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Mac OS X Leopard

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Template:Future software

Mac OS X v10.5 "Leopard"
File:MacOSX10-5.jpg
A screenshot of Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard.
DeveloperApple Computer
OS familyBSD
Working statein development, previewed during the 2006 WWDC (August 7)
Kernel typeHybrid kernel (XNU)
Official websitewww.apple.com/support/leopard/

Mac OS X v10.5 "Leopard" is the name of the upcoming sixth major release of the Mac OS X operating system for Apple Computer's Macintosh line of computers. Mac OS X v10.5 "Leopard" was shown to developers for the first time at the 2006 Worldwide Developers Conference; Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that Leopard would be released at the end of the second quarter of 2007.[1]

New features

File:TimeMachinePreview.png
Time Machine screenshot

Leopard will include a software assistant called Boot Camp[2] that assists in the installation of Windows XP Home or Professional Edition (SP2 only) to a separate partition (or separate internal drive) on Intel-based Macs.

Boot Camp was first revealed as a public beta on Apple's web site on April 5 2006. Although intended for the installation of Windows XP, preview versions of Boot Camp have been used to assist in the installation of other operating systems such as Windows Vista[3], Linux[4] and Solaris[5].

Features announced at the 2006 Worldwide Developers Conference include:

  1. Native support by all libraries and frameworks for 64-bit applications, allowing 64-bit Carbon and Cocoa applications. Existing 32-bit applications using those libraries and frameworks will continue to run without the need for emulation or translation.
  2. Time Machine: an automated backup utility which allows the user to restore any file that has been deleted, misplaced or replaced by another version of a file.[6]
  3. "The Complete Package": Front Row and Photo Booth, currently only available with the purchase of a new Mac, will be included with Leopard.
  4. Spaces: an implementation of "virtual desktops" (individually called "spaces") for Mac OS X, allowing users to have multiple desktops per computer and be able to place certain applications and windows in a desktop. Users can organize certain Spaces for certain applications (i.e., one for work-related tasks and one for entertainment) and switch between them. Exposé will work inside Spaces, allowing the user to see all at a glance all desktops fitted onto one screen. [7])
  5. Upgrades to Spotlight, including advanced search options such as Boolean operators and the ability to search other computers (with permissions).
  6. Core Animation: a technology that allows a developer to create complex animations while specifying only a "start" and a "goal" space. The main benefit of Core Animation is to enable developers to create complex animations with small amounts of program code.
  7. Universal access: significant improvements to applications including VoiceOver, along with increased support for Braille and closed captioning.
  8. Enhancements to Mail including the additions of RSS feeds, Stationery, Notes, and to-dos. To-dos use a system-wide service that is available to all applications.
  9. Dashboard enhancements, including Webclip, a feature that allows users to turn a part of any web page into a live Dashboard widget, and Dashcode to help developers code widgets.
  10. iChat enhancements, including multiple logins, animated icons, and tabbed chats, similar to features present in Gaim, Adium and the iChat plugin Chax; iChat Theater, allowing users to incorporate images from iPhoto, presentations from Keynote, and videos from QuickTime into chats; and Backdrops, which are similar to chroma keys, but use a real-time difference matte technique which does not require a green or blue screen. iChat will also implement desktop sharing, a feature previously available with Apple Remote Desktop.[8][9]

Enhancements to Parental Controls include the ability to place restrictions on use of the Internet and to set parental controls from anywhere using remote setup.[10] Jobs did not provide details on the enhancements to iCal.

A technology overview posted to Apple's Developer web site[11] confirms many more improvements that will appear in Mac OS X 10.5, including the following:

  • Leopard will offer the Objective-C 2.0 runtime, which includes new features such as garbage collection. Xcode 3.0 will support the updated language and was itself rewritten with it.[12]
  • Apple has integrated DTrace from Sun's OpenSolaris and added a graphical interface called Xray. DTrace provides tools that users, administrators and developers can use to tune the performance of the operating system and the applications that run on it.[13]
  • Leopard will include the Ruby On Rails web application development framework.[14]
  • Leopard supports Resolution independence, the ability to size system graphics in physical units such as centimeters or inches instead of pixels. This feature results in standard size graphics independent of the device on which they are viewed. Preliminary support was added in Mac OS X 10.4 to prepare developers for a "future release of Mac OS X."[15]
  • Leopard's OpenGL stack has been updated to version 2.1, and will use LLVM to increase its vertex processing speed.[16] Apple has been working to get LLVM integrated into GCC;[17] Usage of LLVM in other parts of the OS has not been announced.
  • Leopard's security frameworks support Mandatory Access Control, sandboxes and code signing.

Compatibility

Like Mac OS X 10.4, Leopard will be available for both PowerPC and Intel Macs.[18] While it is known that Leopard will support PowerPC G4 and PowerPC G5 processors, it is unknown whether Leopard will support the PowerPC G3 processor. When Apple's Leopard website first appeared online, the 64-bit section stated, "From G3 to Xeon, from MacBook to Xserve, there is just one Leopard." The sentence was removed from the page the following day, leaving open the question of whether Leopard will support Macs with G3 processors.[19] In the past, each new major release of Mac OS X has dropped support for at least some older Macs; 10.3 dropped support for Macs without built-in USB ports, and 10.4 dropped support for computers without FireWire ports.

Documentation contained with the Developer Preview DVD states that a PowerPC G4, G5, or Intel processor is a minimum requirement. Despite this, some users have managed to install the developer preview version of Leopard on Macs with G3 processors by editing a particular file and then creating a new installation DVD with this edited file. However, even though these installations of Leopard can be installed on G3 Macs, some applications (for example Safari and iChat) will not run.[20] It is not known whether this will be possible with the final shipping version of Leopard.

