Because all new Macs come with 64-bit multicore processors, multiple GBs of RAM, and high-powered graphics processing units, all the major applications in Snow Leopard-including the Finder-have been rewritten in 64-bit to take full advantage of the hardware. We had no need of any special drivers during our tests.Īpple says a few new technologies in Snow Leopard make it worthy of the upgrade alone, with several features that Apple says will boost performance. According to Apple, Snow Leopard will locate any missing drivers on the Web for you. We're happy with that answer, as long as people still get the option in some form.Īpple also claims that Snow Leopard uses 7GB less space than Leopard because of better file compression paired with selective driver inclusion. Apple explained to us that not everyone knows what a clean install is and often chose it, not knowing that they would lose their files. Those who want to do a 'Clean Install' (starting fresh by deleting everything for minimal conflicts) still can, but unlike installations in previous versions of previous Mac OS X that offered the clean install as a primary option, you'll need to use Disk Utility to first erase the volume, then run the install. PowerPC Macs are no longer supported with Snow Leopard, however you will need an Intel-based Mac to install the latest Mac OS. On our second try, the OS installed perfectly on our test machine and no files were harmed. Fortunately the new installer is designed for safely reinstalling the OS in the event you encounter any hiccups during your initial installation. Mostly we had no problems, but on one test machine we needed to reinstall the OS when it had trouble rebooting. The default setting installs Snow Leopard without tampering with any of your saved files, music, photos, or documents. On our test machine, the process took about an hour, including two automatic restarts. Installation of Snow Leopard is dead simple and (according to Apple) up to 45 percent faster than Leopard using a newly designed installer that asks only one question during the process. Unfortunately, for those on PowerPC systems, Snow Leopard only works with Intel Macs.

Snow Leopard is offered on a single install disk-there are no separate, tiered pricing structures to worry about-and you're getting every feature and technical enhancement available in a single install. Finally you will be able to connect with Exchange Servers (without using Microsoft's Entourage), but only if your company is using Microsoft Exchange 2007 many still aren't.

The user interface and everyday tasks feel faster in general, although we didn't notice a substantive improvement in application performance.Įven if you're not a current Leopard user, the $169 package that includes Snow Leopard, iLife, and iWork is a steal for the system upgrade and two of Apple's major software suites, not to mention the long-pined-after inclusion of Microsoft Exchange compatibility. Hidden among smaller tweaks are some technical improvements that result in a smoother, easier-to-use Leopard with plenty for Mac fans to be excited about. Apple is careful to point out that Snow Leopard isn't a complete system overhaul, but rather a collection of hundreds of smaller refinements to make Leopard run more gracefully. Sneaking in a few days before its promised September release, the tune-up for Mac OS X Leopard costs $29 for current Leopard users, and packs just enough punch to be worth your money.

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