With Mac OS X 10.4, codenamed "Tiger," Apple makes the most significant usability enhancements since the launch of OS X four years ago. Every release added some features and improved performance, but none were what I consider a user-experience-altering update. For me, updates were required to try out new applications; otherwise I’d probably still be using 10.1. With Tiger, the enhancements are significant and will change the way you use your Mac.
Experience Changing
Tiger comes with over 200 new features, with most of them being enhancements to capabilities already found in previous versions. Things like a birthday calendar in iCal and more supported formats in Preview are welcome additions, but hardly enough to justify a full dot release. But Apple doesn’t just send you home with a $129 worth of minor updates; Tiger comes with significant new features that makes 10.4 absolutely worth the money.
The big three:
• Spotlight – automatically indexes everything on your computer including the file name and contents. Everything from images to calendar entries to email are indexed. Click the magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner, enter search words, and Spotlight displays everything containing the word. Spotlight works amazingly fast even with a sub-gigahertz system; in only a few days, I was relying on it to find documents and even applications. Third-party applications like LaunchBar offer similar functionality for $20, but I prefer the subtle integration Spotlight provides.
• Dashboard – Hit F12 and the Dashboard comes to life. Using a series of small applications that Apple calls widgets, you’ll have access to frequently used tools like a calculator, calendar, or basic controls for iTunes among others. The real power of Dashboard comes from widgets that provide information from online sources like weather, stocks, or flight tracking. Tiger includes 14 widgets with additional ones available for download. There are online sources and other applications that accomplish the same tasks as the widgets, but the Dashboard is instantaneous at the touch of a single key. For quick information, I’m addicted.
• Automator – There are some tasks that are so mundane like renaming groups of file, resizing a batch of pictures, and even importing images into iPhoto. Automator uses system-wide macros that lets you string together a series of commands to automate a task. Let’s say you regularly email photos to family members. With Automater, you’ll only need to select the photo, control-click and select your programmed "Workflow." Configure it to attach and send the photo to a predefined group.
Apple smartly has opened up Spotlight, Dashboard, and Automator to third-party developers. Already, several plug-ins are available to add capability to Tiger through these three core features.
A Couple More Things
Beyond usability updates, Tiger also gets new features to keep you connected to the outside world. Here are two noteworthy ones:
• Really Simple Syndication (RSS) – RSS finds its way into Tiger from two different angles. For those unfamiliar, RSS consolidates news stories into a summarized format for quick scanning. Apple’s Safari 2.0 browser automatically marks an RSS icon on any site providing a feed. Click the icon to see just the highlights of the day from a single source or let Safari consolidate news from numerous sites onto one page. The most unique implementation of RSS is found in a screensaver where RSS items orbit smoothly around the screen. Hit the corresponding number key to go to the Web for the article.
• iChat AV 3 – iChat now supports H.264, a new MPEG-4 standard for better video quality and improved bandwidth efficiency. You’ll now be able to simultaneously have audio chats with 10 of your closest friends or video chat with three. With three video chats, participants are displayed in a trifold, 3-D view that can only be described as cool. Video and audio quality will vary depending on the speed of your internet connection.
The Bottom Line
Overall, I’d say that Mac OS X 10.4/Tiger is a winner all around. With Spotlight alone, I find the entire operating system far more user-friendly. My dock isn’t stuffed full of applications, and I just avoid digging for them with Finder. By disseminating the flood of information that is the Web into bite-sized chunks, I’m already addicted to RSS and Dashboard. While the $129 upgrade is absolutely worth the investment, just make sure your applications, especially ones that aren’t considered mainstream, are supported before you upgrade.
Company: Apple (www.apple.com)
Price: $129
Available: April 29, 2005 at 6 p.m.
