The MacOSX beta was a preview for hardcore fanatics. OSX 10.0 was not for the faint of heart. And OSX 10.1 was the first version of Apple’s new OS that was ready for everyday use. So what should we make of OSX 10.2 — also known as Jaguar — now that it has arrived? Read a review at MacWorld, and another one at RagingApathy. Expect the OSNews review for MacOSX 10.2 Jaguar on the 26th of this month.
Reviews of MacOSX 10.2 Jaguar
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
Nice review at MacWorld, seems like Apple did indeed improve alot their cherished OS.
Congrats to all the ppl who worked on that release, can’t wait to see where OS X will be in a year from now ^-^
Well, I wonder. Apple has bsd as a heart in its Jaguar but still they managed to build nice feats. inside aqua. How hard it would be for, let say Linux hackers, to have this graphics quartz like accelerated X? And let say Gnome menus transparent? I heard that in Linux world is more than 1000 people, I dont know for gnome nor for Xfree but I’m sure a lot. But I also heard that in Gnome proj. only few are doing real work like core. Others don’t want or don’t know. Oh I checked Gobe today, It sure is a hell of a suit, I know it will be the best of office suits one os becomes avaiable.
cheers,
I am posting this from jaguar and I must say it’s niceeeeeeee! Well worth the upgrade price. Very fast, lots of nifty features.
The RagingApathy review says the documentation for developers is much improved. Any one out there want to offer a second opinion? One of my biggest problems with OSX (speed problems aside which I finally realize I can live with) is the lack of good documentation. I’m not talking about printed books, I just need good docs on the Carbon API. As it exists from the April dev tools release, there were many important functions that simply listed the prototype and no real explanation of what the parameters mean, and how to actually use the function properly.
I’m going to give OSX one last chance and if Jaguar can shut me up and stop my whining, I just might go back.
This is slightly offtopic… In one of the reviews I read something about different users. This reminded me, that Mac OS is using a Unix core. Can someone explain to me how the multiuser problems where solved in OSX? For example, can you modify the files you don’t have access to (system files) from your useraccount? If yes, does it ask for your administrator password? When and how often? Is there such a thing as an administrator login? I would enjoy a detailed description or writing about this. I’m not interested in security risks or anything, just in the usability POV.
>>I’m going to give OSX one last chance and if Jaguar can shut me up and stop my whining, I just might go back.<<
That’s a sport!
🙂
Spark, yes, there are administrative logins. And you have to use the “system” password to make systen changes. But, it’s pretty much like KDE, for example, where you can use automoatic login. In fact, that’s the default in OS X, you have to change that in the system preferences if you want to make it so you and whoever else really do have to login. So, in that sense the default is reversed, automatic login being the default.
You decided to spend $125 on something that won’t work well with your system?
Will QE and GCC 3.1 I am curious what difference is made the system in terms of number crunching. Also, to what extent can OSX be tweaked? By this I mean, I usually kill every service possible on my system that is not required for it to boot, and kill most of the eye candy. On OS9 I remember you could kill many of the extensions on lower end systems and it would make quite a difference in boot time and system recourses. Can the same be said about the default OSX install? The reason I ask is because most of the speed related information I have seen on OSX has been for version 10.1, and if I buy a MAC I will be running a minimalist configuration of 10.2. Anyway, if anyone wants to pull numbers before and after the upgrade I think you can benchmark with openssl
#openssl speed
> You decided to spend $125 on something that won’t work well with your system?
You forget that I am a “journalist” that can get software for evaluation without paying. Companies love reviews. And besides, there is a possibility that next week I will be having a Quartz Extreme card for my Cube, so I can justify the review better.
I installed 10.2 on my iBook which isn’t supported by Quartz Extreme and still noticed a big difference.
Jay, what about this system password. When and how do you have to enter it? Let’s say you open finder and decide to modify some system files which you don’t own. Will it ask you for the password for every single file change or rather once in a while or once in a session or whatever?
I’m asking mostly because I don’t like how it is currently in GNOME and KDE (as a user you practically need the console to do work on the system or launch an application as root, with a different theme and everything) and I guess that OSX has solved this nicely from a users POV. So I’m looking for ideas. =)
Both don’t mention that Bluetooth support has been integrated into the OS, as well as the return of the AirPort software base station functionality from OS 9.
This is slightly offtopic… In one of the reviews I read
something about different users. This reminded me, that
Mac OS is using a Unix core. Can someone explain to me
how the multiuser problems where solved in OSX? For example, can you modify the files you don’t have access to (system files) from your useraccount? If yes, does it ask for your administrator password? When and how often? Is there such a thing as an administrator login? I would enjoy a detailed description or writing about this. I’m not interested in security risks or anything, just in the usability POV.
