- Except for features requiring specific hardware (e.g. graphics acceleration, DVD writing), the operating system offers the same functionality on all supported hardware.(More...)
Except for features requiring specific hardware (e.g. graphics acceleration, DVD writing), the operating system offers the same functionality on all supported hardware. PowerPC versions of Mac OS X prior to Leopard retain compatibility with older Mac OS applications by providing an emulation environment called Classic, which allows users to run Mac OS 9 as a process within Mac OS X, so that most older applications run as they would under the older operating system.
[1] The APIs that Mac OS X inherited from Openstep are not backward compatible with earlier versions of Mac OS. These APIs are now referred to by Apple as Cocoa. This heritage is highly visible for Cocoa developers, since most Cocoa class names begin with the "NS" prefix, standing variously for Nextstep, NeXT/Sun. Apple's Rhapsody project would have required all new development to use these APIs, causing much outcry among existing Mac developers.
[1] Mac OS X v10.5 " Leopard " was released on October 26, 2007. It was called by Apple "the largest update of Mac OS X". It brought more than 300 new features. Leopard supports both PowerPC - and Intel x86 -based Macintosh computers, however support for the G3 processor was dropped.
[1] The latest version of Mac OS X, Leopard, has dropped support for all PowerPC G3 processors and for PowerPC G4 processors with clockspeeds below 867 MHz.
[1] All bundled versions of X11 feature a window manager which is similar to the Mac OS X look-and-feel and has fairly good integration with Mac OS X, also using the native Quartz rendering system.
[1] Since version 10.3, Mac OS X has included X11.app, Apple's version of the X Window System graphical interface for Unix applications, as an optional component during installation.
[1] On March 24, 2001, Apple released Mac OS X v10.0 (internally codenamed Cheetah). The initial version was slow, not feature complete, and had very few applications available at the time of its launch, mostly from independent developers. While many critics suggested that the operating system was not ready for mainstream adoption, they recognized the importance of its initial launch as a base on which to improve.
[1] Mac OS X is based on the Mach kernel and is derived from the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) implementation of Unix in Nextstep. Nextstep was the object-oriented operating system developed by Steve Jobs ' company " NeXT " after he left Apple in 1985.
[1] Mac OS X is the successor to the original Mac OS, which had been Apple's primary operating system since 1984. Unlike its predecessors, Mac OS X is a Unix -based operating system built on technology developed at NeXT from the second half of the 1980s until early 1997, when Apple purchased the company.
[1] On January 7, 2002, Apple announced that Mac OS X was to be the default operating system for all Macintosh products by the end of that month.
[1] Mac OS X (pronounced /m"k o" "s t"n/ ) is a line of graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc., the latest of which is pre-loaded on all currently shipping Macintosh computers.
[1] Included in the new OS for the Intel-based Macs is Rosetta, a binary translation layer which enables software compiled for PowerPC Mac OS X to run on Intel Mac OS X machines.
[1] Since Mac OS X is based on UNIX, most software packages written for BSD or Linux can be recompiled to run on it. Projects such as Fink, MacPorts and pkgsrc provide pre-compiled or pre-formatted packages.
[1] Earlier versions of Mac OS X (in which X11 has not been bundled) can also run X11 applications using XDarwin.
[1] Mac OS X included a number of features intended to make the OS more stable and reliable than Apple's previous OSs. Pre-emptive multitasking and memory protection improved the system's ability to run multiple applications simultaneously without them interrupting or corrupting each other.
[1] Finder " A file browser allowing quick access to all areas of the computer (modified throughout subsequent releases). (The Finder found in Mac OS X Jaguar had been criticized by John Siracusa for violating the concept of spatial interface.) Quick Look allows dynamic previews of files (including videos and multi-page documents) without opening their parent applications (introduced in 10.5).
[1] For the early releases of Mac OS X, the standard hardware platform supported was the full line of Macintosh computers (laptop, desktop, or server) based on PowerPC G3, G4, and G5 processors.
[1] In April 2002, eWeek reported a rumor that Apple had a version of Mac OS X code-named Marklar which ran on Intel x86 processors.
