Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5.6 Leopard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The OS comes in a very small package with a little manual. Install took 45 minutes to confirm that the CD was in good condition, 45 more to install. This review is not going to be full of technical jargon... instead a brief first impression from a long time Mac user (circa 1984 Mac 512Ke vintage). For the technicals, go to Apple, read geeky blogs. For the rest of us, I'll try to keep it more straight-forward. They claim 300 changes... here are what I think are some of the more interesting ones... apologies for the length of the review, relative to the number of changes claimed, a moderate length to this review. Updated December 09, 2007 to reflect new experiences.
Pro:
-Time machine! OK, back up programs are available, but how many of them are sold versus the number of macs out there? This program is native, created by Apple for Apple. All I did was plug in a hard drive and Leopard asked if I wanted to make this my back-up drive for Leopard. I clicked yes, and that was it, all set up. It begins back up once the computer is left on and idle. The first takes a very long time, hours, subsequent back ups are hourly, however only files that have changed are saved, preserving storage space and computing power. Time machine looks like any open folder window when it gets down to it... like you went back in time and browsed around (hence the name). Similar to "snapshot" for those Windows XP users out there.
-Install was very easy. Boot machine, insert CD, restart with CD. The computer verified that the CD is in good condition (a lengthy process of about 45 minutes that you can skip but which is recommended). The rest of the install takes about 45 more minutes, but it is basically all automated. It's a Mac, it's so clever that it's easy. Apple does what computers promised to do... automate smartly.
-Price is very reasonable relative to other operating systems (e.g. Vista)
-This OS includes the release version of Boot Camp. I've not used it yet as I have Parallels, but I like how Apple has included this feature... sometimes it's just best to get along as even programs offered on both platforms are just different enough to be annoying. So if you are using PowerPoint at work on a PC, you can use it at home on your Mac acting like a PC... thank you Apple.
-The new "you can see the content of folders in the dock bar" feature is handy, especially if you have many projects going and you dump a lot of picture files into them. They call this new feature "stacks" and it works really well.
-I find that movies too now give you a preview icon which is great.
-New OS did not trash my preferences, such as my Son's photo on the desktop... very plug and play
-Safari web browser is appears somewhat faster, perhaps 1x faster to load a page but I didn't really notice that much difference as I was using another browser up to this point
-The widget-maker is really interesting... I made my first widget of a stock I follow, in about 30 seconds. This was really great. I expect future versions of the feature to add more punch (e.g. the ability to add a title bar to your new widget, improved ability to make very small widgets, ability to use arrow keys to get the widget just right, ability to resize the widget once made instead of deleting and starting all over, etc.), but is still great as is.
-When I have multiple windows open I notice a slight shadow to help me identify which one is active, or on top. Apple continues to impress with their ability to tune into subtle usability features that are so obvious that they have been overlooked. Wonderful (although I would love a darker shadow, and perhaps a bold frame around the window too).
-The Apple web site offers a very nice 9-10 minute introduction. Check it out, it's worth it (trust me).
-Cover Flow is AWESOME! If you are familiar with flipping through album art on the new iPhone or iPods, you'll recognize the power of this feature right away. For those who've been on the sidelines, let me catch you up. There's icon view. There's list view. There's also a column view that's less popular. And there's now cover flow. Much like iTunes, you can flip through files like albums in a juke box, or turning pages in a picture book. The Mac lets you see the first page, so you don't get just a dumb icon, or even a tiny picture, you get a nice big image. It's nothing short of amazing. Cover flow does more (like you can play a video in cover flow without exiting the program or launching a player, fast and convenient), but again, this is a simpler version for the rest of us.
-A further extension of file management is Quick Look. You can sort of open files without launching a program. It's designed to be a time-saver for the person with a lot of files.
-Spaces. OK, this might be a little hard to describe. Essentially, are you someone who like to have 10 programs running at one time? If so, Spaces is ideal for you. You can open say a few photos in one space, a publishing program and Photoshop in another. You can toggle back and forth between the spaces and the effect is a less cluttered environment. It's neat.
-Mail. THere's many new things here, most small. However, for those setting up a mail account for the first time, say on Yahoo or "another popular website", you enter your email address, password, and click OK. Leopard finds it and sets it up. This blows me away. Forever are gone are the days of entering POP and SMTP data, which I guess wasn't terribly bad, but again, this is 2007. Computers are supposed to be more intuitve, not less right? Mac delivers yet again.
-I didn't mention the Notes and To Do features in Mail, which are excellent adds. Example of what these are: I often send myself an email so that I have a note: Well, instead of sending a mail to myself, which can, if hung up take a minute or an hour to return to me, I can write myself a note which sits in my inbox. I can add attachments like an email. I can also turn a note into a "To do", assigning a due date and getting a check box to check when it has been completed. Anywhere I can access my email, I can also get my notes. Weird and wonderful! To do events sync to iCal (which also syncs to my iPhone)... excellent.
-Email contacts, addresses, phone numbers can be added to existing contacts, or a new contact with a couple clicks. This is very handy for the busy professional.
-The teleconferencing features of iChat makes presentations really personal and also allows you to share desktops. I won't use this at home, and I can only dream of this at work when working remotely with our team/my boss in the UK. Words don't do this feature justice.
-My existing programs seem to work ok. I did get a minor error with Parallels (see Cons section for more), but all other programs tried functioned fine.
Con:
-Boot Camp requires reboot to run Windows
-Changed the icons some, which is not a big deal, but which was unnecessary
-With all this advanced file-sharing capability in iChat, I am concerned that a guest could inadvertently open sensitive files or emails. I get confidential materials sometimes, and I have little means of limiting access. It's too open and I'd love some locking features, both in iChat and in case I walk away from my Mac and someone decides to have some fun.
- Parallels has become unstable and won't launch. A free patch fomr the Parallels website (build "5582") fixed the crash on launch issue, however an IP conflict gotten originally still persists. This IP error does not seem to cause any issues as far as I can tell, it is just a nuisance.

