At the Worldwide Developers Conference 2006 in San Francisco, Apple CEO Steve Jobs gave the public and developers the first public look at Leopard, also known as Mac OS X 10.5 -- the next version of the Apple operating system, which will be available next autumn. Though he made clear there remained many "top secret" features and technologies to the OS, Jobs and other Apple executives outlined a dozen features that will be new and improved over the current OS. For a look inside, see our Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard preview slide show.
Perhaps the most intriguing new feature for developers and end users alike is the Time Machine, a totally new, automatic backup and version-control application. That might sound decidedly not sexy, but Time Machine marries powerful potential with an interface that makes most of the proposed Vista user-interface features look old hat. Selecting an item and invoking Time Machine replaces the standard interface with a starry background, a time scale on the right, and past versions of the item floating "behind" the current version. Users can scroll back in time and review past versions; when they find the desired one, they can drag it to the present. Time Machine can also automatically back up entire systems, along with any changes made to an external hard drive or a server. Apple claims that even if your hard drive dies, you can use Time Machine to restore your system to a new drive.
Another interface element, Dashboard, will also see changes in Leopard. In addition to a developer tool called Dashcode, which includes a visual HTML, CSS, and JavaScript editor and debugger, Dashboard also will include Web Clip, a Dashboard widget that allows users to grab portions of any Web page, be it a Webcam image, a top-10 list, or a comic strip, and create a widget. These widget update live as the Web page does.
iChat AV, Apple's instant-messaging and videoconferencing application, will gain features such as multiple logins, tabbed chats, video recording, and invisibility. Also, the new iChat Theater feature will allow users to present iPhoto slide shows, Keynote presentations, QuickTime movies and more to their chat buddies.
Leopard will also support virtual desktops, known as Spaces. Jobs demonstrated with four of these and showed how you can see all of them at once and even drag applications from one to another.
Spotlight, Universal Access and Mail will also be revised, with the last gaining stationery, notes, and system-wide To Do capabilities.
Leopard will include true 64-bit support, all the way from the lowest levels of the operating system to application user interfaces. This will not apply to most existing Intel-based Macs, though, as the Intel Core Duo supports only 32 bit. However, Leopard will offer full 32-bit compatibility. Jobs also mentioned that Leopard will be a "complete package," with applications currently in beta, such as Boot Camp, and previously separate applications all bundled as one. Jobs also said Leopard will offer a new level of parental controls and that the iCal calendaring application will gain full multiuser abilities, although neither app was demonstrated at the conference.
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intrepi
20/10/2007, 11:25 AM
rating
9/10
I think MS has stumbled and tried another attempt at marketing something too soon and like Windows ME, it had little to offer aside from money to MS as a cash cow.
Pros: Vista will become stable but it's going to take a year or two to put it where XP already is.
Cons: Too many versions, too expensive 4 what it has to offer. No real substance to warrant upgrading or even wanting this OS and the biggest problem with it is MS and it's software, hardware developers are still insisting on doing it on a 32 bit platform. Pull the lead out, this is an outdated, slow, stoneage way of making a system run faster. Vista is in competition with Mac, Linux and Unix and I see nothing in any of these that float a 32 bit boat
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everybody
28/07/2007, 10:41 PM
rating
10/10
FANTASTIC!
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Anon.
15/04/2007, 04:30 PM
rating
10/10
Leaving Windows in the dust!
Sounds really good
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dICKY
12/02/2007, 06:28 PM
rating
7/10
GOOD PERFORMANCE
Pros: ACTIVE
Cons: PASIVE
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slimwasim
08/12/2006, 08:18 AM
rating
10/10
Frankly speaking after reading, seeing new features of vista i was dissapointed just becoz it is already there for mac users in Tiger what new we windows users got other than features mac users enjoy for long time already, and now Leopard fatures outwit vista already means windows users like me again lagging behind... Mac os x leopard when i saw WWDC i was highly impressed and features are there and rocking when now i am for sure changing my computer experience when leopard arrives i will say good bye microsoft and pc and hello mac
Pros: All pros for leopard, Timemachine, Dashboard integration in Safari, Complete Package, Fully 64 Bit not like WOW emulation in vista, i Chat i think msn messenger shouldnt be compared to i chat we all know why... all features better than in vista easy user interface no registry, no dlls, interface lets wait for that oh forgot to mention i used spotlight in tiger recently and compared to instant search in vista believe me spotlight is clear winner, actually leopards spotlight i didnt see yet...
Cons: Many people have no knowledge about leopard and buzz of vista has blinded windows users who just dont look for options who dont care about quality...
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10/10/2006, 11:11 AM
rating
10/10
bring it on
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09/10/2006, 11:44 PM
rating
10/10
Apple's (quite simply) done it again!
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14/09/2006, 06:17 PM
rating
9/10
Apple shows were Vista's successor will be in 2010
Pros: Watch Redmond start copying these features... OSX is already the best OS on any platform. These features will just help. And with the ability to use Bootcamp if you really MUST use Windows, there's even more reasons to switch.
Cons: I'm more than happy with current OSX, but every time Apple bring out an upgrade I've just got to reach for the credit card...
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12/09/2006, 04:17 AM
rating
10/10
Sounds very exciting
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gl
29/08/2006, 02:23 AM
rating
9/10
just mac as usual
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