 The Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard Single User Operating System Software from Apple is the latest iteration of the advanced OS X operating system. Offering a plethora of impressive features, the OS will allow you to do more with your Mac than ever before.
Leopard features an enhanced Finder with Cover Flow, a 3D dock with Stacks, Time Machine backup, Quick Look file previews, iChat with screen sharing, multiple virtual desktops via Spaces, integrated Boot Camp support, and much more.
Leopard is compatible with Macs with Intel, PowerPC G5, or Power PC G4 867 MHz or faster processors. It requires 512 MB of RAM and 9 GB of disk space for installation. A Combo Drive or SuperDrive is required for installation. An external hard drive is required for Time Machine.
Desktop Enhancements
Leopard sports a snazzy desktop, complete with a 3D dock and innovative Stacks. The semi-transparent 3D dock is as elegant as it is subtle; reflections are present under each icon, and open applications are indicated by a small blue glow below their icon. The classic 2D Dock style is available as an option for users who prefer it.
Stacks give you instant access to files in folders, right from the Dock. Drag a folder onto the Dock and it becomes a Stack. You'll be able to launch files directly from the stack, without the hassle of opening up a new Finder window.
• Finder with Cover Flow
Finder now features integrated support for Cover Flow browsing. You'll be able to flip through documents in the same way that you flip through album artwork in iTunes. Cover Flow shows each file as a large preview of its first page, and even allows you to click through multiple-page documents and play movies.
Finder also sports an enhanced sidebar, which groups items together in a logical manner. Connected drives and memory cards are in a collapsible Devices section, network shares are Shared, and folders on your computer are located in Places.
• Back to My Mac
Back to My Mac works with your .Mac account to give you remote access to your Mac, from anywhere in the world. The service syncs your computer's local IP address to your .Mac account, facilitating secure remote file access. This is a great solution for Mac notebook users who need to access files that are located on their desktop at home.
• Spotlight
Spotlight is the breakthrough desktop search technology that finds anything on the computer in a flash. Users can search an entire system for files, images, emails, calendars and applications from one place. You can even browse through Spotlight results using the Cover Flow interface.
• Quick Look
Quick Look allows you to take a peek into a file, including multiple page documents and videos, without opening a helper application. It works with images, PDF documents, movies, Keynote presentations, Mail attachments, Word documents, and Excel spreadsheets.
• Time Machine
System backups have traditionally been a major headache, especially for home users. Time Machine changes that. Utilizing a single external backup drive, Time Machine creates a complete image of your system. Once the initial image is created, the backup application creates incremental backups of changed files, in real-time.
Time Machine is flexible enough to facilitate a full system restore, or the simple recovery of a file that you accidentally deleted or changed last week. Its visual interface allows you to travel through time and find the files you need. Quite simply, Time Machine is backup that works well, and one that anyone can use.
• Mail
Apple's Mail application is a robust e-mail client, designed specifically for Mac users. The application supports Spotlight searches, multiple e-mail accounts, POP and IMAP, and to-do lists. Mail also features an integrated RSS reader that allows you to browse your feeds from your inbox; it even syncs with Safari's RSS, ensuring that you don't read the same article twice.
• iChat AV with Screen Sharing
iChat AV enables multiple-person video and audio conferencing directly on the desktop with new technology that delivers sharp picture and clear audio. You'll even be able to apply fun video effects to your chats. iChat now supports screen sharing, allowing you to more easily collaborate with colleagues over the Internet; you'll be able to observe and control a single desktop from within the application.
• Spaces
Leopard's Spaces brings multiple virtual desktops to the Mac. You'll be able to assign applications to a specific virtual desktop, and change between them with a keystroke. Spaces works in a manner very similar to Exposé, showing all of your virtual desktops as a visual array with a single keystroke. You'll even be able to apply Exposé functions to the virtual desktops when previewing them.
• Safari 3
Safari 3 is Apple's full-featured web browser. The application supports all of the features you are familiar with, including tabbed browsing, RSS support, the bookmark bar, and a dedicated search box. This version adds enhanced PDF controls, and on-the-fly text entry field resizing on web pages.
Safari 3 also supports innovative Web Clips. This feature allows you to turn any web page into a Dashboard widget. Simply use the Web Clip button to select an area of a web page, and place it on your Dashboard. The widget updates as the web page does, giving you instant access to local news, weather, sports scores, or anything else you can find on the web.
• Parental Controls
With parental controls, parents can protect their children by filtering and controlling a wide range of system preferences and applications, including Mail, Safari, iChat, and more. You'll even be able to set up a schedule for computer use, leveraging both bedtimes and time limits on usage.
• Boot Camp
Boot Camp is now built into OS X. The application allows you to setup an Intel Mac to dual-boot between OS X and Windows. The software partitions your hard drive, setting aside a dedicated amount of space for Windows. Drivers are included for the 32-bit editions of Windows XP and Vista. A licensed copy of Windows and an Intel Mac are required in order to use Boot Camp.
• Dashboard
Dashboard enables access to nifty mini-applications called widgets, which are automated shortcuts for common tasks. One click brings the widgets up with real-time information such as weather and flight information.
• And There's More...
Leopard includes more than 300 enhanced and new features for users who are moving up from Tiger. Although too numerous to list here, these include screen savers, security features, system preferences, and much more. |
