Mac OS X 10.5.7 to improve Bluetooth compatibility, stability

[AppleInsider]

Although it appeared that Apple was close to wrapping up development of Mac OS X 10.5.7 late last week, a new pre-release distribution of the software was dropped on developers Wednesday afternoon with a handful of additional tweaks added to mix.

Most notably, Apple has included a new round of "Bluetooth compatibility and stability fixes" in the latest beta, labeled Mac OS X 10.5.7 build 9J56, according to people familiar with the software.

A number of recent Mac mini purchasers have complained about intermittent Bluetooth connection problems (1, 2) on their new systems, though similar problems are believed to be plaguing a variety of Macs, with one AppleInsider forum member recently noting that the issue extends back to his first-generation 13-inch MacBook.

Another fix in the latest build targets an issue with Personal File Sharing and AFP volumes not being properly recognized as Time Machine shares. However, the other three fixes were relatively minor, two of which add once-missing descriptive information to certain crash logs.

In total, Mac OS X 10.5.7 stands to deliver over 110 individual code-corrections spanning more than two dozen areas of the system. Earlier this month, Apple added Help Viewer to the list of key software components where beta testers should focus their testing efforts.

Though its believed that Mac OS X 10.5.7 remains close to release, Apple still notes that the software is incompatible with the public beta of Safari 4 -- the OS update's lone known issue. [ View this article at AppleInsider.com ] (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=11196)

[Fairly]

Slash Lane? SLASH LANE??! LOL OMG WTF These dumb names of yours are getting funnier by the day, Dilbert!

You can run but you can't hide!

Rather pathetic actually.

[jimdouglas]

I really hope they finally resolve the bluetooth issues in 10.5.7. Fairly frequently, my late 2008 MBP gets into a state where it insists that there is no bluetooth hardware installed, and attempting to look at bluetooth settings in system preferences causes a lockup that can only be resolved by rebooting.

[dagamer34]

There's no point in releasing 10.5.7 if it lacks compatibility with Safari 4. Unless the update is going to revert back to Safari 4 (something I sincerely doubt), Apple will have to wait until Safari works in 10.5.7 (it's likely a Safari issue anyway).

[solipsism]

I really hope they finally resolve the bluetooth issues in 10.5.7. Fairly frequently, my late 2008 MBP gets into a state where it insists that there is no bluetooth hardware installed, and attempting to look at bluetooth settings in system preferences causes a lockup that can only be resolved by rebooting.
Have you tried, in this order, seeing if this problem exists with other users, deleting the BT Plist file, reinstalling 10.5.6 or doing an Archive & Install?

There's no point in releasing 10.5.7 if it lacks compatibility with Safari 4. Unless the update is going to revert back to Safari 4 (something I sincerely doubt), Apple will have to wait until Safari works in 10.5.7 (it's likely a Safari issue anyway).
It won't come out until there is a new Safari 4 beta. You're right, it probably is a Safari issue and Safari 4 will be a separate DL, like it usually is.

[PG4G]

Safari 4 works on the betas - it always has. The issue is it won't actually install on the betas - whether Safari is responsible for this, or it's an installation issue with the actual installer package for the public beta hasn't been said.

Or it is wholely possible that Apple is just informing developers that the installations won't work on the betas, and Apple plans to allow it in the full release. Why they would do this I don't know exactly, but it's possible.

[Cubert]

I sense a new Safari 4 beta dropping soon. I'm sure if the compatibility could be added into 10.5.7 alone, it would have happened by now.

[MadisonTate]

There's no point in releasing 10.5.7 if it lacks compatibility with Safari 4. Unless the update is going to revert back to Safari 4 (something I sincerely doubt), Apple will have to wait until Safari works in 10.5.7 (it's likely a Safari issue anyway).

Don't be silly. It's because this will be the first 64-bit Flash and they need to synchronize the announcement with Adobe.

[jimdouglas]

Have you tried, in this order, seeing if this problem exists with other users, deleting the BT Plist file, reinstalling 10.5.6 or doing an Archive & Install?

My bluetooth issues showed up at same time that widely reported OS X bluetooth stability issues started being reported online. I very much doubt that anything I can do will fix it.

[>_>]

Still no Blu-ray support? -_-

Pathetic.

[solipsism]

Still no Blu-ray support? -_-

Pathetic.

You wouldn't get it until at least Snow Leopard, and even then there are plenty of reasons for Apple not to include it.

[Jdanek630]

the update will be out on Monday!
Is this a guestimate? Or do you know something that this article doesn't reveal?

