Apple's Leopard still accompanied by lengthy bug list
A list of bugs accompanying the latest pre-release build of Apple Inc.'s Leopard operating system appears to have swelled somewhat since the Cupertino-based company last seeded the software to developers in early March.
According to reports already plastered on Apple-related web sites, Mac OS X Leopard (Client) Build 9A410, which was released to thousands of Mac OS X developers this week, still carries with it a laundry list of nearly three dozen known issues.
Of those issues, the most critical appear to affect the system's installation process, Apple's QuickTime digital media software, and graphics corruption with some graphics hardware, the reports state.
The latest Leopard builds also appear to be plagued by printing bugs and glitches in updated versions of the Mac maker's iChat video conference software and PhotoBooth applications.
At the same time, it's reported that a list of approximately 20 "Miscellaneous" bugs spans across a broad range system components, including iCal, iTunes, Safari, Mail and FileVault.
The 5.3-gigabyte Leopard build release this week, unlike the seeds that preceded it, is said to contain only a handful of notable changes, most pertaining to updates to the software's various underlying frameworks.
One application in particular that continues to receive refinements is the Terminal application, according to those reports posted on the Web. However, those changes include only subtle modifications to the software's window settings.
Apple last seeded a pre-release version of Leopard to developers in early March, when it released Mac OS X Leopard (Client) Build 9A377a.
Despite the outstanding issues with Leopard, the growing consensus amongst insiders and industry analysts is that Apple anticipates a release of the software around the time its World Wide Developers Conference rolls around in mid-June.
For its part, Apple has maintained that it will not delay the release of the next-generation OS, but at the same time has yet to reveal or broadly test a number of "top secret" features said to be lingering in builds of the software held down closely at its Cupertino-based headquarters.
According to reports already plastered on Apple-related web sites, Mac OS X Leopard (Client) Build 9A410, which was released to thousands of Mac OS X developers this week, still carries with it a laundry list of nearly three dozen known issues.
Of those issues, the most critical appear to affect the system's installation process, Apple's QuickTime digital media software, and graphics corruption with some graphics hardware, the reports state.
The latest Leopard builds also appear to be plagued by printing bugs and glitches in updated versions of the Mac maker's iChat video conference software and PhotoBooth applications.
At the same time, it's reported that a list of approximately 20 "Miscellaneous" bugs spans across a broad range system components, including iCal, iTunes, Safari, Mail and FileVault.
The 5.3-gigabyte Leopard build release this week, unlike the seeds that preceded it, is said to contain only a handful of notable changes, most pertaining to updates to the software's various underlying frameworks.
One application in particular that continues to receive refinements is the Terminal application, according to those reports posted on the Web. However, those changes include only subtle modifications to the software's window settings.
Apple last seeded a pre-release version of Leopard to developers in early March, when it released Mac OS X Leopard (Client) Build 9A377a.
Despite the outstanding issues with Leopard, the growing consensus amongst insiders and industry analysts is that Apple anticipates a release of the software around the time its World Wide Developers Conference rolls around in mid-June.
For its part, Apple has maintained that it will not delay the release of the next-generation OS, but at the same time has yet to reveal or broadly test a number of "top secret" features said to be lingering in builds of the software held down closely at its Cupertino-based headquarters.
Comments
a laundry list of nearly three dozen known issues.
If this is what you're considering a large list then you've never been on the inside managing OS X.
Debian Etch had over 500 outstanding issues 2 months prior to it being stamped April 08, 2007.
Linux Kernel sees hundreds of fixes within a few months.
Remember how long Apple were running OSX on Intel chips BEFORE they lanuched the Intel range of Mac!?!
I'd be willing to bet that Leopard is on schedule and I'm not a gambling man :-)
If this is what you're considering a large list then you've never been on the inside managing OS X.
Debian Etch had over 500 outstanding issues 2 months prior to it being stamped April 08, 2007.
Linux Kernel sees hundreds of fixes within a few months.
I think the "three dozen" estimation concerns serious bugs, some of which critical. This report, like the previous ones from AI, is not too encouraging.