[1] With the introduction of the MacBook Air, which lacks any FireWire ports, Leopard does not require a FireWire port. Tools such as XPostFacto and patches applied to the installation disc have been developed by third parties to enable installation of newer versions of Mac OS X on systems not officially supported by Apple, including some pre-G3 systems.
[1] The first version released was Mac OS X Server 1.0 in 1999, which retained the earlier Mac operating system's "platinum" appearance and even resembled OPENSTEP in places.
[1] The desktop-oriented version, Mac OS X v10.0, followed in March 2001 sporting the new Aqua user interface.
[1] The Happy Mac which had appeared during the Mac OS startup sequence for almost 18 years was replaced with a large grey Apple logo with the introduction of Mac OS X 10.2.
[1] What is Mac OS X? (kernelthread.com) "An overview of the Mac OS X operating system.
[1] A few early adopters experienced a surprise: Mac OS X was supported on Mac OS machines that came with a G3 or later processor from the factory"not machines with third-party processor cards.
[1] A Power Mac 7300 whose CPU chip failed could be easily upgraded with a G3 processor on a "daughter card," which often cost nearly the same as an exact replacement of the original chip. The user could then go to the same store and buy the Mac OS X upgrade on CD-ROM. This is not guaranteed to work, however.
[1] Simply releasing Mac OS X was received by the Macintosh community as a great accomplishment, for attempts to completely overhaul the Mac OS had been underway since 1996, and delayed by countless setbacks.
[1] Later that year on September 25, 2001, Mac OS X v10.1 (internally codenamed Puma) was released. It had better performance and provided missing features, such as DVD playback.
[1] Up to and including Mac OS X v10.4 (Tiger), Apple's implementation was based on the X11 Licensed XFree86 4.3 and X11R6.6.
[1] Mac OS X 10.0 - 10.4 (arstechnica.com) "Links to reviews by John Siracusa.
[1] On July 11, 2005, Apple announced that "features added to Cocoa in Mac OS X versions later than 10.4 will not be added to the Cocoa-Java programming interface."
[1] Mac OS X versions are named after big cats. Prior to its release, version 10.0 was code named " Cheetah " internally at Apple, and version 10.1 was code named internally as " Puma ".
[1] Mac OS X Version 10.5 Leopard on Intel-based Macintosh computers certification.
[1] Classic is not supported on Intel-based Macs or in Mac OS X v10.5 "Leopard".
[1] Mac OS X 10.5 (arstechnica.com) "Review by John Siracusa. Secunia advisory list "Security vulnerabilities, including both patched and unpatched vulnerabilities.
[1] Many aspects of Mac OS X's architecture are derived from Openstep, which was designed to be portable"to ease the transition from one platform to another.
[1] Grab a front-row seat for a walkthrough of the top attractions in Mac OS X Leopard.
[2] With 300+ new features, Leopard is the most impressive Mac OS X version yet.
[2] Mac OS X is a uniquely powerful development platform, bringing a 32-bit and 64-bit architecture and multiprocessor capability to the desktop and server arenas. It provides an extremely productive high-level programming environment in Cocoa, the full power of real UNIX", and a host of open source web, scripting, database, and development technologies.
[3] Discussions regarding native Mac OS X application developments using Cocoa frameworks.
[3] Essential information about Apple's Mac OS X operating system. Developers may ask questions or share knowledge with their peers from around the world in this discussion forum about Carbon development.
[3] Mac OS X delivers revolutionary technologies like Spotlight, Dashboard, Automator, Core Data, Core Animation, Core Image, and many others. These powerful additions to the modern, UNIX-based foundation make Mac OS X the most advanced operating system available.
[3] The built-in Xcode tools, combining time-tested stability and performance, standards-based technologies, and a remarkable user interface, make Mac OS X an amazingly multifaceted development platform.
[3] The Software Update feature in Mac OS X makes it very easy to determine and get exactly what you need.
[4] Note: Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard can automatically run Software Update checks in the background and let you know when an update is available for your computer.
