Snow Leopard Weekend Review
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I began using Snow Leopard, the latest release of Apple’s Mac OS X operating system, this weekend and have been messing around with it every which way that I normally do. I’m a heavy computer user so it’s important that everything works as it would and there has been enough talk about this release to make us all sick.
Firstly, the update will cost you $29 if you already have Leopard installed. Which means if you had Tiger, you’re out of luck and will have to pay the full $169 for a box set which includes Snow Leopard, iLife and iWork ’09. Not a bad deal if you haven’t yet upgraded to the latest operating system, and it’s certainly cheaper than purchasing Microsoft’s Vista Home Basic for $199.
Since this isn’t a movie review, I’ll try to be thorough with my explanations. There is a lot going on in Apple’s software already — they try to think of everything and make their features obscure at times. I would suggest looking over the manual so you can understand where these updates are and how to use them.
Good Feature Refinements
For example, one new feature is something that has been available to Window’s users since the beginning of time: window management. In the past if you had multiple windows open in a program, some could get lost in the background of numerous programs on screen. If you go to the dock, and click-hold the icon of the program which you’re trying to find a particular window that was lost, OS X will organize the windows for that program neatly in Expose. You should always find what you’re looking for.
I found this to be one of the more useful features because it was always a hassle trying to find windows, especially if you are running a lot of programs. Another useful feature can be found when using Stacks. Stacks gives you the ability to keep a folder of items on the dock, and when you click on the folder it will show you the contents of the folder, fanning out from the dock. But now, instead of only showing the first couple of items in the folder, you can see all of them in a scrollable Stack overlay. Apple went a step further and also added the ability to open a sub-folder inside of a Stack in the overlay display. Difficult to explain, but its just an easier way to navigate your computer without having to open window after window.
When you are going through folders and navigating your computer using Finder, you’ll notice the ability to display your icons twice the maximum size (now 512×512 images), and you’ll also be able to open PDF files and play videos through Quick Look. Simply highlight a file and press [spacebar] to use Quick Look to preview a file before you commit to opening it completely. A useful feature if you are unsure of which file you need to open. Again, now with PDF and video support, on top of document and audio support.
You’ll notice menu bar changes (if you look for them), such as Air Port will display signal strength to listed Wi-Fi locations and the “Services” menu will only show relevant options depending on which application you’re in. I also noticed that switching Spaces yields a much better icon display to let you know which space you’re in.
Fast as Lightning
Everything is a bit faster as well. The entire operating system has been revamped to allow for better 64-bit application support, and has been refined to allow for quick response from the operating system. You’ll experience faster start up and shut down times, as well as applications opening and closing takes less time. One thing I noticed (if I’m not going crazy) is that my trash bin empties much quicker. Everything is simply faster from opening folders to scrolling, to connecting to wireless Internet.
Safari 4, which has been out for several weeks before Snow Leopard, even got quicker under the new 64-bit capabilities. I cannot believe how fast it is at loading javascript and pages. I am completely, completely applauding them for this. Safari 4 must be the fastest browser available. Firefox has nothing on it (okay, except for maybe program add-on support). I have switched from Firefox to Safari recently because of this. I cannot say how cool it feels to be this quick.
Apple Meets Corporate
Another feature that has been widely announced is Microsoft Exchange support. Exchange support is a feature I had no idea anyone really cared about, but I’m assuming its more of a corporate business feature. I do not use it so I cannot offer any usage review, but I can offer some insights. It allows you to sync your iCal and Address Book and Mail with a Microsoft Exchange server/service. This way you’ll always have the same contacts and events no matter what computer you’re on, Windows or Mac. A great feature to mend the ties between a Microsoft business world, and maybe an upcoming Apple business world. The sole ability to be able to sync things between Microsoft and Apple is a great way for users to maybe have Windows at work and an Apple at home, where its better used. Or perhaps we’ll see more Apple corporate support in the future. We’ll have to see what comes out in terms of doing business with the Apple operating system.
Its good to get along in this sense… we the consumers are winners in the end!
Just a Few Gripes
With new things come new gripes. I noticed that several applications became broken after upgrading to Snow Leopard. The only explanation of this is the rewritten 64-bit compatibility support is to blame. My Logitech mouse software no longer recognizes my mouse! There have been several reports of small applications becoming dead after the update. I suppose we just have to wait for everyone to adopt to the new OS before developers start rolling out updates for their programs. If I cannot get my mouse to work, I’ll be really upset.
Adobe made a crude comment saying that its CS3 programs will not be supported on Snow Leopard. This made people fidget about upgrading, but its safe to say that these programs do work on Snow Leopard. Their comment was referring to no longer supporting CS3 updates, and intends to focus on its latest CS4 programs. As I said, don’t fret, Adobe programs still work fine.
For a fantastic list of which programs are supported and which are needing updates, consult with snowleopard.wikidot.com. My damn mouse doesn’t work, what the hell…
In the End…
I cannot stress enough that the sole purpose of this update was to make the current Leopard OS a notch better. It isn’t a major step in usability or interface, but it is a major step in accessibility and refinement. Snow Leopard will make way for an even better operating system somewhere in the near future. Apple made the right move in only charging $29 for this update, and even better: its only $25 on Amazon.com
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