Operating Systems » Mac OS X

In depth: Hands on with Apple's new OS X, Mountain Lion

Apple updates its iOS mobile operating system once a year. But why should the iPhone and iPad have all the fun? Apple has announced that it will release a new version of OS X—Mountain Lion—this summer, just a year after the release of OS X Lion.

By Jason Snell | 17 February, 2012 01:38

Tags: Apple, Mac OS, operating systems, software

Why IT won't like Mac OS X Lion Server

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Server adds innovative features and a new low price tag, but cuts in services and the elimination of advanced GUI administration tools may force some enterprise departments to think twice about the role of Mac servers on their networks.

By John Rizzo | 25 July, 2011 23:40

Tags: Apple, applications, Mac OS X, management, Microsoft, networking, Network management, operating systems, software

Massive Mac OS X update shatters illusion of security

Perhaps you've heard that the Apple Mac OS X operating system is simply more secure by design and not prone to the security flaws and vulnerabilities that plague the dominant Microsoft Windows operating system? Well, don't believe the hype. Apple unleashed an update for Mac OS X this week which fixes a massive 134 vulnerabilities.

By Tony Bradley | 12 November, 2010 02:15

Tags: Apple, Mac OS, Mac OS X, malware, online security, operating systems, security, software

Apple's iPhone now one-third the market share of desktop Linux

According to recent market share data, Apple's iPhone is now being used to access the Internet a third as much as desktop Linux.

By Rodney Gedda | 13 October, 2009 04:03

Tags: desktop linux, iPhone, Linux, market research, market share, operating systems, web browsers

Snow Leopard upgrade barely noticeable, but OK

With 3/5ths of a family pack installed, Apple's Snow Leopard has not changed my family's lives. In fact, if you didn't know Snow Leopard was on-board, you might not notice.

By David Coursey | 01 September, 2009 00:46

Tags: snow leopard

Upgrading to Apple's Snow Leopard OS: What you need to know

In building Snow Leopard, the latest version of Mac OS X (version 10.6), Apple focused more on under-the-hood improvements to boost speed and stability than on adding new features. That contrasts with its predecessor, Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5), which added more than 300 new features when it was released two years ago.

By Ryan Faas | 28 August, 2009 05:12

Tags: Mac OS X, snow leopard

Mac management for Windows IT folks

One of IT's key roles is client management, which is all about defining or controlling many aspects of how users' computers function. This can include restricting access to specific applications or Web sites, configuring auto-update policies, securing various parts of the file system and setting various display preferences or log-in scripts. This is all done with an eye to easing PC setup and deployment, increasing security and ensuring compliance with internal policies or legal regulations.

By Ryan Faas | 04 March, 2009 08:46

Tags: mac management

Don't wait for Snow Leopard: Slim down, speed up a Mac now

Apple hasn't done much talking about Snow Leopard, the next-generation update to Mac OS X that's due to be released in 2009 (possibly within the first quarter of the year). But in what came as a surprise to many, the company has said that the new operating system will contain a limited number of new features.

By Ryan Faas | 11 December, 2008 08:28

Tags: Mac OS X, snow leopard

New MacBook Air, now with extra SSD goodness

I really like Apple's newly revamped MacBook Air, which got extensive under-the-hood updates last month. And I really, really like the apparent speed boost offered by the larger solid-state drive (SSD) in the Air I've been testing for the past week.

By Ken Mingis | 26 November, 2008 09:36

Tags: macbook air

Why developers prefer Macs

When Terry Weaver wants to create .Net applications, he fires up Visual Studio and types away like any other .Net programmer. The setup gets a bit weird when he wants to test how the .Net application might appear to a Mac user visiting the Web site. Instead of starting up another machine, asking a colleague with a Mac, or simply ignoring those crazy followers of Steve Jobs, Weaver just pops over to the browser in another window. That's easy because Visual Studio is running on Windows inside a Parallels virtual machine, which, in turn, runs on his Mac. He has a PC, a Mac, and a Unix development box all in one.

By Peter Wayner | 18 November, 2008 09:34

Tags: Mac

10 essential tasks to keep Leopard purring

One of the big selling points for Mac OS X Leopard is that it is a stable operating system that is not prone to crashes, freezes, corrupted or fragmented hard drives, viruses and spyware, or the seemingly inexplicable performance losses typically associated with Windows. Overall, Leopard lives up to its reputation of simply working, without the need for a litany of maintenance routines and utilities to keep it going.

By Ryan Faas | 15 October, 2008 07:49

Tags: apple leopard

Will Apple ever fully liberalize Mac OS X virtualization?

Over the past two years, running Windows and Windows apps virtually on Apple hardware has become a popular way for consumers to dump their PCs in favor of Mac gear.

By Eric Lai | 17 September, 2008 09:06

Tags: Mac OS X

Get Leopard and Windows to play nice

One of the major selling points for Macs and Mac OS X Leopard these days is their ability to work well in a largely Windows world. Apple offers two ways to accomplish this task: Leopard's ability to share files and printers with Windows machines, and the ability of Intel-based Macs to run Windows using either Boot Camp (which is included free as part of Leopard) or third-party virtualization tools.

By Ryan Faas | 11 September, 2008 09:42

Tags: leopard, Windows

These Macs mean business

A group of companies that build products to ease the integration of Macs in the enterprise had been separately championing a heterogeneous IT environment where both Macs and Windows can co-exist. Combining those efforts into an umbrella organization seemed like a good idea.

Make Leopard leap: Time-saving tips for OS X 10.5

Whether you're writing a report, editing home movies and posting them to YouTube, or managing complex spreadsheets, you want to do it as quickly and easily as possible. But because we all develop our own habits for using a computer -- maybe somebody showed us how to do things a certain way or we've figured them out on our own through trial and error -- we don't always work in the most efficient or organized manner.

Mac (insecurity): How to secure Macs in business

Macs are immune from security threats, right? It's Windows we have to worry about. That water-cooler wisdom needs to be flipped on its head, security experts and IT managers warn. Microsoft has gotten its security act together with Vista and its current security-response program; meanwhile, Apple is fast becoming the company most in need of getting its security mojo going.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard: Apple's secret business weapon?

Judging from initial accounts, the next version of the Mac OS X, named Snow Leopard, will be aimed squarely at business and enterprise users, signaling a formal push by Apple to take Windows head on outside the consumer and education markets. "Apple is taking the Mac OS one step closer to the enterprise," says Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research.

Firefox 3 for Mac: Is it time to switch from Safari?

When I switched from a Windows PC to a Mac in 2006, I was very disappointed in my choice of Web browsers. As a confirmed Firefox user, I expected Mozilla's Mac browser to be a no-brainer. But after trying Firefox 1.5 and 2.0 for the Mac, I adopted Apple's Safari -- and haven't looked back. Now that Firefox 3.0 is out, though, is it finally the better choice for Mac OS X?

Leopard tamers: 9 terrific interface tweaks

When Apple shipped Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" in October, Macintosh users were divided about some of the interface changes Apple had made from prior Mac OS X releases. Chief among these love 'em or hate 'em changes were the newly translucent menu bar and the 3-D, shelf-like Dock, as well as the new Stacks feature, which, when you mouse over a folder in the Dock, displays the folder's contents as a column of icons or a rectangular grid.

Leopard at 6 months: Does it live up to the early hype?

It has been just over six months since Mac OS X "Leopard" first shipped, bringing with it a slew of new features, a tweaked user interface, revamped underpinnings and -- as is often the case -- a healthy batch of complaints from users about problems. At the time, some in the Macintosh community even argued that Apple's new operating system was released before it was ready for prime time.