The first user created on the system has “administrative privs”. These are privs that are lower than a root user would have on a UNIX box but are enough to change many system settings and install software freely. OTOH an admin users can’t blow away system files. It asks for an admin password everytime you try and do something that would require administrative privs. So it is sort of like an NT “administrator” account except that its safe to run in all the time.
All other users can either be created with general rights on the system or administrative rights. The system is not as specific as NT.
An admin user has the ability to change other users passwords in particular the root user. They also can sudo to root to do rootish things on the command line or if enabled su to root.
Further anyone at the console can command-s during boot to bring the system up in single user mode.
In summary:
root = disabled by default, but can be enabled if needed.
admin = enough privs to be functional without enough to accidentally shoot yourself in the foot to easily.
general user = more privs then a user account on NT but not enough to hurt the system.
The scheme works very well for a low security genuinely multi user system. It definitely the Unix model (if you have control of the console you own the machine) more than the NT model (users should not be able to change their machines for ease of maintance). I think that desktop Unixes might want to look at this model.
I recently rebooted into OS 9 to watch a DVD, and was surprised to remember how snappy everything is. OS X isn’t unbearably slow, but 9 was just that much faster.
The one piece of technology that would divorce me from OS 9 completely is if Apple brings the DVD PC Card Enabler to OS X, and allows those of us using Lombards (or similar) an opportunity to run something more current than DVD Player 1.3. 2.7 is the latest on OS 9, but we can’t use that, as it doesn’t support hardware decoding. You’d think with all of this “digital hub” stuff, that they’d support the latest technologies like hardware DVD decoding, and not expect me to rely on my piddly 333 MHz G3.
Anyone have a copy of Jaguar or 6C115 and want to comment on this? I’d test it out before I buy it, but I don’t have a burner under OS X that I can use to burn disk images. Also, how about commenting on QE on a PCI ATi Rage Pro Mobility 8MB …
— Rob
Oh Eugenia – a Quartz Extereme card for your Cube – you must give me details!!
I’m patiently awaiting my copy of 10.2, so I can only speak about 10.1. :::sigh::: Jim, your comment about running a minimalist configuration for OS X made me nostalgic for installing 7.1 on four floppies or whatever it was. It made me think, can there ever again be a thing that is minimalist in the old sense of the word? Default installs of OS X and XP are both over a GB I think, aren’t they? Do you know, with, for example, Mac OS 7.5, I used to worry if I had over thirty extensions running? ROFL! There are over two hundred in my OS 9 extensions folder now!
But, more to the point, it is my understanding that one of the interface changes in 10.2 is that they’ve toned down the eye candy somewhat – the pulsating aqua buttons, etc. But, although I know the devil is usally in the details, I really wonder how much the much discussed eye candy really matters as to perfromance in OS X. To me, it is really the whole Quartz layer that is doing it – like carrying a safe around on your back. To me, that is the ball and chain that OS X always has with it as it tries to “walk’. And so much unlike BeOS in that regard. My God, Be would be screaming on those G4 processors. There no good commercial OS X specific utilities yet for optimizing for one thing (the freeware XOptimize is really good for unix pre-binding). There are a few things you can do, but they don’t do much really. The one thing that does make a difference is, if you have oS 9 on your hard drive too, keep Classic turned off. That makes a big difference.
You lucky $@#$@#. LOL 😛 Its pretty nice I must say. Much more responsive now. They are doing a good job. Not prerfect but on the right track, and well recommended. 🙂
How is “Mac OS X 10.2” pronounced? I remember much effort being put into advertising that “Mac OS X” is pronounced as “Mac OS Ten.” Should I therefore read “Mac OS X 10.2” as “Mac OS Ten, Ten Point Two?”
Eugenia: You forget that I am a “journalist” that can get software for evaluation without paying. Companies love reviews. And besides, there is a possibility that next week I will be having a Quartz Extreme card for my Cube, so I can justify the review better.
That figures :-).
You are now considered a journalist in Apple’s eyes. Not bad for a hobby. I wonder if anyone sees me as a UNIX guru…. i need money for a new NIC card…. 🙂
Besides, on the review, it just rephrase http://www.apple.com/macosx
It doesn’t tell what happened durring installation, what problems came out, and so on. It is more like a preview, a first glance, rather a review. It doesn’t tell users how’s their experience with it (except a few parts).
I wish most reviews aren’t like that….
So what card are you getting? Radeon 9000 Pro? Radeon 9700? (Haha, just kidding)
jbolden1517: I think that desktop Unixes might want to look at this model.
Yeap, it certainly sound practical for a normal Average Joe and Jane. At least it sounds better than placing all users as ultimate root in LindowsOS….