Bottom line: Highly recommended. Sleek, smart, and straight-forward. The review title says it all, however there are obviously many reasons to buy, including staying current with the OS so that you have access to future releases and features.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5.6 Leopard

Add a new Mac to your Mac. Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard is packed with over 300 new features, installs easily, and works with the software and accessories you already have. Mac OS X v.10.5 Leopard is the newest release of Apple's innovative, stable and compatible operating system for Macintosh computers. This new release includes an elegant new interface and over 300 new innovations designed to help customers accomplish any task. Improvements have been included for all your favorite Mac programs like iChat and Mail, as well as all-new features such as Quick Look, which lets you peruse the contents of a multiple-page document or video without opening the whole file, and Time Machine, which can recover files in seconds. OS X 10.5 has all this, as well as the exceptional search technology, stunning graphics, rapid connectivity and solid stability you've come to expect from the OSX family of operating systems. This edition extends the license for use by up to five different users in the same home network.Time Machine lets you keep an up-to-date copy of all important files and, since it can recall how the system looks every day, it can recover files in seconds. iChat now lets you present movies, presentations and virtually any document during your chtas with iChat Theater. You can even save your audio and video chats for sharing or synching with an iPod to play on the go. Communicate with 30 professionally designed stationary template, keep important notes and track to-do items in Mail You can now group applications into Spaces and move between each Space with keyboard shortcuts to organize your windows and reduce clutter

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VMware Fusion Review

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(More customer reviews)Usage: I'm a web developer and graphic designer. My workflow involves using a number of tools that are specific to Windows and others that are specific to the Mac. I also use virtual machines for remotely controlling computers and supporting asp and [...] websites.
Experience: I'm an owner of Parallels 2 and, as released, upgraded to Parallels 3. I was also involved in the Beta testing of VMWare Fusion. I have to acknowledge that the Beta versions of Fusion were not stable, however the release version was a tremendous step up from the Beta and significantly faster than Parallels. Parallels is fine if all you're running it for is IE6/7 browser support for IE specific website (i.e. quickbooks online). If you own Parallels and use it sparingly switching to Fusion is a waste of money. If you use audio, video, and graphic editing programs in your virtual machines you WILL notice huge performance gains running Fusion over parallels. There are numerous *free* appliances available from VMWare you can download, which work immediately and seamlessly with Fusion. Very nice.
Summmary/Recommendation: If you're in the market for a Virtual Machine application VMWare Fusion is my recommendation. If you already own Parallels and use it sparingly there's no need to switch. If you use Parallels with processor intensive programs I recommend switching to Fusion as it is much faster.