[Jdanek630]

Is 10.5.7 likely to be the last update for Leopard?

[muzzypat]

I tried the Beta of Safari 4 and really liked it, but after using it a while found that there were some quirks with my Adobe applications. After doing a complete refreshing of my Mac, I went back to Safari 3 and all works well. I can't but think that Safari 4 has some big bugs. I liked its looks, but the price was too high. So I will be slow to adopt Safari 4. :embarrass

[Cubert]

Is 10.5.7 likely to be the last update for Leopard?

Uhhh...no.

[Cubert]

I tried the Beta of Safari 4 and really liked it, but after using it a while found that there were some quirks with my Adobe applications. After doing a complete refreshing of my Mac, I went back to Safari 3 and all works well. I can't but think that Safari 4 has some big bugs. I liked its looks, but the price was too high. So I will be slow to adopt Safari 4. :embarrass

It's a beta. That's to be expected. The final Safari 4.0 will be out sometime around the same time as Snow Leopard.

[PG4G]

ItalianKid,

Its a BETA - Apple have no responsibility to update you 24/7 with daily builds of Safari. You aren't forced to live with it like iPhone beta users are, because you can uninstall the beta with the included downgrade.

[mcarling]

Is 10.5.7 likely to be the last update for Leopard?

I expect 10.5.8 will probably be the last update for Leopard (other than security updates).

[GregAlexander]

There's no point in releasing 10.5.7 if it lacks compatibility with Safari 4.

I certainly hope that the Leopard developers are not wasting a second on making it compatible with a beta product.

On the other hand - the Safari beta developers should have long ago made sure that their current builds work fine with 10.5.7. They'll just have to release a new build to the public.

I expect 10.5.8 will probably be the last update for Leopard (other than security updates).

Snow Leopard is Intel only, and substantially improved under the hood - so it's good that it is supposed to look and feel reasonably similar to Leopard. It would be good to upgrade Leopard in parallel to Snow Leopard, and for longer than they have in the past, if they truly want to let people migrate in their own time.

There'll be people who update to Snow Leopard without having the right drivers etc for their machines, but at least this might minimise that.

[shadow]

There is no point for developers to test both 10.5.7 and Safari 4 at the same time. It will only ad to the headache when tracking bugs.

10.5.6 bugs are better known and documented, and it is easier to pinpoint what is a Safari introduced bug and what is an OS bug.

[GregAlexander]

There is no point for developers to test both 10.5.7 and Safari 4 at the same time. It will only ad to the headache when tracking bugs.

Are you saying it might be a DELIBERATE bug, to make sure that feedback is separated for the 2 products?

[kaiwai]

sad thing is over 5 weeks have passed and not one update to the beta. with major flaws to safari 4, Apple has lost the ball on this one.

As far as I remember the flaw also impacts on Safari 3.2.1 as well. I'd probably say that Safari 4 will be released which will include the fix to the security hole found in the PWN2OWN thingy that occurred a few months ago.

For some reason Apple doesn't provide periodic updates to their betas - I wish they did so that when Safari is released it isn't buggy and cash prone.

With that being said, I hope that Safari 4 will be 100% Acid3.

Worse comes to worse though, one can always hope that Chromium pulls through.

[jrandersoniii]

All Apple had to do was test it with web based emails before sending it out for beta testing. It doesn't work for email, making it useless to use and hence why I am upset. 90% of internet users use EMAIL of some sort. I am sure of this.


Huh!?!?!?

I use Safari daily with Gmail and Y! Mail. In addition, I login daily to my works Web Ap Exchange Server. No a single problem, beyond the increasingly crappy and slow Y! mail.

[Jdanek630]

A good guess.

Why next Monday? Its the last Monday before May. The update needs to be released before the new nVidia card that comes out for the Mac Pro.

Most of Mac updates to the OS happen on the Monday. Apple will not release it before then. LOL
They've thrown me off with the timeline for this update. 10.5.6 ended up getting released much sooner than I thought it would; and 10.5.7 has taken much longer to drop than I had expected. Oh well, I can wait, especially considering the fact that I have zero problems with 10.5.6... I'm not eager to 'update' a system that, from my operating perspective, does not need an 'update'. I look forward to any speed improvements or security enhancements it may offer though.

[mitchelljd]

Still no Blu-ray support? -_-

Pathetic.

You wouldn't get it until at least Snow Leopard, and even then there are plenty of reasons for Apple not to include it.

