Mac OS X version 10.1.x

Note: This document has been significantly revised since it was first published as a news article in September, 2001. The original article is here.

Mac OS X version 10.1, released on September 25, 2001, is the latest version of Apple’s flagship operating system. Mac OS X version 10.1 is the first significant update to the original version of Mac OS X.

Information Systems & Computing (ISC) supports Mac OS X version 10.1 for its clients, including off-campus students. ISC recommends Mac OS X version 10.1 for PowerPC G3s or above that have at least 128 megabytes of RAM. Please refer to ISC's Mac OS System Specifications to find out which versions of the Mac OS are recommended for your Macintosh computer. The full install of Mac OS X version 10.1 uses between 300 megabytes and 1.5 gigabytes of hard disk space, depending on the type of Macintosh and choices made during the install.

Please note that ISC testing with very early 'beige' G3 desktops and towers (manufactured from November 1997 to December 1998) and with the original G3 PowerBook (manufactured from November 1997 to March 1998) shows that they are unlikely to function correctly under any version of Mac OS X, even if they meet the system requirements above. In particular, non-standard components such as internal SCSI drives will likely lead to a condition where a 'beige' G3 desktop will not boot under Mac OS X.

Mac OS X version 10.1 includes a Classic Environment for running applications that are not native to Mac OS X. This environment, which is based on Mac OS 9.2.x, is an impressive technical achievement but is not suitable for heavy use and presents its own technical issues.

Issues

There are a number of known issues with Mac OS X version 10.1, several of which are especially relevant to Penn’s Macintosh users:

• The PennConnect 2001 CD-ROM runs, with these important provisos;
• The Macromedia Director-based front end does not autoplay. It can, however, be run manually in the Classic Environment.
• Fetch 4.0 is incompatible with Mac OS X version 10.1. ISC suggests Fetch 4.0.2.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0, Norton AntiVirus 7.0.2, and Qualcomm Eudora 5.1 (beta) run natively.
• databeast dataComet 5.0.1, Netscape Communicator 4.77, and NewsWatcher 2.2.2, will only run in the Classic Environment.
• In workstations that have been upgraded from Mac OS X version 10.0.x to Mac OS X version 10.1, some previous applications that are in the dock may lose their icons and replace these icons with a question mark.

How to get it

An upgrade version of Mac OS X version 10.1 (one CD-ROM; upgrade to Mac OS X version 10.1), which requires a previous installation of Mac OS X, is available at no charge from the Computer Connection.

What's new in Mac OS X version 10.1

Mac OS X version 10.1 is significantly faster in many areas. Applications launch faster, Finder windows are more responsive, and OpenGL is 20% faster (with full support for advanced video cards).

Mac OS X version 10.1 includes the final release version of Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.1, which includes full Java 2 support.

Authoring is now possible for both data and music CD-ROMs and for DVD-ROMs (using iDVD 2, which will ship in November). Mac OS X version 10.1 also supports DVD playback.

Mac OS X version 10.1 features a Classic Environment for running applications that are not native to Mac OS X. This environment runs a modified version of Mac OS 9.2.x.

Mac OS X version 10.1 includes significantly improved language support.

Mac OS X version 10.1 includes enhanced AppleScript support and better support for printers, including over 200 PostScript printer description files and improved support for USB printers.

- John Mulhern III, Senior IT Project Leader, ISC Technology Support Services