New Tiger builds include Address Book sharing, PDF bookmarking, more
New builds of Apple's Mac OS X Tiger operating system are beginning to surface with dozens of previously unpublicized features.
The first external builds of Mac OS X Tiger to leave Cupertino in recent months are packing new features. Sources have already provided details on Jabber iChat support, parental controls, and RSS feed customization. Additional enhancements are said to include Address Book sharing, PDF bookmarking, and incremental Energy Saver settings.
Screenshots: Address Sharing; Address Backup; iTunes Screensaver
The latest developmental versions of Address Book--the centralized repository for contact information in Mac OS X--have revealed support for both sharing and backup of contacts. Through a new preference panel, users can add or send invites to other users, allowing them to view or edit contacts present in their address book. Likewise, the addition of a second preference panel will aid users in backing up their contact listings on a daily or weekly basis.
Screenshots: Preview; Security; iCal Groups; iCal Prefs
Tiger's version of Preview is another Mac OS X application that is reflecting significant changes. According to sources, the new version sports text annotation capabilities and PDF bookmarking. A text annotation tool will encapsulates PDF content in red ovals and let the user record comments, while a new Bookmarks application menu provides instant access to specific PDF document pages.
Screenshots: Energy Saver; Crash Dialog; Preview Tools
A revised version of Tiger's Energy Saver application now displays six new settings buttons, each capable of retaining its own set of customized power management preferences. Users may reportedly use the new feature to denote incremental energy saver preferences, ranging from "Better Battery Life" to "Better Performance."
Screenshots: Sharing Panel; Graphing Calculator 1; Graphing Calculator 2; Graphing Calculator 3
The latest builds of Mac OS X Tiger also include file sharing capabilities for host machines running off Dynamic DNS or Apple's Xsan Network file system. Meanwhile, additions to Tiger's "Screensavers" and "Security" preference panes have unveiled a new iTunes album art screensaver and an option to encrypt memory when its being swapped to disk, respectively.
Among several other noticeable additions, the new Tiger builds reveal a brand new Mac OS X Graphing Calculator application, iCal calendar groups, and an enhanced dialog that provides bug report and safe relaunch options following an unexpected application crash.
The first external builds of Mac OS X Tiger to leave Cupertino in recent months are packing new features. Sources have already provided details on Jabber iChat support, parental controls, and RSS feed customization. Additional enhancements are said to include Address Book sharing, PDF bookmarking, and incremental Energy Saver settings.
Screenshots: Address Sharing; Address Backup; iTunes Screensaver
The latest developmental versions of Address Book--the centralized repository for contact information in Mac OS X--have revealed support for both sharing and backup of contacts. Through a new preference panel, users can add or send invites to other users, allowing them to view or edit contacts present in their address book. Likewise, the addition of a second preference panel will aid users in backing up their contact listings on a daily or weekly basis.
Screenshots: Preview; Security; iCal Groups; iCal Prefs
Tiger's version of Preview is another Mac OS X application that is reflecting significant changes. According to sources, the new version sports text annotation capabilities and PDF bookmarking. A text annotation tool will encapsulates PDF content in red ovals and let the user record comments, while a new Bookmarks application menu provides instant access to specific PDF document pages.
Screenshots: Energy Saver; Crash Dialog; Preview Tools
A revised version of Tiger's Energy Saver application now displays six new settings buttons, each capable of retaining its own set of customized power management preferences. Users may reportedly use the new feature to denote incremental energy saver preferences, ranging from "Better Battery Life" to "Better Performance."
Screenshots: Sharing Panel; Graphing Calculator 1; Graphing Calculator 2; Graphing Calculator 3
The latest builds of Mac OS X Tiger also include file sharing capabilities for host machines running off Dynamic DNS or Apple's Xsan Network file system. Meanwhile, additions to Tiger's "Screensavers" and "Security" preference panes have unveiled a new iTunes album art screensaver and an option to encrypt memory when its being swapped to disk, respectively.
Among several other noticeable additions, the new Tiger builds reveal a brand new Mac OS X Graphing Calculator application, iCal calendar groups, and an enhanced dialog that provides bug report and safe relaunch options following an unexpected application crash.
Comments
The graphing calculator still looks rough around the edges...it's clear the toolbar icons are placeholders but it looks pretty sweet.
Originally posted by Eagleeye87
This looks really nice, especially the graphing calculator. Once I saw the pictures of the graphing calculator I knew they were familiar. It looks like Curvus Pro X, a graphing calculator produced by Arizona. After noticing this, I went to the website and discovered an interesting little tidbit. "On July 22, 2004 Curvus Pro X was bought by an international company and its distribution has been discontinued. It is therefore not possible any longer to download nor to buy any kind of registration license for this program." http://www.curvuspro.ch/osx/en/index.html As far as I figure Apple must have bought the rights to the program so that they could include it in Tiger. I am glad to see this as Curvus Pro X was a great graphing application.
Are some of the toolbar icons from the Curvus Pro X app? Like the blue Aqua toolset in the left part of the toolbar?
edit: heh...it's exactly Curvus Pro X but with the brushed-metal interface.
I guess this goes to show how bad software can be prior to adequate apple polish.
The real issue for me is that Apple continues to move forward with major steps in both software and hardware. All with "only" 2% of the market share.
Originally posted by kenaustus
This is looking more and more like Apple is going to deliver a very major upgrade to OS X. It's going to drive MS nuts that they are falling so far behind, especially when it comes to Spotlight. The graphing calculator will add some kick to students and some scientists.