Anonymous: How is “Mac OS X 10.2” pronounced? I remember much effort being put into advertising that “Mac OS X” is pronounced as “Mac OS Ten.” Should I therefore read “Mac OS X 10.2” as “Mac OS Ten, Ten Point Two?”
I’m wondering myself. I pronounce it as Mac OS ten point two….
Besides, have you guys notice in some countries, like Australia, Apple doesn’t market Mac OS X 10.2 as Jaguar… I wonder why… I doubt they have negative cultural effects….
[i]Besides, have you guys notice in some countries, like Australia, Apple doesn’t market Mac OS X 10.2 as Jaguar… I wonder why… I doubt they have negative cultural effects….[i]
Actually, IIRC it’s because Ford Motor Co. has a copyright to the name “Jaguar” for their Jaguar line of vehicles in Oz.
Here in the UK, Jaguar is still regarded as a British company ( ha! )
.. but they still advertise OSX 10.2 as Jaguar ;-).. altho most of the advertising I’ve seen has been Apple stuff from the US anyway I guess.
Eugenia, I think many of us would like to see how 10.2 perform on lower end Mac, say G3 400, do you think it would be in your review?
I think Ford would have a “trademark” on the name “Jaguar”. Fortunately, trademarks only apply within a given product category. No, Daimler/Chrysler can’t come out with a “Jaguar”, but Apple Computer certainly can.
Which Java version does jaguar have ??
Ís it still 1.3 or have they (finally) upgraded to 1.4 ???
If quartz extreme runs Mac’s interface on the graphics card, does that mean it uses less of Motorola’s altivec and make it less CPU specific? I’m wondering if this will make it easier for Apple to transition to an intel or AMD chip.
>I wonder if anyone sees me as a UNIX guru….
I think you must be over 18 and be a master C-programmer for that. Do you qualify? ;o)
jbolden, thanks for the details! I think this is really something important where GNOME (and KDE) still need to improve. It might be more difficult to do this without conflicting with “taditional” user managment though.
For something different, did the font on the comments change? It’s definetly not Arial anymore, looks more like Times and very ugly (actually every serif font looks ugly to me now) in my Galeon. Right, what is this:
“<font FACE=”Times New Roman, Sans-serif, Arial” SIZE=2 color=”#000000″>”
Please change.
Yes, the font did change – at least for me too!
Yes, it is pronounced “ten point two”.
I just got an email from Apple. They said my copy of 10.2 should arrive on the 24th. I thought that’s when they would be going out. Oh boy! <g>
“”>I wonder if anyone sees me as a UNIX guru….
I think you must be over 18 and be a master C-programmer for that. Do you qualify? ;o)””
C doesn’t make your a UNIX guru. Although it can help to make you a proficient UNIX hacker.
I’d say, if Ford would put Jaguar to a legal test they would get their ass handed to themselves… You saw what happened to MS with “windows” – both are everyday’s words which can’t be trademarked.
I’d say, if Ford would put Jaguar to a legal test they would get their ass handed to themselves… You saw what happened to MS with “windows” – both are everyday’s words which can’t be trademarked.
You mean, “Jaguar” is a everyday word?
Yes, it is. “Everyday” in so far that it is not a made up word, just like Windows. A windows is a thing that has been around forever and a Jaguar even more so… go to the zoo and check for yourself.. 😉
>You mean, “Jaguar” is a everyday word?
Well, its a dictionary word.
Dictionary words can be trademarked if taken out of context.
For example: Apple is a dictionary word that does not suggest computers, thus it can be trademarked if taken *completely* out of context and adapted to refer to computers.
On the other hand “Windows” is more shady. It is a dictionary word whose default meaning is capable to encompass the notion of rectangles appearing on a computer screen with different information than the surroundings. So, in this case the dictionary word “Windows” is not taken far enough out of context to allow a proper trademark.
>>If quartz extreme runs Mac’s interface on the graphics card, does that mean it uses less of Motorola’s altivec and make it less CPU specific? I’m wondering if this will make it easier for Apple to transition to an intel or AMD chip.<<
This will never happen… only in pipe dreams 🙂
>Although it can help to >make you a proficient UNIX hacker.
“it can help”
Yeah sure, You could always hack some scripts and use other peoples programs right ?
> C doesn’t make your a UNIX guru.
You’re right, replace C with Sed,Awk and the other small tools. Satisfied?
The original poster was correct. Ford’s own the Jaguar name–for automobiles. The most famous, or infamous, case example is the F-16. When the Lawn Dart first came out the USAF named it the “Falcon,” but was sued by a French aerospace company who had already produced its own “Falcon.” As a result, the USAF was forced to switch the F-16’s name to the oh-so-much-better “Fighting Falcon.” As Masai pointed out, Microsoft got into trouble, because it attempted to co-opt a commonly used word in the computing industry for its own. That would be like Ford arguing that no-one could use the word “turbo” in their car names, because Ford (hypothetically) uses it as a brand name.
