The Bottom Line: Power users and Unix vets will find a stable, powerful system. Average Mac users will be confused at first, then enjoy the new benefits.
estoke61's Full Review: Apple Mac OS 10 Full Version (M7686LL/A)
Unix what? ;-)
Macintosh users have been waiting a long time for a fast, stable, operating system; I have been no exception. Seeing Mac OS 8 as a smokescreen, I have been watching Mac OS X shape up in its various forms, and after wetting my appetite with the Public Beta, I have been itching to try it out since. Am I currently using Mac OS X on my box? No. Will I in the future? Absolutely.
System requirements: Apple has really dropped the bomb in this area. Only Apple computers that originally shipped with a G3 processor and architecture are compatible and officially supported by Apple computer, Inc. Those of you who bought the PowerMac 8600 and 9600 right before the G3 models are also left in the dark. Also, I have found that a G3 233 mHz is pretty weak. 128mb RAM is a must, and a speedy hard drive is also good. My home computer is a Beige G3 300/1 mb cache with 160mb RAM and a 7200 RPM hard drive. My tests are below.
Speed: On my home system, Mac OS X installed slowly, but was much better once booted up. The system was slower than my optimized version of OS 9.1, but not agonizing at all. My dual monitor setup took some tweaking at first however. I found that my integrated graphics chip is no where near the performance needed to drive OS X's graphic architecture. My Radeon PCI card fared much better. On an iMac 233, Mac OS X was a bit painful at times. I would suggest at LEAST 300 mHz with 1 mb cache, and 256 mb RAM at that level. With the newest G4 offerings from Apple, 128mb RAM still sounds thin, but could do.
Installation: This is where I found myself lost at first. Mac OS X is not simply an upgrade to your current operating system. It is brand NEW. Because of my machine's modest hardware, OS X installed slowly, but once it got through and booted up, I was ok. The installation wizard is familar, but more complex to facilitate such built-in goodies as Apple's online features (iDisk, accounts, etc.). Early G3 owners (Beige, iMacs up to 333 mHz, and early PowerBook G3) beware: You can only select a startup disk to install OS X if it is within the first 8gb of a disk. I partitioned my 10gb drive accordingly.
What you see: Since Mac OS X is new, there is a pleasant mix of old with the new. The apple menu still survives, but is not hierarchal like before. The application switcher is gone, and there is a new "dock". I didn't like the dock at first. It seemed to me like a combination application switcher/max/minimizer utility with the trash holding onto it. But after a while, it grew on me, especially after moving it to the right side vertically (doable with freeware or through altered programming). The dock can store your folders and files as well as your applications, but it is no substitute for the control strip, which is DOA. Still, the dock is an interesting addition that will help you out...once you get used to the way it works. Your drives are in a familar location, and the finder is now an actual program...no disguise anymore. Changing setting through control panels is now more windows-esque, but a handy toolbar above the controls is a nice touch. The new column view is an excellent idea and eliminates the clutter of having 1, 000 windows open on your desktop. Try it: I think it is better than list view.
System: This is where Mac OS X shows its roots. The Unix core of OS X grants native applications and programs such advantages as preemptive multitasking, and protected memory. You will find that a crashed program will not bring down your system anymore, and frozen applications can be force quit. The improved multitasking allows you to do more at the same time and still get everything done. Older version of the Mac OS would grind to a halt when you had too many things running. But as long as you have a lot of memory with Mac OS X, things run at much more regulated rate. The system doesn't feel as snappy as OS 9.1, but my test systems most likely had much to do with that. Still, the improvements are what Mac users have been asking for for a long time now.
Compatibility: Your older applications are now run through "Classic", a program that boots up OS 9.1 from within OS X. In effect, you are running two systems at once, but OS 9.1 is not being emulated like Virtual PC. Classic is slower than just running OS 9.1 by itself, but not by a huge amount. Classic is vital if you plan to use Mac OS X now, as not many programs written only for OS X are out yet. Classic applications also cannot take advantage of the new features of the OS X system, unless "Carbonized", which is writing the program so that it will run natively within OS X. But if Classic freezes or crashes, all you have to do is force quit or reboot classic, since it is an application, and not the system. This is especially nice. Most things that work in OS 9.1 will work in Classic the same way, but there are exceptions. The goal is to have all software running on OS X alone....classic is a compromise for now.
Software: Mac OS X does not have a lot fo native software out yet. But it does have a lot of carbonized familar titles, such as iTunes, Appleworks, and new programs like Mail, the built in e-mail client. I like mail alot; it will replace Claris Emailer as my primary email client when I eventually take the full step. For those of you whom are big on productivity, OS X just does not have the software yet to make it a good choice, unless you really like classic. But the future is promising: many companies have pledged to make OS X software, and because Unix is at the root, programs are easier to write, are more available (the Unix population can write OS X apps), and will likely start being released as fast as Windows titles, with the same (if not better) functionality. As it is, OS X is missing some badly needed features, like DVD playback. Apple rushed the job a little at the end to make sure OS X finally shipping. They are presently trying to fill the software and functionality gaps with a heavy update.
Recommendations: I uninstalled Mac OS X and went back to 9.1, despite having the option to boot up 9.1 (classic) instead of X at startup. The fact of the matter is, the high system requirements, limited native software, and lack of hardware support for my machine make OS X a nonproductive choice for now. Once Apple releases the first major upgrade to this release, I may change my mind. But for you power users or Unix people who want to see the future in a powerful, stable OS, then X marks the spot.
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