MacOS X 10.3 Panther - Oct 24 (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Larkin]

Apple Announces Mac OS X 'Panther'
Wednesday October 8, 8:31 am ET
Shipping October 24 With More Than 150 New Features

CUPERTINO, Calif., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL
- News) today announced that Mac OS X version 10.3 "Panther," the next
major release of the world's most advanced operating system, will be
available on Friday, October 24, beginning at 8:00 p.m. Panther delivers
more than 150 breakthrough new features including a completely new
Finder(TM) that provides one-click access to a user's favorite files and
folders; Expose, a revolutionary new way to instantly see all open
windows at once; and iChat AV, a complete desktop video conferencing
solution for business, education and consumers.

Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers will host special
events Friday night, October 24, at 8:00 p.m. to celebrate the
introduction of the most ground-breaking version of Apple's UNIX-based
operating system to date.

"Panther sets the new gold standard for operating systems," said Steve
Jobs, Apple's CEO. "With more than 150 new features, we're delivering
innovations today that will not be seen in any other operating system
for years to come."

Panther features a completely redesigned Finder with lightning-fast file
searching that is up to six times faster than Mac OS X version 10.2
"Jaguar." The new Finder provides one-click access by putting a user's
favorite folders, storage, servers and iDisk in one convenient location.
The new Finder also offers dynamic browsing of the network for Mac ,
Windows and UNIX file servers.

Panther also introduces Expose, a revolutionary new way to instantly
view all open windows and choose any of them to be on top. Expose
visually unshuffles overlapping windows on the desktop into an organized
thumbnail view so a user can instantly locate and switch to any open
window or get to any file on the desktop. Powered by the Mac OS X
Quartz(TM) graphic engine, Expose is a breakthrough in working with
multiple files, applications and projects.

Panther extends instant messaging to the next level with iChat AV, the
world's easiest to use desktop video conferencing solution, offering
full-screen, full-motion video over broadband, crystal-clear audio and a
familiar easy-to-use interface. iChat makes natural conversations over
the Internet immediate and effortless, and has been enjoyed by over half
a million beta users since its introduction in June.

Other new features in Panther include:

- Fast User Switching to elegantly switch between active users without
having to quit applications or log out;
- FileVault, which uses the latest security standards and 128-bit
encryption technology to ensure that data in the home directory is
kept secure and private at all times;
- Font Book, a new application that provides system-level font
management with double-click font preview, one-click installation
and an intuitive interface for managing font collections, and
activating or deactivating fonts;
- the world's fastest PDF reader in a significantly improved Preview
application, with super-fast text searching that builds an instant
index of search results in a PDF, text selection and copying, URL
support and support for the PDF 1.4 format;
- a fully integrated iDisk that increases productivity by
automatically syncing a user's offline work to their .Mac Internet
server storage once they're online again, so users can work locally
on files with hard drive speeds and have them synced automatically
back to their iDisk later;
- enhanced Mail, with advanced spam filtering technology and the
ability to organize mail into convenient threads to make it easy to
read, file or delete related emails;
- a new Address Book that includes powerful new features for printing
labels and easily notifying contacts when a user's personal
information changes;
- integrated faxing synced with the Address Book so sending and
receiving faxes is as easy as printing, and includes support for
adding cover pages;
- enhanced Windows compatibility that ensures files, printers and
network services can easily be shared with Windows users. Support
for Microsoft Exchange is built into Mail and Address Book to make
it easy to access Exchange email and sync address book entries;
- advancements to the open-standard UNIX-based foundation, including
support for the latest open source libraries, commands and
technologies, X11 applications, IPv6, Kerberos integration and a
greatly improved NFS file system;
- Xcode(TM), the fastest way to create Mac OS X applications. Xcode
combines an easy-to-use interface with proven developer tools such
as GCC 3.3 to make it easy for developers to take advantage of the
latest technologies from Apple; and
- the latest versions of iSync, iCal(TM), iPhoto(TM), iMovie(R), the
iTunes(R) Music Store and Apple's new default web browser,
Safari(TM).


Pricing & Availability

Mac OS X version 10.3 "Panther" will be available on October 24
beginning at 8:00 p.m. at Apple's retail stores and through Apple
Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $129 (US) for a
single user license. Visitors to The Apple Store (www.apple.com) can
pre-order copies of Panther beginning today. The Mac OS X Panther Family
Pack is a single-residence, five-user license that will be available for
a suggested retail price of $199 (US). Volume and maintenance pricing is
available from Apple. The standard Mac OS Up-To-Date upgrade package is
available to all customers who purchase a new Mac system on or after
October 8; all customers who purchased a Power Mac G5 regardless of
purchase date that do not have Panther included; and customers who
purchase the Mac OS X version 10.2 "Jaguar" retail product on or after
October 8 for a shipping and handling fee of $19.95 (US).

Panther requires a minimum of 128MB of memory and is designed to run on
the following Apple products with built-in USB support: iMac, iBook ,
Power Macintosh G3, Power Mac G4, Power Mac G4 Cube.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the
Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the
Macintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing
experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers
around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet
offerings.

NOTE: Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, Power Mac, Finder,
Quartz, Xcode, iCal, iPhoto, iMovie, iTunes, Safari, Apple Store, Mac
and iBook are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple. Other
company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

 

[Peter Kim]

Thanks for the heads up, Patrick.

I think I'm going to be in for a surprise going directly from OS X 10.1.5 to Panther.

Can't wait!

 

[NicholasL]

I still $2000 away from that dual 2ghz G5...

 

[Joseph S]

I'll probably preorder via the Acad store instead of waiting in line and then trying for the discount.