Apple really has no choice but to release Leopard or Apple's stock will take a hit. That's what happens when you are a publicly traded company.
I think the "three dozen" estimation concerns serious bugs, some of which critical. This report, like the previous ones from AI, is not too encouraging.
Serious bugs does not mean that they are very hard to fix. Also the release may consist of code that could be 1-2 months old, so some of those bugs could be fixed by now.
I'd consider 3 dozen bugs a very low number in a piece of software this complex. Very impressive.
Serious bugs does not mean that they are very hard to fix. Also the release may consist of code that could be 1-2 months old, so some of those bugs could be fixed by now.
I'd consider 3 dozen bugs a very low number in a piece of software this complex. Very impressive.
It's only impressive or unimpressive if they are aheard or behind their projected date for bug fixes.
At some point their developers will stop new feature development and concentrate all efforts on bringing the bug count down, which would likely be in the thousands. If they're only left dealing with 3 dozen high-priority bugs then they're laughing. In reality, I'm sure they're dealing with many more bugs, which is normal and expected.
"Plagued"? Please! It's software under development. Stating that it's "plagued" by bugs is just dumb. Dial back the drama a notch or two.
I agree. It's stupid and childish, to say nothing of ignorant of how these types of technologies get built.
Don't be salty at Apple like ThinkSecret is nowadays since Apple sued them and outed their founder. Just be the AppleInsider we know and love.
Apple is only releasing specific elements of these OS X developer builds and so you can expect the builds to be incomplete and lacking. This should be NOW more obvious than ever with only 4 new things added in over a months time as listed below:
Terminal
- Profiles have been renamed as "Window Settings" and workspaces have been renamed as "Window Groups"
- Window Settings can be configured through the "Window Settings" tab of the Terminal preferences or by invoking the Inspector
Miscellaneous
- If you have valid .Mac credentials in the .Mac Preference Pane iDisk syncing will now be enabled by default unless you have explicitly disabled it
- PCSC framework has been updated. This will continue to work with Tiger reader drivers, although tokends written for Tiger should be retested under Leopard.
Think about it. 40 days to do all of that!!!
And there are still the same unresolved issues and bugs. These bugs probably won't be addressed externally because when they substitue in, or in some cases add in, the new components the bugs will no longer be an issue because they are of no consequence.
A list of some 36 bugs and issues is NOTHING for an entire operating system, regardless of their severity. A list that size might be considered large for a single application, but not an OS. I'd say this is not as dramatic as the article is making it seem.
I'd be okay with Leopard shipping with minor bugs, let's face it, all OSes do (most to be fixed shortly after launch by Software Update- god I love that thing), but I'd hope that Apple would not force a 10.5 ship if there are still major and obvious issues to be resolved. Because if they do, the comparisons to Windows will be plain:
"Hey, I thought you guys were supposed to have your acts together better than Microsoft! Bwahahaha!"... yeah, we can all see the fanboi comments now, can't we?
But while those don't matter, mainstream perception definitely DOES. If Leopard still has very serious, very-easy-to-come-across issues come June, it needs NOT to ship. Apple's reputation is part of what's fueling the resurgence of the Mac. If Apple compromises that to hit a ship date.... ugh.
I do hope they hit their Spring ship date, but it's secondary to quality. Releasing a 'beta OS' makes Apple no better than Microsoft. Here's hoping that Apple's dev team is able to have its cake (ship date) and eat it too (quality).
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Finally, is there an event in the near future where Steve J can talk about the neat secret features and then send out test packs to the testers? Time is getting short and the full OS needs some heavy testing very soon.
But while those don't matter, mainstream perception definitely DOES. If Leopard still has very serious, very-easy-to-come-across issues come June, it needs NOT to ship. Apple's reputation is part of what's fueling the resurgence of the Mac. If Apple compromises that to hit a ship date.... ugh.
Apple did this once and you can expect it to do it again if schedule and market parameters dictate so.
Little changes may mean it's almost as close as it's going to get before we see the top secret features.
-=|Mgkwho