Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar [Old Version]

With iChat, the AOL-compatible instant messenger, you can chat with your AOL and Mac.com buddies through a fun, easy-to-use interface. Sherlock 3, the new Web search tool, delivers stock quotes, maps, restaurants, and more without a browser. QuickTime 6 supports MPEG-4, the new worldwide standard for playing and viewing pro-quality audio and video over the Internet. This new version also includes Rendezvous, a revolutionary networking technology that lets you link computers and devices instantly without any configuration.

Another cool new feature is Inkwell, which lets you write on a graphics tablet, and Jaguar turns your handwriting into typed text at the cursor in any application. And with new compatibility built into Mac OS X 10.2, sharing files, using Windows documents, and connecting to a Windows network have never been easier. And it easily runs Microsoft Office. For business users, Jaguar comes with Active Directory interoperability, and with a PPTP-based VPN (virtual private network) client that allows Mac users to connect remotely to Windows corporate networks.

Jaguar's complete suite of professional-quality developer tools now features GCC 3.1, which radically improves C++ build times and standards compliance. The updated Interface Builder makes it easier to group, lock, and drag Aqua controls between windows for rapid user-interface creation. And, perhaps best of all, these professional tools are still included with every copy of Jaguar, empowering Java, C, and AppleScript Studio developers to do their best work on the Macintosh platform.

Product Description
Referred to by its code name, Jaguar, Mac OS X 10.2 contains more than 150 new features and provides significant enhancements to its modern, Unix-based foundation. From AOL-compatible instant messaging to advanced junk mail filtering and a revolutionary Web search tool, Jaguar is as innovative as the computers that run it. With iChat, the AOL-compatible instant messenger, you can chat with your AOL and Mac.com buddies through a fun, easy-to-use interface. Sherlock 3, the new Web search tool, delivers stock quotes, maps, restaurants, and more without a browser. QuickTime 6 supports MPEG-4, the new worldwide standard for playing and viewing pro-quality audio and video over the Internet. This new version also includes Rendezvous, a revolutionary networking technology that lets you link computers and devices instantly without any configuration. Another cool new feature is Inkwell, which lets you write on a graphics tablet, and Jaguar turns your handwriting into typed text at the cursor in any application. And with new compatibility built into Mac OS X 10.2, sharing files, using Windows documents, and connecting to a Windows network have never been easier. And it easily runs Microsoft Office. For business users, Jaguar comes with Active Directory interoperability, and with a PPTP-based VPN (virtual private network) client that allows Mac users to connect remotely to Windows corporate networks. Jaguar's complete suite of professional-quality developer tools now features GCC 3.1, which radically improves C++ build times and standards compliance. The updated Interface Builder makes it easier to group, lock, and drag Aqua controls between windows for rapid user-interface creation. And, perhaps best of all, these professional tools are still included with every copy of Jaguar, empowering Java, C, and AppleScript Studio developers to do their best work on the Macintosh platform.

Cons:
- Internet Explorer is embarrassingly buggy and limited (upcoming Internet Explorer 6.0 should remedy most of its shortcomings)
- Limited customization (e.g., mouse pointer, color, limited number of "themes")
- Still buggy (I found several iChat, Finder, and Mail bugs after weeks of use; soon-to-be-released 10.2.1 free patch should fix most of these)
- Incompatibility with some 10.1 applications
- Skimpy manual
- Slow help engine
- Some free iApps or applets need more features (i.e., you cannot edit photos with iPhotos)

I've switched to Mac platform nearly a year ago, courtesy of Apple PowerBook G4 667 MHz (Gigabit) and Mac OS X 10.1. I've been computing under Microsoft platform for over 17 years, starting with PC-DOS 3.1 in 1995, Windows 2.0 in 1987, and continuing with most iteration of Windows ever since. I've also used various flavors of UNIX (Solaris, AIX, Linux), but mostly for academic and professional reasons.

For an OS only 3 years of age, the Mac OS X is surprisingly mature and complete. For most number of users (including Windows "switchers"), Mac OS X is highly capable. Just throw in few productivity applications (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office v.X, Quicken) and download some freeware (e.g., Mozilla), you have nearly full-featured system.

Dare I say it? The Mac OS X is the best client operating system there is. Yes, it is not YET as polished and matured as older systems such Windows XP and Mac OS Classic, but on the plus side, it has little or none of the "old operating system" baggage. Mac OS Classic compatibility box is kept separate (so much that it no longer comes bundled with OS X), with modern Cocoa and traditional Carbon APIs to attract large number of developers (there are now more developers writing Mac software than ever before).

