The differences between OS, software, hardware and middleware are really starting to blur.

MacOS 9 has terrific internet connectivity. Two features, the Sherlock search system, and the fancy new iTools, pull MacOS 9 out of the box you're running it on and straight into the middle of what the internet can offer.

In many ways, 9.0 is only an incremental upgrade to 8.5. In ways, this is a good thing. 9.0 is probably more stable than any previous dot-oh release of the MacOS. 7.0 and 8.0 were each pretty shaky, and practiced hands would wait for a few bug-fix releases before upgrading. The downside, of course, is that long-overdue features like protected memory and pre-emptive multi-tasking are still going to have to wait--at least until MacOS X is released.

MacOS 9.0 is loaded with user-friendly features. I run it on both a G3 and an iMac and it's a joy on both. And it's the little things that make it great. The Software Update manager is a joy, and will grow even more useful over time as more software publishers adopt it. Throw in the iDisk (part of iTools)and I've got a solution to most of my connectivity needs.

Paranoid parents will like the heavy-handed censorship offered by KidSafe, even if they initially find it tricky to install. (KidSafe is not directly part of OS 9.0--it's another part of iTools. See what I mean about the distinctions between OS and middleware getting blurred?)

The UI is clear, clean and easy to understand. Previously clunky dialog boxes get shrunk to the status of little fyi-type announcements. Lots of icons are starting to resemble something from Windows, but I guess that's a side-effect of peace breaking out between Apple and Microsoft.

I wonder what other little add-ons Apple have in the works. It seems to me that the biggest advantage of 9.0 is that adding new features will be relatively painless.



Recommended: Yes