Good news. Much earlier than I originally expected, although I had heard it went GM recently. The not-so-sad thing is 10.2 is already so good... Long gone are the days of lusted after updates. This is a major update that wasn't needed so soon. They could proably put it on those Disney DVDs considering I never have to reinstall the OS anymore thanks to Carbon Copy cloner's ability to transfer the OS to new disks with ease..

 

[Kris McLaughlin]

I saw a copy of the GM today. One word: Exposé! Love it.
I could do without the brushed metal finder, but I'll live with it.

 

[Patrick Larkin]

This is a major update that wasn't needed so soon.

On the Server front, 10.3 is highly anticipated. Apparently, 10.3 will impact Server in a big way. We could really use a boost in directory services, for one.

Client will have lots of oooh-wow features. Buy more RAM now.

 

[NicholasL]

What pisses me off about the G5's is that they boast a max capacity of 8GB RAM, and yet unless you get the skyhigh built-to-order prices from Apple directly, no other company sells 1GB chips in pairs. Crucial, kingston, any of them. So basically, the max you can attain with this new machine currently is still 4GB. Sucks.

 

[Michael*K]

Client will have lots of oooh-wow features. Buy more RAM now.

I always advocate loading up on RAM but in the machines we've tested Panther on, it still runs faster than Jaguar even on machines with as little as 256MB. On another front, it appears that iTunes for Windows is slated to be rolled out next Thursday, October 16th.

 

[KeithAP]

What pisses me off about the G5's is that they boast a max capacity of 8GB RAM, and yet unless you get the skyhigh built-to-order prices from Apple directly, no other company sells 1GB chips in pairs.

Well, I checked ramseeker.com and found that 18004memory.com has a 1GB stick for $305. Order 8 of those and you are all set.

-Keith

 

[David Lawson]

There are a number of places that sell 1 GB chips, though you'll be spending over $300 each for them:

http://dealram.com/prices/systems/30633/1GB.html

I suppose we can hold off the new Mac purchase at work for a couple of weeks.

 

[DonRoeber]

Woohoo, I my Dual 2GHZ G5 qualifies for the discount. I'm curious to see how much faster this thing will be with Panther, as Jaguar on it makes my Powerbook G4 667 feel like it's standing still.

Betcha all hate me now

 

[NicholasL]

Hehe, looks you and I are in the same boat Don. USC alumni get lifetime access to our computer store, which sells software and hardware far below even listed educational prices! The 2gig G5 is $2600.

 

[Patrick Larkin]

Tomorrow is the day for the biggest update since, well, 10.2.

Seriously, Panther is going to add some AWESOME stuff. I personally can't wait for Expose. And obviously, the speed improvements - they are always welcome!

Anyway, here is an early review from the NY times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/23/te...ts/23stat.html

 

[Patrick Larkin]

So, does anyone have Panther installed yet? I just did this morning on a 1GHz G4 (MirrorDoor). Holy shit. It is SOOO much faster. Also, the Expose feature is INCREDIBLE. Incredibly useful and FAST. Fast user switching it also very cool. Lots of little things done to the UI which make using the Mac even better. My favorite so far is the "Connect to Server" dialog box. Apple never had a good handle on this until now.

Good job Apple.

 

[David Lawson]

Speaking of "Connect to Server", do you have any Windows NT servers or shares you connect to, Patrick? I can't seem to get a straight answer on whether or not Mac resource forks are maintained when copying to Windows servers under 10.3. This isn't the case under 10.2 unless you enlist the help of Thursby's DAVE.

One of the geniuses at The Apple Store gave me a bullshit answer about file formats, and I called him on it in front of a number of shoppers. He should have just admitted he didn't know the answer in the first place.

Night Of The Panther was otherwise enjoyable, and I agree about the UI enhancements...functional, yet very cool. I just need to know if we also have to budget for DAVE upgrades before taking the plunge at work.

 

[Patrick Larkin]

David - Sorry. No Windows servers - we consider them a security risk.

Panther on a Quartz Extreme-capable machine is very very quick. The scaling used in Expose is amazing. The "turning cube" user switching is very slick and smooth. Thw "turning cube" effect is omitted on non-Quartz Extreme machines and the graphical UI is noticeably slower than its counterpart. I used Panther on a 500MHz Titanium (non-QE) and while faster, not to the level of a newer machine.

Oh, the reworking of Preview is impressive. It is a huge improvement over the previous version. The old version slugged along thru pdfs but this new version churns right through them.

 

[Peter Kim]

How can I determine if I have a Quartz Extreme machine?

I have a iMac 700 mhz FP G4 w/256 ram.

I'd be sad if I wasn't able to enjoy the 'turning cube' effect.

 

[Patrick Larkin]

I'm pretty sure that all the flat panel iMacs are covered.

Quartz Extreme Requirements
Quartz Extreme functionality is supported by the following video GPUs: NVIDIA GeForce2 MX, GeForce3, GeForce4 MX, or GeForce4 Ti or any AGP-based ATI RADEON GPU. A minimum of 16MB VRAM is required.


Quartz Extreme

 

[Michael*K]

The easiest way to tell if Quartz Extreme is running is to look at the cursor. If you see a very thin white border around it, you're running in Quartz Extreme. I know your machine is running Quartz Extreme, Peter, We have several dozen of that model at the office.

 

[David Lawson]

Michael, I'm not sure that's the case. I never had a "thin white border" or drop shadow on my cursor until I added (flashed) PCI Radeon 7000 cards to two different B&W G3's, but those systems don't support Quartz Extreme.

Flashed Radeons rule.

Shame on ATi for jacking up the exact same card (except for the Mac ROM) by 300%.