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From the proven leader in desktop virtualization comes VMware Fusion--the most seamless way to run Windows applications on your Mac. VMware Fusion combines a clean and intuitive interface that Mac users expect with a virtualization platform trusted by millions of users today. VMware Fusion allows you to launch your Windows applications from the Dock and switch between Windows and Mac applications using Expos . With the industry's most advanced virtualization technology VMware Fusion is ready for the future and lets you leverage all the hardware available on your Mac to simultaneously run 32 and 64-bit operating systems, use two processors at the same time, run select 3D games and utilize USB 2.0 devices. Access the widest range of USB 2 devices, allocate up to 8GB of memory to virtual machines, run over 60 guest operating systems from DOS to Microsoft Windows Vista, Linux, Solaris, Netware and FreeBSD.Run your Boot Camp partition side-by-side with Mac OS X without any additional setup.Run any of the more than 550 virtual appliances available from VMwareVirtualize your existing PC with the free VMware Converter Starter Built Exclusively for the Mac -Built with features such as customizable toolbars, easy-to-manage virtual machine packages, and much more The powerful Unity feature transforms your Windows applications and gives you a seamless Mac experience Requires Any Intel Mac computer with a 1.5GHz or faster Intel processor; 512MB of RAM (1GB or more recommended)

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Bento 3 Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been a Bento user since 2.0, and I'm reasonably experienced in database. I also use Filemaker Pro 10.
In short, Bento 3 is very useful for personal users, for purposes it is advertised, but I would not expect much more from Bento. Bento 3 is also not much more than Bento2 engine with new cosmetic features. It is no Filemaker. It is very useful when you want to extend or add function to Addressbook, Todo list, calendar, etc., or make your own task manager. In other words, Bento can serve very well as a highly customizable personal information management (PIM) or digital organizer system based on simple databases. Its main weakness are limited relational functions, limited to one table per "library" (databse), and lack of embedded browser interface. Also, "media" field and URL list field of Bento databases are not exportable or importable through CSV files. They are retained within local Bento database files, and they can't be exchanged with other apps in any standard way (unless you are familiar with SQLite database engine, used by Bento. You could access these files directly, if so desired.).
There are many annoying inconveniences in terms of features and user interfaces. I'm actively filing suggestions though their website, so I am strongly hoping that they will release new version soon to fix these problems, but so far I didn't get any luck. I will revise this review and potentially raise the star rating when I see this happening (by the way, I gave 3 stars to Bento 2).
Compared to Filemaker, Bento is a lot easier to use, and much more like Mac software, while Filemaker has more awkward user interface as a Mac application. When creating a simple database, Bento requires a lot less initial work than Filemaker, and the screen layout looks much nicer. Fast, easy, convenient, streamlined are the strengths of Bento over Filemaker.
Bento also has star-rating element, and a few other convenient features that Filemaker lacks. It seems to me that Filemaker avoided these useful features from Filemaker Pro 10 to distance itself from Bento. (I personally want Filemaker Pro 10 to be a superset of Bento, so that I don't have to switch apps to manage personal records, and research data sets, business data and others.)
On the other hand, Filemaker is much more powerful when it comes to relational functions, elements available to user interface. For example, Filemaker can have a web browser (which can also display PDF documents or local files) embedded as an element of user interface within the Filemaker window, which I find very convenient. When the database is large (say more than 10000 records), Filemaker is considerably faster when running search, etc. This is to be expected, since Bento is based on SQLite engine, while Filemaker Pro uses more powerful database engine.
I bought both Bento and Filemaker Pro 10 myself, out of my personal funds. That should tell you that I find both apps are useful for different purposes, and they are different enough. This much is true. What I am not happy is why they did not make Filemaker Pro 10 to have some of the cool features of Bento to make it more useful for quick applications by power users. If you are a Filemaker user, you may find the same bitterness when you decide to shell out for Bento.
I use Bento among my MacPro, Macbook and iMac, synchronized via a pocket hard drive (iMac and Macbook) and/or intranet (MacBook), using MacPro as the base machine. I do this by syncing Bento database folder, Addressbook folder and iCal folder using a free software called unison. It is essential that all three of these databases are synchronized concurrently on all machines, or the references from Bento to the other Mac apps will be broken. If you routinely use multiple computers, Unison is a very worthwhile software to familiarize yourself with, although it is a Unix-originated free software and there is some unfriendliness to it.

