Apple Computer released on Monday an updated version of its "Panther" operating system designed to address several early criticisms of the latest iteration of Mac OS X. The company made version 10.3.1 of Mac OS X available via the Mac's Software Update feature and is expected to make it available on its Web site soon. According to Apple, the new version is designed to address issues with printing and encryption, and with using the OS in conjunction with FireWire 800 drives. Apple had earlier confirmed an incompatibility between Panther and some FireWire hard drives that caused some customers to lose data.
"The 10.3.1 Update delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for the following applications, services and technologies: FileVault, printing, WebDav, and FireWire 800 drives," Apple said in its description of the new version. "This update also includes the latest security updates." Some users had complained that the FileVault encryption feature, which is designed to protect the contents of the home directory, had been causing some data, such as passwords, to be lost. Last week, Apple said in a statement that it was aware of the FileVault issue and was looking into it.
As for the FireWire issue, Apple still recommends that customers who have a FireWire 800 drive that uses the Oxford 922 chipset and version 1.02 of the firmware upgrade their drivers before using Panther. "Even with the improvements available in this update, Apple recommends you update the firmware on your FireWire drive," Apple said. "Please contact your drive manufacturer for more information."
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News source: news.com
"The 10.3.1 Update delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for the following applications, services and technologies: FileVault, printing, WebDav, and FireWire 800 drives," Apple said in its description of the new version. "This update also includes the latest security updates." Some users had complained that the FileVault encryption feature, which is designed to protect the contents of the home directory, had been causing some data, such as passwords, to be lost. Last week, Apple said in a statement that it was aware of the FileVault issue and was looking into it.
As for the FireWire issue, Apple still recommends that customers who have a FireWire 800 drive that uses the Oxford 922 chipset and version 1.02 of the firmware upgrade their drivers before using Panther. "Even with the improvements available in this update, Apple recommends you update the firmware on your FireWire drive," Apple said. "Please contact your drive manufacturer for more information."
View: The full story News source: news.com
Changes in Version 4.0
-Added Install Options dialog to let user customize installing Longhorn Transformation Pack
-Added Longhorn PDC Bliss and Aero Grass wallpaper
-Added Slate, Longhorn Aero, Plex Style MCE and Plex M3 theme
-Fixed Precaching system files replacement problem about boot screen while run this to configure
-Fixed install checking error problems
-Updated Longhorn SideBar 3.0 with Aero PDC skins
-Updated Slate, Longhorn Aero, Plex Style MCE, Plex Style and Plex M3 themes
-Updated shell32.dll video resources and fix pink spot bug
-Updated system files for Windows XP and Windows XP with Service Pack 1
Longhorn Transformation Pack Functions:
-This program can choose Longhorn type for each section like Start flag, Progress dialog login and ToolBar. There's Aero, M4, M6, PDC or Don't change it
-THis program can customize additional installation like Longhorn SideBar and Aero ToolBar type
-This program can check Themes services to let user enable or disable this Themes.
-This program can detect setup files beforce run program to avoid system file replace problems
-This program can use on Windows XP build 2600 or build 2600 with SP1 build 1106 and Windows Server 2003 build 3790
-This program can test sharing violation to avoid system file replace problems
-This program will apply Plex Style with new taskbar and Longhorn screensaver after restart. You can change it yourself and choose other Plex themes and wallpapers
-This program is not recommend for multi-language edition of XP. (However, you can use it)
-This program can use rollback function by run setup again after restart (get previous OS files)
Longhorn Transformation Pack Features:
-Add Longhorn Visual Style name "Plex Style" with patched UXTheme
-Add Longhorn Screensaver
-Add Longhorn wallpaper
-Change Boot Screen to unoffical Longhorn Boot Screen
-Change Logoff Panel to Longhorn button in Classic mode
-Change Logoff screen to Longhorn view
-Change LogonUI to Windows Longhorn LogonUI
-Change Shutdown screen to Longhorn view
-Change Start Panel text image in Classic mode to "Longhorn XP Professional"
-Change ToolBar to Longhorn blue ToolBar
-Change Windows flag to Blue Longhorn flag
-Change Windows flag to Longhorn flag in Start Button
-Change Windows XP's brand in About Windows to Longhorn XP Professional
-Change Working screen (Like Logoff and Shutdown) to Longhorn view
Contact him: deadknightz@hotmail.com
10.0 = Windows 3.0 (we're starting here since versions of windows before 3.0 just totally sucked ass)
10.1 = Windows 95 - Vast improvements over the older version, better and faster and more able...
10.2 = Windows 98 - Again, more improvements, a lot of backend work, updated applications and such, some new things...
10.3 = Windows ME - Yet again, more improvements, not really a ton of new stuff, but more speed enhancements, updates, code optimization, fixes, etc...
(P.S. I'm not comparing 10.3 Panther to Windows ME because Windows ME SUCKED, but it's next in the line of order of Microsoft OSes that follow the 9x naming scheme (they really couldn't call it 2000, since they already had Windows 2000))
Things like 10.3.1, that would be your "service pack" release, it fixes a few things that were looked over in the scheme of things during initial development of the next version of the OS. No new applications, just bug fixes really.
Jesus, you're complaining that they're fixing the problems they have? When I installed XP back when it had just come out, guess what, there were Windows Updates ready for me to install! So don't tell me when I paid $199 for XP Professional (more than $129 for Panther), that Apple's not the only one that does things like this.
You've got a problem, you fix it. What's so hard to grasp about that?
And 10.3 is not a "service pack", you could call these incremental 10.3.x versions as service packs.
not saying that everything mac is better but their OS is way better.
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