Sorry, but i think it is pathetic that Apple still is stonewalling proper Blu-Ray Support. They are intentionally blocking it at this point. They could license it for the OS, but they won't. Programming it would be the easy part. they need to offer it!!

they only reason why they don't is because they want to push Digital Downloads. which to me the entire thing is ridiculous, Blu-Ray shows Apple love because they support iTunes with Digital Copy, but Apple just doesn't reciprocate at all.

I and many others are delaying Apple Purchases until they support Blu-Ray, infact i need a computer, but i may switch to a Sony and use the Mac Dongle Hack, then install Mac OS X.

[solipsism]

Sorry, but i think it is pathetic that Apple still is stonewalling proper Blu-Ray Support. They are intentionally blocking it at this point. They could license it for the OS, but they won't. Programming it would be the easy part. they need to offer it!!

they only reason why they don't is because they want to push Digital Downloads. which to me the entire thing is ridiculous, Blu-Ray shows Apple love because they support iTunes with Digital Copy, but Apple just doesn't reciprocate at all.

I and many others are delaying Apple Purchases until they support Blu-Ray, infact i need a computer, but i may switch to a Sony and use the Mac Dongle Hack, then install Mac OS X.

The only machines that could have internal Blu-ray drives are the Mac Pros, every other Mac would have to have an external drive. But Apple doesn't have to add the drives to their lineup, just add the HDCP support through the OS so you and other cans buy your own 3rd-party BRDs.

I wouldn't say it's pathetic, but it is a business decision. I don't disagree with Apple not adding Blu-ray drives but I do disagree with them not adding full HDCP support in the OS.

If by Mac Dongle hack you mean, EFI-X, you have to see what motherboards they support. The number is growing but it's still very small.

[xgman]

I can just use Firefox if Safari isb't ready anyway. Release it!!!

[bkorte]

I've been having graphic card issues with my unibody 15" (freezing, image distortion, etc) MBP, an support rep told me to wait until 10.5.7 comes out... since this problem is very serious and happens every day, it has to be soon...

[rob_06]

Quite possibly tomorrow we will see 10.5.7 as X11 2.3.3 update requires it to be installed first.

[rob_06]

x11 2.3.3 is up on versiontracker now and states the it requires 10.5.7 tobe installed for it use

[u2mr2os2]

I don't know exactly what the Bluetooth issues are, but I've had issues going back years across every Mac I've had and multiple versions of OS X. I especially have trouble with headsets either not working, working partially or crashing the system. The Mighty Mouse also gives frequent trouble by being jittery each time a new BT peripheral makes a connection. I also have the BT keyboard drop connection only to instantly reconnect. It will also sometimes double or triple the characters typed.

[jwalter84]

A number of recent Mac mini purchasers have complained about intermittent Bluetooth connection problems (1, 2) on their new systems, though similar problems are believed to be plaguing a variety of Macs, with one AppleInsider forum member recently noting that the issue extends back to his first-generation 13-inch MacBook.

Had this on my first-gen Macbook. After logic board and bluetooth board replacements, the problem was still there. I noticed the bluetooth cable ran directly alongside the heatsink, rerouted the wire to avoid the intense heat, and haven't had problems with it since.

[keithorbit]

I hope it support safari 4.

[R. Kevin Hill]

All Apple had to do was test it with web based emails before sending it out for beta testing. It doesn't work for email, making it useless to use and hence why I am upset. 90% of internet users use EMAIL of some sort. I am sure of this.

The fix is to *type* in the *secure* URL "https://" so that you don't trigger the redirect script (which seems o go into endless loop or something). You should have no problems after that.

[Oh-es-Ten]

My sources are saying now that it is more than likely going to be up to two more weeks before this drops, as 9J56 is not the final version - due to ATi video drivers. Sorry folks!

[adisor19]

My sources are saying now that it is more than likely going to be up to two more weeks before this drops, as 9J56 is not the final version - due to ATi video drivers. Sorry folks!

Ah damn.. so close :s
How good are your sources ?

Adi

[plankton]

"up to 2 more weeks ..." could be a day, or 14 days, which doesn't mean much at all.
netkas.org is showing an ATi 4870 on a 10.5.7 install but comments are closed until 10.5.7 drops.

[Eluard]

Thanks Oh-Ess-Ten. I have never seen a point update delayed like this. Testing seems to have gone on forever.

[kim kap sol]

Thanks Oh-Ess-Ten. I have never seen a point update delayed like this. Testing seems to have gone on forever.

