Apple Computer will officially release Mac OS X Panther, a major upgrade to its Mac OS X operating system, on October 24. Apple stores throughout the United States will host events beginning at 8:00 pm, but two of the company’s retail outlets will be closed for the celebration.
Apple confirmed for MacCentral on Tuesday that the Apple Stores at the Mall of America and Tysons Corner will be closed for store renovations until mid-November. The renovations for the two stores will include new theaters and other smaller enhancements.
Mac OS X Panther includes a revamped Finder interface that Apple describes as “user-centric.” Other new features include faster search, colored labels and better integration with Windows network environments. Panther supports ActiveDirectory and SMB-based home directories on Windows servers and enhanced Windows integration that allows for printing to shared printers.
Perhaps one of Panthers most talked about new features is Expose. It allows users to view all open windows and choose any one of them to be on top; Exposé also unshuffles overlapping windows into an organized view.
You can check on Apple’s retail Web site for a complete list of retail locations.