Leopard is set to be fully UNIX compliant as Apple intends to submit Leopard and Leopard Server to the Open Group for certification. This means that Leopard will be fully compatible with all UNIX software without the need for any code modification.[21]

Speculation

It is rumored that a future release of the OS will feature a redesigned Finder that would rely heavily on Spotlight search technology. It is speculated that a new Finder might display files and their metadata in much the same way as iTunes displays songs, with the ability to quickly sort on and modify those data. [22] [23] The Finder shown in the developer's build demonstrated at WWDC 2006 did not appear to be updated.

Related to rumors of an updated Finder based on Spotlight are rumors that Apple plans to gather secondary metadata through a number of analysis techniques; for example, determining the genre of a song by analyzing its tone and pitch, using OCR to index and search images, or analyzing a photograph to determine attributes such as time of day it was taken.[24] [25] Apple has not made any formal announcements as to this rumored technology.

The release of iTunes 7 and its move away from traditional Aqua interface motifs (e.g., "Brushed Metal" and blue gel highlights) in favor of an updated source list and non-Aqua scrollbars has fueled speculation that the final version of Leopard will see an update or replacement of the Aqua interface first introduced in Mac OS X 10.0.[26]

Version history

  • Mac OS X v10.5 Developer Preview (build 9A241), released August 7, 2006.
    • Leopard Preview Update version 1.0 (build 9A241e), released August 31, 2006[27]
  • Mac OS X v10.5 Developer Preview (build 9A283), released October 12, 2006[28]
  • Mac OS X v10.5 Developer Preview (build 9A303), released November 9, 2006[29]


See also

  • Rosetta – software included in Intel versions of Mac OS X 10.4 that enables Mac OS X software designed for PowerPC Macs to run on Intel Macs.
  • Apple Intel transition – more information on Apple's move from PowerPC Macs to Intel Macs.

References

  1. ^ Apple Computer, Inc (2006-08-07). "Apple WWDC 2006". Apple. Retrieved 2006-08-07.
  2. ^ Apple Computer, Inc. "Boot Camp". Apple. Retrieved 2006-04-11.
  3. ^ AirmanPika. "Vista Installed". OSx86 Project Forum. Retrieved 2006-04-09.
  4. ^ "Triple Boot via BootCamp". OnMac.net. Retrieved 2006-05-13.
  5. ^ Jan Setje-Eihler. "Solaris Nevada build 36 running on an iMac". Retrieved 2006-05-13.
  6. ^ MacRumors.com. "WWDC 2006 Keynote - Live Coverage". Retrieved 2006-08-07.
  7. ^ "OS 10.5 Leopard Spaces + Exposé". GoogleVideos. GoogleVideos. 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-28.
  8. ^ "WWDC 2006 Keynote - Live Coverage". Retrieved 2006-08-07.
  9. ^ Engadget. "Live from WWDC 2006 - Steve Jobs keynote". Retrieved 2006-08-07.
  10. ^ Apple Computer, Inc. "Mac OS X - Leopard Sneak Peek". Apple. Retrieved 2006-08-08.
  11. ^ Apple Computer, Inc. "Leopard Technology Overview". Apple. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
  12. ^ Apple Computer, Inc. "Mac OS X Leopard Sneak Peek - Xcode 3.0". Apple. Retrieved 2006-08-07.
  13. ^ Mike Shapiro (August 7, 2006). "DTrace on Mac OS X at WWDC". $<blog. Retrieved 2006-08-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  14. ^ "Ruby on Rails will ship with OS X 10.5 (Leopard)". rubyonrails.org. August 7 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  15. ^ John Siracusa (April 23, 2006). "Declaration of resolution-independence". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2006-07-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  16. ^ Lattner, Chris (August 15, 2006). "A cool use of LLVM at Apple: the OpenGL stack". LLVMdev. Retrieved 2006-08-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  17. ^ Siracusa, John (December 4, 2005). "Avoiding Copland 2010: Hints of things to come?". FatBits. Retrieved 2006-08-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  18. ^ Apple Computer, Inc. "Mac OS X - Leopard Sneak Peek". Apple. Retrieved 2006-08-08.
  19. ^ Eddie Hargreaves. "Apple removes mention of G3s from Leopard pages - The Apple Blog". The Apple Blog. Retrieved 2006-08-09.
  20. ^ http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=24736
  21. ^ Apple Computer, Inc. "Leopard Technology Overview". Leopard Technology Series for Developers. Retrieved 2006-10-24. Apple will submit Leopard and Leopard Server to The Open Group for certification against the UNIX '03 product standard.
  22. ^ macosXrumors. "Exclusive: Leopard to feature a totally redesigned Finder, based on Spotlight". Retrieved 2005-10-20.
  23. ^ Prince McLean. "Multiple Finder window selects coming in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard?". AppleInsider. Retrieved 2006-03-14.
  24. ^ arn. "Apple Spotlight Patents Hinting at Leopard?". MacRumors. Retrieved 2006-03-14.
  25. ^ "Spotlight Voice Recognition and OCR". Hrmpf. Retrieved 2006-02-21.
  26. ^ Dan Lurie. "Aqua is dead, long live Aqua!". AppleInsider. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
  27. ^ "Apple issues new build of Leopard Preview". AppleInsider. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
  28. ^ arn. "New Mac OS X 10.5 (9A283) Leopard Seed". Macrumors. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
  29. ^ arn. "Rosetta Improvements in 10.4.8, Leopard Build 9A303, Vista Release?". Macrumors. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
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