Perhaps 10.5.7, codenamed Juno, will take 9 months to plop out of Cupertino.

[kaiwai]

Sorry, but i think it is pathetic that Apple still is stonewalling proper Blu-Ray Support. They are intentionally blocking it at this point. They could license it for the OS, but they won't. Programming it would be the easy part. they need to offer it!!

they only reason why they don't is because they want to push Digital Downloads. which to me the entire thing is ridiculous, Blu-Ray shows Apple love because they support iTunes with Digital Copy, but Apple just doesn't reciprocate at all.

I and many others are delaying Apple Purchases until they support Blu-Ray, infact i need a computer, but i may switch to a Sony and use the Mac Dongle Hack, then install Mac OS X.


And thus you ignore what is required in the operating system for BluRay functionality - so you're asking for Mac OS X to turn into the horrible thing that Windows Vista turned into thanks to 'secure path' and other wonderful goodness courtesy of 'Big Media'(tm)?

Btw, how on earth can you gain anything by buying a Sony laptop with BluRay, install Mac OS X using a dogle - knowing full well that BluRay movies won't be supported. If you want BluRay - purchase and external drive from OWC.

[Oh-es-Ten]

Ah damn.. so close :s
How good are your sources ?

Adi

Been fairly reliable in the past with timeframes. I think more than likely we are looking at closer to 14 days, rather the 1 day mentioned - however this is Apple, and anything is possible!

However it now has become apparent that 10.5.7 has other things under the hood too - Notes Synching to iPhone (Beta 3.0) is only supported with iTunes 8.2 and 10.5.7 it seems...

[DocHollywood]

Hi!

Is anybody of you a external developer of Mac OS X 10.5.7. I would like to know if two annoying isssues with MobileMe and Mac OS X Mail existing in 10.5.6 have been fixed in 10.5.7. I would be chuffed about a response.

DocHollywood

[HamburgerJung]

My 1st generation MacBook is also randomly losing Bluetooth connectivity for hours, which I only discovered recently, when I purchased a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. I have tried every trick in the book (that is, every trick that I could find on the web), to no avail. I tended to think that this was a hardware problem as the log file pointed to a corrupt USB port, on which the Bluetooth connector is supposedly located.

Now I am curious to see if 10.5.7 fixes that problem. Doesn't matter anymore anyway, as I will be picking up my new MacBook Pro this afternoon ;)

[trillionandone]

My 1st generation MacBook is also randomly losing Bluetooth connectivity for hours, which I only discovered recently, when I purchased a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. I have tried every trick in the book (that is, every trick that I could find on the web), to no avail. I tended to think that this was a hardware problem as the log file pointed to a corrupt USB port, on which the Bluetooth connector is supposedly located.

Now I am curious to see if 10.5.7 fixes that problem. Doesn't matter anymore anyway, as I will be picking up my new MacBook Pro this afternoon ;)

For what it's worth, I've found OSX's built in bluetooth to be problematic across all of the 9 MacBook Pros and 2 MacBook Airs I've used over the years.

Hoping for the best (10.5.7 + iPhone 3.0), I had preemptively purchased 4 of the best A2DP stereo bluetooth headsets I could get my hands on. I've kept the Sony Ericsson HBH-DS205 because of the fantastic experience I'm having when using them with Vista machines and mobile phones.

Unfortunately, my otherwise flawless MacBook Air delivers terrible audio via A2DP and intermittently freaks out, freezing all bluetooth audio until I reboot.

The sad news is that 10.5.7 shows no improvement.

Over the years I've observed a range of limitations and quirks in the OSX bluetooth implementation that go beyond A2DP (stereo audio). I've also noted that using bluetooth will decrease the stability of weak wi-fi connection... making use of a bluetooth headset and simultaneous internet impossible throughout the upper floors of my house. I love the notebook esthetics, but isn't it possible to reduce radio interference through better placement of the antennas/chipsets?

Having great bluetooth experiences on other platforms and a consistently negative macbook+bluetooth experience, leads me to conclude that Apple needs to get moving on both hardware and software improvements.

Having tried a lot of gear over the years, the first really usable, well designed wireless stereo headsets are here. As mobile telephones are to fixed line telephones... the wireless revolution in personal audio is here. A simple pendant that provides stunning sound and a great microphone with all-day battery life makes the perfect audio interface to our computers, phones, ipods and even televisions.

Will Snow Leopard save my MacBook Air? Will this summer's round of iphones bring music to my wireless ears?

Time will tell. Sigh.