Although OS X takes a lot longer to boot than Windows XP, its rock solid foundation makes it a moot advantage. I've experienced some crashes under 10.1, but none with 10.2. My PowerBook frequently felt sluggish under 10.1, but with 10.2, it is quite speedy (still not as fast as my IBM ThinkPad with 1.6 GHz Pentium 4-m processor, however).

I highly recommend OS X to power users willing to explore new OS, students (particularly graphics and engineering students), or basic users looking for stable and easy to use platform.


Recent upgrade was well worth it.   January 30, 2003
Michael A. Brown (Salt Lake City, UT USA)
39 out of 43 found this review helpful

I've been working with OS X for several months now. MY resistance to upgrading to Jaguar (OS X.2) was based primarily on the fact that I bought a new iMac last year and didn't want to shell out more money for the new OS. Finally, I gave in. And it was worth the time and effort.

Jaguar has a cleaner, faster interface to work in. Start-up is much faster. It's a more stable system than OS X (which is saying something, because OS X was already the most stable Mac OS).

The Mail client is also improved immensely over the previous version.

Jaguar includes iChat (instant messaging software), Mail, Address Book, and downloads are available for iSync (basically allows you to port your info from home to work and back seamlessly), iCal (scheduling software), and the new Safari web browser. (A warning though, at this writing Safari is still in Beta testing and definitely needs refining before going live.)

Put this together with the iLife software package (iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD), and you've got yourself one great computer system.

As usual, Apple is letting third parties write their manuals. You'll have to buy those separately if you want them. However, this time they've included an interactive "Getting Started" CD which will get the novice up and running in Jaguar without too much stress.


Apple delivers on the promise of OS X   July 27, 2002
34 out of 44 found this review helpful

10.2 is not so much an update, as it is an entirely a new OS. There are so many changes, some big, some small, but all are welcome. From interface changes, nice features and overall improvements in speed, this is what you have been waiting for. Great apps like iChat, Sherlock 3, great features like internet sharing, CUPS printing with support for thousands of printers and Quicktime 6, with MPEG-4 support. Don't forget Rendevous for networking that just works and Inkwell handwriting recognition. The address book is brilliant, as is Mail and the spam filters. Like all the other Apple features, they aren't just easy; they work. There is also expanded Audio(MIDI) support, GCC 3.1, a much improved Preview and so many more features than I can list here.

There is so much in Jaguar, there is something that will appeal to everyone. This is a mature release of OS X and while it has a many features for 'serious' computer users, it is also, fun and a joy to use.

Do yourself a favor and buy Jaguar. At the very least, drop in on an Apple store and use it, but bring your wallet; if you use it, you'll be buying it.


STRONG AND RESILIENT   November 8, 2002
reviewer (Zurich, Switzerland.)
34 out of 38 found this review helpful

Apple has made a huge leap with this "Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar". The several components, (as well as the respective features contained in them), are well-integrated and stable. I am particularly thrilled by the ease with which its 'Rendezvous' linked my device to other devices, without requiring any sort of configuration. All other components work just as fine.
Like the big cat it was named after, this OS waxes strong. It is resilient too!


The Undisputed Leader.   August 16, 2002
Maine Writer (Maine, USA)
23 out of 26 found this review helpful

When Mac OS X was first launched last year, it was a work in process. Facing increasing pressure to get "something" out the door, and having gone through several failed attempts to unleash a modern operating system to replace the aging, original Macintosh operating system, Apple threw OS X (10.0) at dedicated Mac users as, essentially, a pay-to-play beta test. Why, you might ask, would Mac users pay to play with a not-yet-ready for primetime OS? I suppose you should ask Windows users the same question. At lease Apple was kind enough to tell people that 10.0 was not for everyone and was going to be revised substantially.

Then came 10.1 (now at version 10.1.5). It improved the speed and features of 10.0 and made it ready for universal adoption.

OS X 10.2 completes the cycle. OS X has now been optimized. It's fast, elegant, and groundbreaking. It has been radically improved to work seamlessly with Windows computers and Windows networks. It has built in, easy to use Bluetooth support. Over all, it has about 150 additions and improvements. There is no doubt that it is now the most sophisticated, stable, and appealling operating system out there. With its UNIX core, it appeals to techies, too.

A great OS just got greater. Much greater.