[4] Carefully read the stated system requirements before using a standalone installer. Be sure to install them in the correct order when applicable, or only on compatible computers when applicable. Mac OS X 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5 themselves are not downloadable updates, they are reference releases, also called upgrades. This means, for example, you can't upgrade from Mac OS X 10.3 to Mac OS X 10.5 via a downloadable installer.
[4] Mac OS X 10.5 and later allows you set Software Update to download important updates automatically.
[4] Show Package Contents (of selected file in Mac OS X 10.5 or later only). To create this contextual menu shortcut, open Keyboard & Mouse preferences in Mac OS X 10.5, click Keyboard Shortcuts, click the "+" button, choose Finder.app as the Application, and type "Show Package Contents" (exactly), and set whichever shortcut you want, such as Command-Control-S.
[5] Apple released 10.1 as a free upgrade CD for 10.0 users, in addition to the US$129 boxed version for people running only Mac OS 9. It was discovered that the upgrade CDs were actually full install CDs that could be used with Mac OS 9 systems by removing a specific file; Apple later re-released the CDs in an actual stripped-down format that did not facilitate installation on such systems.
[1] Apple dropped support for Classic mode on the new Intel Macs. Third party emulation software such as Mini vMac, Basilisk II and SheepShaver provides support for some early versions of Mac OS. A new version of Xcode and the underlying command-line compilers support building universal binaries that will run on either architecture.
[1] The character X is a Roman numeral and is officially pronounced "ten". It is the next release following the numbering of previous Macintosh operating systems such as Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 9.
[1] GIMP will only run on Mac OS X, not on version 9 or earlier of the Macintosh operating system.
[6] GIMP uses a separate windowing layer, the X11 windowing protocol, on Mac OS X, which must be installed first. The XDarwin project
XDarwin project provides this functionality. Apple used to provide their own version of this windowing layer, based on XFree86.
[6] Wilber loves Apple
Wilber loves Apple is a community that provides GIMP packages and help for Mac OS X users. MacPorts
MacPorts MacPorts provide an easy way to install various open-source software products on Mac OS X. They have GIMP 2.4 in the latest revisions.
[6] The MacGIMP project
MacGIMP project provides GIMP for Mac OS X in a packaged CD format. They don't offer GIMP 2.4 yet.
[6] Unlike most Linux distributions, Mac OS X does not come with the open source libraries upon which GIMP is built. These are typically installed along with GIMP, but can be installed separately.
[6] Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) now ships with an X11.app based on the X.Org 7.2 release.
[6] Introducing Windows Media Player 9 for Mac OS X. Sporting a new brushed steel skin for Apple's newest operating system, this new version of our player opens the world of Windows Media 9 content to Macintosh users, enabling them to access the best audio and video on the Web.
[7] We are pleased to offer Windows Media Components for Quicktime Windows Media® Components for Quicktime, by Flip4Mac, as an alternative for Mac OS X users wanting to play Windows Media Audio and Windows Media Video.
[7] Note Windows Media Player for Mac will download to the download location specified in your browser. The default location is the desktop. You will need to use StuffIt Expander to decompress Windows Media Player for Mac OS X. You can get StuffIt Expander from Allume Systems
Allume Systems.
[7] On the Download Center page, select Player for Mac OS X, and then click Download Now.
[7] Would you buy a Mac 'clone' (a generic PC that can run OS X)? Yes if Apple makes it legal to use OS X on one Definitely yes Most likely I would Maybe, but I'd want to test it first Probably not No way! I've built one myself already Other answer? Comment, please.
[8] Because the implementation of the OS is built separately for the two processors, in implementation the PowerPC version and Intel versions are two separate installers (one cannot use the PowerPC installer to install the OS onto an Intel-based Mac).
[1] Lingon has been mentioned in many hints, including one of its very own. It's never been a PotW, so now I'm taking care of that oversight. Lingon is a GUI interface (10.5 only) to the launchd process in OS X. launchd is a way to run things on a schedule -- previously, cron could be used to to this (and it still can, but launchd is the preferred solution).
[8] 
