Hey
Today was quite a big day in the Apple software world. Firstly Mac OS X 10.5.2 is out which addresses a couple of problems, as well as Aperture 2 and Apple 2. All in all quite a big day. This post is going to cover over the main features of each of the three, with a couple of screenshots.
Mac OS X 10.5.2
This update was designed to fix some of the requested problems as well as some new features. It weighed in for me at 350mb, I didn’t have the first update installed so the final size could be considerably less. There are many features and fixes that have been included. For example the list includes:
Dashboard widget performance improvement
Stacks fix! List view, Folder view, and updated background for Grid View
Menubar transparency disabling
Less translucent menus
Several iCal recurring meetings supports, bug fixes overall
iChat Bugfixes
iSync support added for Samsung D600E and D900i phones
Finder bugfixes
Mail bugfixes
AFP network volume hanging fixed
RAW support improved
Preview bugfixes
Time Machine bugfixes (some external drives not being recognized)
A pretty solid list, you can find the full press release here. Some points to note, have a full backup. Time Machine is ok, but a full backup to an external disk is best. It is always a bit unnerving when you are sitting there and you computer appears to be doing nothing. If you are on a laptop have it plugged in, it does take a while and will probably suck up a bit of juice. When it does eventually start up it will take a long time to become operational first time. Other than that it seems a good update and no problems have been found.
One of the biggest updates that people are cheering about is stacks. Stacks are useful but they did lack that edge. That edge was list view. Thankfully Apple have listened and the masses are pleased. The list view on a stack is available by right clicking on any stack and clicking list. You do of course get a scrolling list.
There are a lot of minor features that have been included. For example you can no turn off the translucent menu bar and go for grey. I find that a bit boring but many people don’t like the cool effect. This option is included Desktop & Screensaver in system preferences.
One of the coolest little features that has been included is a small menu bar item for Time Machine. I love Time Machine, it is all I ever need for backing up. That this little item does is give you access to a couple of menu items, such as the ability to start and stop backups. During the backup process the menu item spins. A good little feature. You can turn this off within the Time Machine Preferences.
Aperture 2
One of the other big releases is Aperture 2. Aperture hasn’t had the sparkling release that Apple have been hoping for. The first product was very buggy by some accounts and wasn’t usable. They then rewrote the program by a new team, which did get better. They have finally got to version 2.
It got a new improved interface, entirely improved image rendering engine. It also includes a whole new range of image processing techniques such as colour vibrancy, local contrast definition, soft-edged retouching, vignetting and RAW fine-tuning. Its priced at $199 which is a bargain. This product should be flying off the selves. There is a free trial if you want to try it yourself.
Apple 2
The final installment in this news post is about Apple 2. The Apple TV has a quick update to enable a couple of new feature such as video rentals. I don’t have an Apple TV so I can’t really comment.
If you have more news or general comments leave them in the comment box below.
If you want to keep up with the latests post from Mac Tricks And Tips I recommend you subscribe to the RSS Feed. To find out more about RSS check out the help page form more information.
