Mac OS X version 10.2 Jaguar

Mac OS X version 10.2 Jaguar, released on August 24, 2002, is the latest version of Apple’s flagship operating system. Mac OS X version 10.2 is the second significant update to Mac OS X.

Information Systems & Computing (ISC) will support Mac OS X version 10.2 for its clients, including off-campus students, only on new Macintoshes that ship with Mac OS X version 10.2 pre-installed. ISC strongly recommends that all other users adopt a "wait and see" approach, continuing to use previous versions of the Mac OS (including Mac OS X versions 10.1.4 and 10.1.5) until the initial bugs in Mac OS X version 10.2 are identified and fixed.

When ISC does recommend an upgrade, it will be for PowerPC G3s and PowerPC G4s 400 MHz or above that have at least 256 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 10.2 uses between 300 megabytes and 1.5 gigabytes of hard disk space, depending on the type of Macintosh and choices made during the install.

Issues

There are a number of known issues with Mac OS X version 10.2.x, several of which are especially relevant to Penn’s Macintosh users:

• Mac OS X version 10.2.x does not include any version of Mac OS 9, though it will function correctly with a previously installed version of Mac OS 9.


• ISC has released a Mac OS X version 10.2.x-specific Network Applications Installer.


• The PennConnect Fall 2002 CD-ROM runs, with these important provisos;
• The Network Applications Installer installs all applications successfully except for Kerberos for Macintosh 4.0 and Norton AntiVirus 8.0. Kerberos for Macintosh fails to install while Norton AntiVirus gives several error messages but completes the install - ISC suggests upgrading to Norton AntiVirus 8.0.4 (using LiveUpdate).


• Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0.5, Fetch 4.0.2, and Netscape 6.2.3 run natively.


• Qualcomm Eudora 5.1.3 runs natively, but does not work in Kerberos-enabled mode. Qualcomm and MIT are curently working on this issue.


• databeast dataComet Secure 5.0.5 and NewsWatcher 2.2.2, will only run in the Classic Environment.

How to get it

The full version of Mac OS X version 10.2 (three CD-ROMs; two installation discs, one developer tools disc), at approximately $70 for the CD-ROM, is available from the Computer Connection.

What's new in Mac OS X version 10.2

Mac OS X version 10.2 is significantly faster in many areas, especially in Macintoshes with PowerPC G4s and/or modern video cards. Applications launch faster and OpenGL is faster (with full support for advanced video cards using Quartz Extreme).

Mac OS X version 10.2 includes significant Finder enhancements, including the return of spring-loaded folders, more Finder viewing options, and a rewrite of the Finder that enables it to handle multi-threaded tasks.

Sherlock 3, the latest version of Sherlock, displays custom information in content-specific windows, so you can grasp the information you want quickly. Sherlock 3 retrieves and displays some of the most practical and useful information available on the internet, like general headlines, yellow pages listings and maps, and stock news.

The new version of Apple's Mail.app e-mail application supports Kerberos authentication and includes advanced junk mail filters.

Apple's Inkwell technology recognizes handwriting when writing on a graphics tablet. Jaguar turns the handwriting into typed text at the cursor in any application - no upgrades or application changes are necessary.

Universal Access in Mac OS X version 10.2 includes improved versions of technologies that aid seeing, hearing, and using the keyboard and mouse.

• For those with impaired vision, Mac OS X version 10.2 provides a range of options to help see what's on screen. The "Zoom" display option uses the Quartz rendering and compositing engine to magnify the screen display while making graphics and type smooth. The White on Black option gives displays higher contrast, allowing easier reading of text. Speech recognition can also be used to launch applications as well as to execute application commands instead of typing or mousing. The system will also speak alerts, selected text, and text underneath the mouse.


• Those with difficulty hearing can set the Mac to flash the screen instead of beeping an alert.


• Those with difficulty using the mouse can use the numeric keypad to move the cursor around the screen. Mac OS X version 10.2 also enable navigation of menus, the Dock, windows, toolbars, palettes, and other controls via the keyboard.


• Those with difficulty using a keyboard can choose to press modifier keys (command, option, control, shift) sequentially instead of pressing them at the same time. Mac OS X version 10.2 shows the keys on screen with a Quartz-based compositor, which allows viewing of whatever is beneath it, and can also beep when a modifier key is pressed.

Other enhancements in Mac OS X version 10.2 include a system-level address book that Mail.app (and future Apple and third-party applications) can read from and write to, and iChat, an instant messaging application that is AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)-compatible.

Finally, Mac OS X version 10.2 includes modern but previously released software, such as QuickTime 6.0, iTunes 3.0, and Internet Explorer 5.2.1.

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