The real issue for me is that Apple continues to move forward with major steps in both software and hardware. All with "only" 2% of the market share.
Amazing what a tiny little company with relatively no cash can accomplish compared to the behemoth with near-limitless resources in cash and human knowledge.
I keep hearing, from what I believe are ignorant people, that software developers working for Microsoft are geniuses and innovators...but I think we know who the real brains are working for.
Now waiting for Rendezvous...err...Open Talk...iCal calendar sharing.
Tiger looking more fun all the time.
This should take care of the problem.
Originally posted by kim kap sol
I don't know how I missed it but the memory swap encryption is excellent news. Some people have been complaining lately that some passwords could be found in the swap files.
This should take care of the problem.
But at what price? There has to be some performance impact here.
Now if iCal can incorporate the ability for invites to meetings and even some M$ Exchange support we could all be in business, plus it would further the push of making the mac a viable choice in the corporate environment.
my 2 cents
zen
Originally posted by mikef
But at what price? There has to be some performance impact here.
Not necessarily.
Hard drives are unbelievably slow relative to the rest of the computer — literally thousands to tens of thousands of times slower, depending on the part. The filesystem can get some encryption done during the hard drive's seek time, and it can do encrypt the next spoonful of data while the hard drive is busily writing out the last spoonful. All the time required to the work is buried in the time the computer spends waiting for the hard drive, and the user never notices a slowdown at all.
The filesystem can get some encryption done during the hard drive's seek time, and it can do encrypt the next spoonful of data while the hard drive is busily writing out the last spoonful. All the time required to the work is buried in the time the computer spends waiting for the hard drive, and the user never notices a slowdown at all.
Regardless of your explanation of how it might work, you cannot aruge that additional CPU cycles will be required to perform the encryption. Yes, today's CPUs are fast, however encryption is still an operation that requires CPU cycles.
Whether or not this peformance hit will be noticed by the end-user is another story, hence my asking "at what cost?".
Originally posted by Eagleeye87
This looks really nice, especially the graphing calculator. Once I saw the pictures of the graphing calculator I knew they were familiar. It looks like Curvus Pro X, a graphing calculator produced by Arizona. After noticing this, I went to the website and discovered an interesting little tidbit. "On July 22, 2004 Curvus Pro X was bought by an international company and its distribution has been discontinued. It is therefore not possible any longer to download nor to buy any kind of registration license for this program." http://www.curvuspro.ch/osx/en/index.html As far as I figure Apple must have bought the rights to the program so that they could include it in Tiger. I am glad to see this as Curvus Pro X was a great graphing application.
Interesting... the folks at PacidifcTech who developed the original graphing calculator shipped with Mac OS have for years said that they didn't plan on developing a Mac OS X native version... that running in Classic mode was good enough. Now suddenly they say they are testing one. Wonder if there is any connection...
Originally posted by mikef
Regardless of your explanation of how it might work, you cannot aruge that additional CPU cycles will be required to perform the encryption. Yes, today's CPUs are fast, however encryption is still an operation that requires CPU cycles.
Whether or not this peformance hit will be noticed by the end-user is another story, hence my asking "at what cost?".
Its the cost of security. You can't have security at no cost. Some of the cost is having passwords all over and not booting up straight into OS X. Or having to enter a password to update the OS or some apps. Or, in my case, having to unlock my keychain when I wake my iBook from sleep.
In this case, if you felt insecure about VM on your computer, you can encrypt it, at the cost of some speed. But, then again, if this wasn't a concern of yours, you can leave it off.
However, the bigger question should be, "What kind of encryption is it?" Some algorithms would take more time to encrypt/decrypt than others, which other algorithms may not be that secure to prevent people from decoding it (although its one thing to just see if you can find a password, its another to spend time decrypting a swap file hoping to find a password).
Originally posted by mikef
...however encryption is still an operation that requires CPU cycles.
But if the CPU is otherwise sitting there waiting for the drive to get back with the data, it doesn't cost anything.
You can have passengers in your car asking "Are we there yet? How about now?" or they can help with navigating, calling the hotel to validate the room, finding a restaurant, and making reservations. That work doesn't lengthen the total travel time.
John
Originally posted by mikef
Regardless of your explanation of how it might work, you cannot aruge that additional CPU cycles will [not] be required to perform the encryption. Yes, today's CPUs are fast, however encryption is still an operation that requires CPU cycles.
But if those CPU cycles would otherwise be wasted while the system waits for the hard drive, what's the cost? A few milliwatts, nothing more.
Whether or not this peformance hit will be noticed by the end-user is another story, hence my asking "at what cost?".
My argument is that there could well be no performance hit whatsoever if the system would otherwise be twiddling its thumbs, waiting for the hard drive.
As another example, the coffeehouse across the street from my office individually brews each cup of coffee. This takes a while. It's a popular place, so you're also standing in line for a while. So, they ask you what you want while you're still pretty far back in line, and bury the time required to brew the coffee under the time required to get to the register. By the time you're paid up, your coffee's done. Even if you ask for a slow brew, it effectively takes no time to get your coffee, because you're otherwise occupied while it's brewing.
I always thought it was a sick joke that Adobe Reader had so-called Bookmarks that were nothing of the sort. They were chapter and header markers.
I used to have the practice of writing a Stickie when I wanted to leave a note of where I stopped reading. Real bookmarks and the ability to annotate will prevent a lot of unnnecessary hassle and make PDF's almost as useful as they could potentially be.