After months of betas, Apple on Thursday at long last released Mac OS X 10.8.3, its latest incremental update to Mountain Lion. Whether the update was worth the wait depends on what you care about. Like new versions of Safari, Boot Camp improvements, and audio fixes? You’re in luck.
Boot Camp fans can now install Windows 8, and Macs with 3TB hard drives are supported for Boot Camp, too. The Mac App Store gains the ability to redeem iTunes gift cards with your Mac’s built-in camera, mirroring a feature already offered in iTunes proper. Another app-specific fix comes to Logic Pro, which should no longer become unresponsive when using certain plug-ins.
An issue that could cause audio stuttering on 2011 iMacs is fixed, as is an issue where File:/// URLs could make apps crash.
Other bugs addressed include an issue with printing Contacts, bugs with changing desktop pictures, and a flaw where Messages could show messages out of order when waking from sleep. Issues with Notes and its IMAP handling are addressed, as is Mail’s handling of Exchange accounts. Several networking improvements are included, too.
And Safari 6.0.3 is included in 10.8.3 as well. Apple says the browser update improves scrolling on Facebook.com, along with scrolling anywhere while zoomed-in. Performance on pages with plug-in content is improved as well. Various issues related to bookmarks are fixed, and an issue that allowed unfiltered Google search results when Parental Controls are enabled.
The company also released MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update v1.1, which fixes a rare bug where graphics-intensive games on the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display would show slow frame rates.
Both updates are available via the Mac App Store.
Later in the day, Apple unleashed a batch of security updates for OS X Snow Leopard and OS X Lion (and the server versions of both), plus a variety of new support software for Boot Camp.
Updated at 1:43 p.m. PT with more information on 10.8.3 and Safari 6.0.3.
Updated at 4:20 p.m. PT with information on security updates.
Author: Lex Friedman, Senior Contributor
Lex is a former writer for Macworld. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and three kids.