Writing for the Wall Street Journal , Walt Mossberg calls Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar “big news” for its improved ability to connect to a Windows network. He’s also pleased with the 17-inch iMac he’s been kicking around.
Mossberg calls the new iMac 17-inch screen “mesmerizing” and “a pleasure to use.” Unlike the 15-inch variation, the new 17-inch iMac utilizes a widescreen aspect ratio, which Mossberg noted is good for playing DVD movies or for displaying Web pages side by side.
Mossberg admits that Jaguar’s pending release — coming in a week — is more important, however. “It’s such a major upgrade that it probably ought to have been called Mac OS XI,” Mossberg mused.
The new version “worked without a single hitch” both on the new iMac Mossberg tested and on his year-old PowerBook. Mossberg lauded Rendezvous, Apple’s zero-configuration networking technology that has caught the interest of leading printer manufacturers. What’s more impressive, he said, is Jaguar’s ability to network a Mac on a Windows network.
“Apple built into Jaguar a key technology Microsoft uses for networking in Windows and made it work simply, without requiring a user to know about networking,” he explained. Mossberg said that within a few minutes, he was able to get his two Macs and an XP-equipped Toshiba laptop to recognize each other’s files without a hitch.
“This is a big deal, because it should make life much easier for people who use Macs in workplaces dominated by Windows,” he said. Mossberg also gives the thumbs up for Jaguar’s inclusion of Sherlock 3, the Web search utility, and Apple’s own e-mail application, which features anti-spam technology.
All told, Mossberg said that Apple is continuing to differentiate its offerings from Microsoft, and he said it’s worth the price.
“Oh, and one other thing: In stark contrast to Microsoft’s practice with Windows, Apple is introducing family pricing for Jaguar. The company will sell for $199 a family version that can be legally installed on up to five computers,” said Mossberg.