB drive. Then I ran the installer, clicked maybe four buttons, and another twenty minutes later I was running 10.3. Not only does it look cool and contain some fabulous interface improvements--Exposé alone is one of those OS doodads you wonder how you ever got along without, and I can finally run the HP driver for my home-networked DeskJet--but the speed and responsiveness of my computer has bumped--this is a subjective measure, but I think a good one--probably 15-25%.


It's also quite stable--not that earlier versions of OS X weren't, but this one has run like a dream. Running on my PowerBook G3 (Pismo/FireWire/2000 model) for the past week and a half, no bombs (of course--in a year and a half of running X, I've had two kernel panics), few application crashes (actually, I'm not sure I can remember any), and only one glitch: if the "Wake for system administrator" box was checked in the Energy Saver "options" tab, my computer would occasionally wake from sleep, but the monitor would be irrevocably black. Fortunately, I don't need to have a SysOp diddle with my system--if I did, I'd probably drop the review a star.

The new 'quick user change' option is a godsend, since my kids occasionally use my computer, and I like to be able to leave my email, etc, on while theire doing their thing. It's incredibly smooth--the only drawback being that you can't (apparently) have the same application opened by two different users at the same time. That includes the Classic environment. In order to switch between my daughters' accounts, I needed actually to log out, since both of them primarilly use OS 9 edutainment apps. Ah well. That's the one thing I'd love the Apple geniuses to rethink for 10.4!

The wonderful thing is that this OS actually breathes new life into my 3 1/2 year old laptop--think of the last time an operating system upgrade didn't actually SLOW DOWN your vintage computer. The smoothness and the features--especially the HP IP printing driver--make it possible for me now actually to consider jettisoning Classic. I think that's a strong enough endorsement of how terrific this version of OS X is. If you've been putting off upgrading from OS 9 till the system got a bit more mature, your patience has been rewarded; this is a beatiful, fully-grown operating system.

Super Awesome OS !!! AAAAAAAAAAA+++++++