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Meet Bento 3 for Mac, the breakthrough new version of the wildly popular personal database from FileMaker that's as easy to use as your Mac.

Organize contacts, track projects, plan events and more--all in one place.
Bento 3 now includes iPhoto integration, security options, multi-user sharing, and much more!
Choose from 35 pre-designed templates included with Bento, download and import templates from others who share your passion, or design your own custom forms using beautiful themes designed by Mac artists.
Bento links directly to the Address Book and iCal information you already have on your Mac to display your contacts and calendars in new and exciting ways.Add places to store important details about each person, event, or task, including related files, photos, and emails.Plus, changes you make in Bento are reflected in Address Book and iCal so your MobileMe account, your iPhone, and your iPod touch will be in sync.
Now you can easily share your contact lists, project plans, event details, and other Bento libraries with up to 5 Bento users on your local area network.Choose which libraries you want to share, and if you want to allow adding, deleting, and updating of information, or limit access to viewing only.Even add a password if you like. Now your family and friends, classmates, and coworkers will always be informed and up to date.
Do all this and more with pre-designed, ready-to-use templates:
Organize contacts, clubs and mailing lists
Track projects, tasks, and deadlines
Plan special events, parties and weddings
Link photos to contacts, projects, and events
Manage students, classes, and lecture notes
Search wine and movie collections
Catalog inventory, assets, and equipment
Record billable hours and payments due
Keep a daily log of diet and exercise
Store recipes and shopping lists
Secure encrypted passwords
See details of products for sale and items sold


Here's what's new in Bento 3:
iPhoto integration Store more info about photos and link them to contacts, projects, events, and other information stored in Bento.
Grid view In addition to Table view, Form view, and Split view, you can now see your images and forms in Grid view for a more visual approach to your information.
Security options Protect your sensitive data using encrypted fields and password protection. Great for web site logins and banking details.
Multi-user sharing Share your Bento libraries with up to 5 other Bento users on your wired or wireless local area network.Ideal for sharing contact lists, project plans, and event details with family, friends, classmates and coworkers.
Related data field with thumbnails Displays thumbnail images of related data instead of just text. For example, link a list of guests to an event--and see a picture of each person invited in the related data field.
File list with thumbnails Displays thumbnail images of related file instead of just text. For example, link a list of files to any record and see the first page of PDF file or a mini version of jpg images in the File list.
Simple list field type Add a freeform table to your forms. Great for creating a quick to do list or shopping list--and for tracking gifts received at parties and weddings.
Library folders Save space in your Libraries pane by grouping like libraries in a single folder. Libraries contained in the folder can also be exported as a group.
Group emailing Send one email to multiple recipients through Apple Mail with a few clicks.
Ten new templates Thanks to the addition of ten ready-to-use templates, there are now a total of 35 templates to choose from.

See and interact with your information in stunning new ways
New--iPhoto integration
See all your albums listed in the Bento Libraries pane automatically--no importing required.
View your iPhoto information inside Bento in the new Grid view, Table view, Form view or Split view.
Add additional fields and forms to store more information about your photos beyond what iPhoto stores.
Link photos to contacts, projects, events or other data stored in Bento.
Note: Photos and associated data from iPhoto can only be viewed from within Bento and cannot be edited. However, you can add new fields to your Bento forms to store more data about your photos, but it will not appear in iPhoto.
New--Grid view
View any library in the new Grid view to show a grid of pictures and forms for a more visual approach to your information.
Customize the Grid view to display additional information under each thumbnail that is most relevant to you, like phone numbers or email addresses for all your contacts.
Create and view your own customized thumbnail forms. For example, say you have 40 products that you're selling. You could create a form where you have an image of the product next to the part number and price to see multiple product "cards" together on one screen.

Improved--Related data field--now with image thumbnails
See thumbnail images of media in your Related data fields (formerly called the Related records lists).
For example, you can link a list of guests to an event--and see a picture of each person invited on the event record.

Improved--File list--now with image thumbnails
See a thumbnail image of each document in the File List instead of seeing a list of text containing names of files.
For example, you can see the first page of PDF file or a mini version of jpg images.