—
Michael
So I bought a ibook in late October 2001, it is a 600 Mhz, I just read that my iBook does not support QE what is that??? They want me to spend 129 on a upgrade of an OS on a computer that is less than a year old that does not support all the features. I am sticking with 10.1
man this kind of thing makes me mad at Apple
I’m running Jag on an iMac DV G3 400 mHz. It noticeably faster. I’m happy with that. Also, you don’t see the damn beachball/pinwheel/lollipop thing as much, either. I can’t imagine what it would be like on a newer Mac…:) There are some…. interesting things that need working out- my scroll wheel jumps to the bottom of the page if I scroll too fast- but overall I’m lovin it.
So, 10.2 + LEM =
Anonymous: I think you must be over 18 and be a master C-programmer for that. Do you qualify? ;o)
I want to administrate UNIX systems…. not hack the Linux kernel :-p
Besides, does it matter about my age? I could work legally here at this age….
I’d say, if Ford would put Jaguar to a legal test they would get their ass handed to themselves… You saw what happened to MS with “windows” – both are everyday’s words which can’t be trademarked.
I think that Lindows case is highly flawed. That’s my opinion anyway. In the OS market, Windows is a trademark – but it doesn’t cover other markets (like for example, winamp, X Window System). Apple is a generic name, could I use it in my company’s name? Yes. Unless I’m a computer maker.
Ask Michael Robertson yourself, why he choose the name Lindows. If he named his company Lacintosh, and market an OS that claims to run Mac OS applications… don’t you think Apple would sue? Macintosh, after all, can be considered a generic name in other markets.
Yes, it is. “Everyday” in so far that it is not a made up word, just like Windows. A windows is a thing that has been around forever and a Jaguar even more so… go to the zoo and check for yourself.. 😉
People from the paleolitic age and before that never saw a window.
So, in this case the dictionary word “Windows” is not taken far enough out of context to allow a proper trademark.
Windows isn’t an OS that just do moving windows….
Webster says:
1 a : an opening especially in the wall of a building for admission of light and air that is usually closed by casements or sashes containing transparent material (as glass) and capable of being opened and shut b : WINDOWPANE c : a space behind a window of a retail store containing displayed merchandise d : an opening in a partition or wall through which business is conducted <a bank teller’s window>
2 : a means of entrance or access; especially : a means of obtaining information <a window on history>
3 : an opening (as a shutter, slot, or valve) that resembles or suggests a window
4 : the transparent panel or opening of a window envelope
5 : the framework (as a shutter or sash with its fittings) that closes a window opening
6 : CHAFF 4
7 : a range of wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum to which a planet’s atmosphere is transparent
8 a : an interval of time within which a rocket or spacecraft must be launched to accomplish a particular mission b : an interval of time during which certain conditions or an opportunity exists <a window of vulnerability>
9 : an area at the limits of the earth’s sensible atmosphere through which a spacecraft must pass for successful reentry
10 : any of the areas into which a computer display may be divided and on which distinctly different types of information are displayed
If they have:
11: An OS for computers;
I would believe that the trademark isn’t taken that much away from context.
This is ridiculous. I won’t mention the macworld-review. I wouldn’t care about a MSN review of Windows XP either.
But as for the other review – this is just ridiculous. A person sits down for a few hours playing around and thinks the can judge an Operating system. Ridiculous. So 10.2 is faster. How much ? Next question. So 10.2 has an adress book. Wow. What about the PDF- and font-handling-problems in OS X ? Well, they don’t care because they obviously only use the e-mail and DVD applications. What about the fact that HFS+ still sucks as a UNIX filesystem ? Geez, these ‘reviewers’ obviously don’t even know what a filesystem is. GCC 3.1 ? They don’t have a clue but write a ‘developers’ review. Missing features in user-management (no groups in netInfo). Well, i guess one user is enough for those guys.
Jesus, how pathetic.
Typically, OS X’s multi-user functionality has worked great. Admin users can do just about anything they need do on the system, without compromising system security. However, the one major problem with the system was that an admin user couldn’t modify a file’s privileges in the Finder (unless they owned it, of course). You’d have to resort to the command line or a 3rd party utility.
Now, with Jaguar, you simply Get/Show Info on the file(s), click on the lock icon next to the privileges fields, type in your admin password, and bingo! You can change anything you want. This will be a godsend for those OS 9 users who hate OS X because they sometimes get stuck with files they can’t remove because some other user owns them — even though only one person uses the system!
Looking forward to Jag’s release along with OSNews’ review!
Jared
Jaguar is a “hardware upgrade on a CD-ROM.”
It’s that much faster, on EVERY supported computer (and I don’t just mean QE-supported).