Davao Mac User

On August 28, 2009, Apple released, albeit earlier than expected, their newest operating system, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. I’m featuring some of the articles and reviews that were published around the time of the launch. From tips on how to prep your Mac for Snow Leopard to reviews from some notable tech writers and journalists  to some of the underpinnings of the new OS.

Preparation and installation

Prior to installing Snow Leopard, it’s a good idea to have a checklist of things that you might have to do before upgrading. John Martellaro of The Mac Observer offers advice on how to prepare for Snow Leopard and TJ Luoma of TUAW has his own take on things to do prior to upgrading. For something more comprehensive, I highly recommend Dan Frakes’ article over at Macworld.

For a bit more casual account of the installation process, check out Mel Martin and David Winograd over at TUAW. The two experienced minor hitches during the upgrade but things turned out fine in the end. In contrast, Steven Sande exclaims that upgrading his three Macs to Snow Leopard was “one of the smoothest upgrades I’ve ever performed with any operating system.” They all agree, though, that Snow Leopard is mucho snappier and trimmer.

Always remember to backup first.

Compatibility

Software companies like SmileOnMyMac (PDFPen and TextExpander) and Cultured Code (Things) have already updated their applications to fully support Snow Leopard. Some, however, were caught off guard with the earlier than expected release of the new OS.

To know which third-party software is compatible (or not) with Mac OS X 10.6 check out “Snow Leopard Compatibility: Which apps work with Mac OS X 10.6?” After far as I know, this is probably the most comprehensive list available on the net. It assigns software into four categories:

• OK for apps that work fine
• NO for apps that do not work
• UNKNOWN for apps that are untested
• WARNING for those with some problems

Apple also has issued a new support document that lists applications that are incompatible with Snow Leopard. The document states that the new OS is designed to protect a Mac from certain incompatible software that can quit unexpectedly or cause other issues in Mac OS X v10.6. Upon installation, if a known-incompatible software is detected, that software will be moved to a folder named “Incompatible Software”. There are two cateogories of incompatible software: those restricted during installation and migration and those restricted from opening. Users are encouraged to check with developers in case an application or two is included in Apple’s list. Another support document is a long list of software provided for printers and scanners. This software can be installed from the Mac OS X Install DVD, and updated by using Software Update.

Reviews

AppleInsider has posted snippets of reviews from Walt Mossberg, Andy Ihnatko, Edward C. Baig and others. They also have links to reviews from technology or gadget sites such as Engadget, CNet, and Wired. Basically, all reviewers agree that majority of the improvements are under the hood and invisible to users. But these improvements are geared toward speed and efficiency as well as preparation for “future-oriented core technologies,” according to Walt Mossberg. Some of the noticeable enhancements are the new QuickTime X player, 512 x 512 icons in Finder, and Dock Exposé. Given the low price of $29, the decision to upgrade is, as Andy Ihnatko puts it, “a no-brainer”, a sentiment shared by almost everyone.

More reviews:

• Jason Snell, Macworld:

Snow Leopard is Apple’s lowest-priced OS update in eight years. Granted, it’s a collection of feature tweaks and upgrades, as well as under-the-hood modifications that might not pay off for users immediately. But the price of upgrading is so low that I’ve really got to recommend it for all but the most casual, low-impact Mac users.

• John Martellaro, The Mac Observer:

Apple has done an heroic job of making Snow Leopard familiar but better. More secure. Faster. Delightful in little ways.

• Jon Fingas, MacNN:

Despite what some detractors might say, it’s not just a glorified patch: there are many noticeable, albeit not dramatic, improvements for the better. Not to mention that many of the architectural changes are deep enough that a patch very likely wouldn’t have been realistic. It’s easily worth what Apple is charging.

Under the hood

If you’ve come this far into this blog post, you’ve probably have heard about one of the most touted new features in Snow Leopard: 64-bit computing. I won’t pretend that I know anything about 64-bit this and 64-bit that. All I know is that it’s supposed to make things more spiffy (or is it spiffier?). If you want to learn more about Snow Leopard’s 64-bitness, you can start by visiting Apple’s page about 64-bit computing which can give you a general understanding about the idea. For additional information, read John F. Braun’s Mac OS X is 64-bit, Again and Jason Snell’s Inside Snow Leopard’s under-the-hood additions.

You say gigabyte and I say gibibyte

One subtle change in the new operating system that is also generating some minor controversy (which for the life of me, I don’t understand why), is the the change the way Snow Leopard reports file sizes. Jason Snell once again steps up to the plate and explains the difference between Leopard’s gigabyte and Snow Leopard’s gigabyte. The change has something to do with the ambiguity of how kilobyte, megabyte and gigabyte have been defined for the longest time. Refresher: kilo = 10, mega = 1,000, and giga = 1,000,000. For some, 1 gigabyte (GB) is not 1,000 megabytes (MB); it’s 1,024 megabytes (MB) (or 1024^2 bytes). You can check that out for yourself by selecting your hard drive (if you’re not running Snow Leopard yet, that is) and Get Info it or just press command + i.

To make a long story short, some people got fed up with the confusion, a commission said enough is enough and endorsed that 1 GB should mean 1,000,000,000 bytes. For purists, they’ve been chucked the term “gibibyte” to mean 1,024^3 bytes.

Tiger to Snow Leopard

Based on the technical specifications page for Snow Leopard, if you’re upgrading from Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Apple advises you to purchase the ₱9,490 Mac Box Set. The Mac Box Set includes Mac OS X 10.6, iLife ’09 and iWork ’09. The question is do you really need to shell out that much cash to upgrade to Snow Leopard?

Apparently not.

According to Walt Mossberg in his Snow Leopard review:

“Apple concedes that the $29 Snow Leopard upgrade will work properly on these Tiger-equipped Macs, so you can save the extra $140.”

AppleInsider ran an article that said Wired has confirmed that it is possible to upgrade to Snow Leopard straight from Tiger. Not only that; it is also possible to completely erase your hard drive and then install Snow Leopard using the upgrade disc without any prior OS in the hard drive. That used to be not case.

So, for Tiger users looking forward to upgrade to the leaner, more nimble cat, they can save ₱7,800 pesos by getting the single-license Snow Leopard upgrade disc for only ₱1,690.

There is a debate, however, whether or not this constitutes cheating. Some have said that if you are going to use this method to upgrade, you might be violating Apple’s End-user License Agreement. I guess as long as Apple doesn’t issue a statement condemning this practice or doesn’t block Tiger users from going down this path, then Tiger users can upgrade away.

So that’s it for now. Thanks for sticking with me. I’m sure that in the following weeks we’ll be getting more news, reviews and reports about this new feline. Besides, my copy’s arriving this Wednesday and I have two Macs that needs some OS upgrading.

If you want a more in depth coverage of Snow Leopard, check out Macworld’s Snow Leopard: Complete Coverage page.

Related posts:

1. Upgrade from Tiger to Snow Leopard on the cheap
2. Snow Leopard goes gold, now ready for manufacturing [u]
3. How to upgrade from Tiger to Snow Leopard
4. Snow Leopard pre-order takes top two spots in Amazon list
5. Snow Leopard Up-to-Date Program: upgrade to Mac OS X 10.6 for only ₱590