Leopard First Looks

Inside Mac OS X 10.5

Now that Apple CEO Steve Jobs has given us a partial glimpse of things to come, we’re taking a closer look at each of the features in Mac OS X 10.5: Leopard.

We also look back at a list the Macworld editors produced detailing features they hoped to see in Mac OS X 10.5 and assess our wishes against what Apple will deliver in Spring 2007 when Leopard is set to pounce.

Leopard First Looks

Inside Mac OS X 10.5

First Look: Leopard first looks: Time Machine

Apple says that only four percent of Mac users perform regular, automated backups. It aims to change this with Time Machine, a new backup feature in OS X 10.5. In the first of a multi-part series on new at Leopard, we take a closer look at Time Machine's backup capabilities.
First Look: Leopard first looks: Dashboard

Dashboard first made a splash when OS X 10.4 debuted in 2005. The feature is getting an update for OS X 10.5, adding new widget-creation tools for regular users and developers. Rob Griffiths look at what these additions mean for Dashboard.
First Look: Leopard first looks: Universal Access

When it ships next year, Leopard will speak with a new voice -- specifically, a synthesized voice that sounds far more natural than what you'll hear currently in OS X. Christopher Breen looks at the changes slated for VoiceOver in OS X 10.5.
First Look: Leopard first looks: Mail 3

When Leopard ships next spring, the changes to OS X's built-in e-mail client will include customized stationery, a built-in Notes feature, and iCal integration.
First Look: Leopard first looks: iChat

The new version of iChat slated for Leopard adds a number of requested features. But several of its additions duplicate capabilities found in third-party iChat add-ons.
First Look: Leopard first looks: iCal

When iCal undergoes an update for OS X 10.5, expect a calendaring application that's a lot smarter about group scheduling.
First Look: Leopard first looks: Spaces

Virtual desktops have been around for a while. In Leopard, Apple will add that capability to OS X through a new feature called Spaces.
First Look: Leopard first looks: Spotlight

The next version of OS X brings a number of changes to the built-in Spotlight search technology, including the ability to search networked Macs and added support for boolean logic.
First Look: Leopard first looks: 64-bit support

Enhanced 64-bit support led off Apple's preview of OS X 10.5. But it's a feature that will likely matter only to developers who create data-intensive applications.
First Look: Leopard first looks: Core Animation

In OS X 10.5, Apple will add to OS X's Core technologies with Core Animations, which should lead to snazzier-looking, better-performing applications.
First Look: Leopard first looks: The rest

Besides the features detailed by Apple, the next version of OS X will feature built-in versions of Boot Camp, Front Row, and Photo Booth; new parental controls; and an updated version of Xcode developer tools.