My thoughts on Leopard...
Leopard was released a two weeks ago (as of this writing) and I haven�t considered going back to Tiger. Any new operating system has its advantages and the newest technology is most always better but there are certain advantages that I simply love about Leopard and others that bug the hell out of me.
Read More...
I really like how well Leopard runs on my MacBook Pro. Tiger was created in a world of the PowerPC processor where all current Macs were single core (unless you were running a PowerMac) and people still relied on �Classic� to run their old applications. Today all Macs except the Mac mini that were released after January of 2006 were dual core and running Intel processors. Leopard is an OS developed for this new technology and takes full advantage of everything these new computers can do.
For starters, Leopard is finally full 64-bit from the kernal to the application frameworks. It�s still up to developers to code their apps to take advantage of the OS but those of us with Core2Duo processors now have full 64-bit support and that�s a huge plus! Leopard has been optimized to use dual core systems� complete capabilities and is fully compliant with Intel�s power management technologies, wireless frameworks and memory addressing. At first boot, Leopard was developed for your current Mac and that makes me very happy. My Macintosh is much faster as well. Every application starts quickly and this is a direct result of those optimizations.
Apple has improved the functionality of the Finder to an iTunesesque look and is the best improvement to the finder since Panther. I laughed when I saw Apple adding coverflow to the finder but I use Coverflow everywhere now. It�s just that good. Quicklook in the finder is also a great feature. I can preview nearly every file on my system whether it�s a media file, folder or office / iWork document. I am also finally able to use spotlight as a launcher. I have four hard drives hooked up to my MacBook equaling 1.5 gigabytes of data. Typing in iTunes in Tiger�s spotlight bar made me wait about 15 seconds for a result. Now, I start typing and immediately receive results!
Spaces is awesome as well. I have applications set to start in their own space. command + tab between applications will automatically change spaces. I have 4 spaces by default and everything lives where I want it. If I want to change that, just open the spaces application and move windows where I would like them to be. Another feature that I never thought would be used is Web Clips within Safari. I can make anything a web clip and it�s super smart. Launch a YouTube video and click on the web clip button then move your mouse around the page. Frames are automatically highlighted. Click on the actual video then there is the ability to expand or contract the clipping window. Click again and dashboard opens. I�ve used this for breaking news on CNN, my favorite YouTube videos and streaming web cams! I love Web Clip and it�s another feature I can�t live without.
What I hate: There�s a lot to say about that as well but I�ll keep my hatred in one paragraph. I hate every aspect of the dock. Apple tried too hard on this one. Stacks, reflections, the download folder, it�s transparency and how folders with multiple applications look. I hate it and that�s that. I like the transparent menu bar if you choose your wallpaper wisely but it serves no function. I don�t like that Apple included so much crapware utilities that you need an Xserve or a networked Mac to take advantage of. I don�t like that Apple groups settings within system preferences together that should be their own icon. The final bit about Leopard that bothers me is that after the upgrade I get only an hour of battery life per charge where I got 3 hours with Tiger. This drop happened overnight and I�m not alone.
Aside from the dock, the other gripes are minimal but they�re still daily botherings that I�d rather not have to deal with. A completely new product can have its shortcomings but Leopard was certainly worth $129. I also paid $399 for Windows Vista back in January and only feel it was worth $129. Apple�s price point for Leopard is a no brainer for any Mac user. Buy it. Love it and you�ll be glad you did.