Improved--Table view with media cell
See mini versions of pictures, movies or PDFs stored in a media field when you're in Table view.
Use Quick Look to view the media cell contents while in Table view.

New--Simple list field type
Add a freeform table to your forms for quick list tracking.
Create a quick to-do list, shopping list, or keep track of gifts received at birthdays and weddings.

New--Library folders
Save space in your Libraries pane by grouping like libraries in a single folder.
Export the entire folder as a group of templates for easy sharing and uploading to the Bento Template Exchange.
Export data from all of the libraries at once into separate CSV, Tab delimited, Excel, or Numbers files.

Improved--Library icons
Change the icon for any library, choosing from the list of available icons.
Resize your library icons to display either large size or a more compact size to save space in your Libraries pane.

New--Image box
Add a static image, such as a team logo, to any of your forms.
The image appears on all records in the library automatically.


Protect your valuable data with new security options.
New--Security options
Use the new field type called "Encrypted" to store sensitive data, like web site logins and banking details.
Unlock encrypted fields to display contents by entering the database password.
Assign a database password to your entire Bento database. You will be prompted for the password upon launching Bento. Once the correct password is entered, Bento will open your database giving you full access to all your libraries.
Assign a sharing password to allow others access to your shared libraries. This password is different from the database password and only allows access to specific libraries that you have chosen to share over a local area network.


Keep your team informed and up-to-date.
New--Multi-user sharing
Share your Bento libraries with up to 5 other Bento users on your wired or wireless local area network.
Choose to share your entire Bento database or selected libraries.
Add a sharing password that prevents access to shared libraries by unauthorized users.
Allow adding, deleting, and updating information or choose to limit access to viewing only so no changes can be made.
Uses Apple Bonjour to automatically find shared Bento libraries on the same network.

*Sharing requires each user to have their own copy of Bento, and a local area network using a wired or Wi-Fi wireless connection. *iCal events cannot be edited by others when sharing libraries.

Get even more new features that you'll wonder how you ever did without.
New--Group emailing
Send one email to multiple recipients through Apple Mail with a few clicks.
Select the email addresses that you'd like to send to in Table view, then choose 'Email Selected Addresses' from the Edit menu.Apple Mail opens, creates a new message, puts the selected email addresses in the 'To:" field and leaves the cursor in the Subject field so you can complete the group email.

Improved--Theme Chooser
Browse, try, and apply themes more easily than in previous versions.

New--Print blank form
Print a blank version of any form, great for surveys and sign up lists.

New--Copy forms
Now you can copy forms within a library and between collections--a huge time saver and great way to keep things consistent throughout your libraries.

New--10 additional templates Thanks to ten new, pre-designed templates, there are now a total of 35 to choose from. New templates include:
vacation planner
health records
job search
house search
wine collection
home maintenance
party planner
TV & movie catalog
user names and passwords
meeting notes

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Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Support Essentials (2nd Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is for Service Professionals or those wishing to become Service Professionals. It gives the reader everything he/she will need to pass the required exam for the Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) designation. This rating replaces the Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist (ACHDS) rating and covers Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Each chapter provides in-depth coverage of the workings of the operating system. The Appendix includes the Apple Troubleshooting Workflow Chart and troubleshooting methodology used by Apple Technicians.
You'll learn about Installation and Setup, including configuring, installation troubleshooting, etc. Lesson 2 covers User Accounts, how to manage them, account security, and more. Lesson 3 covers Storage, Partitions and Volumes, File Ownership and Permissions, File Management via the Command Line. Lesson 4 covers the Mac OS X Volume Hierarchy, Mac OS X Metadata, Archiving and Backup. Lesson 5 discusses Applications and Boot Camp, Processes, and how to run Windows on a Mac. Lesson 6 provides detailed information about Network Configuration, fundamental networking concepts, configuring Mac OS X networking, and network troubleshooting. Lesson 7 describes how to access network services and directory services. Lesson 8 takes you through a discussion about providing network services, providing and protecting network services, and troubleshooting shared services. Lesson 9 talks about peripherals and printing, as well as faxing. Lesson 10 includes an overview and detailed discussion of the startup process and troubleshooting the startup process. Finally, the Appendix covers troubleshooting techniques.
Support Professionals need to pass one exam, Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.5 Exam (9L0-402), sponsored by Thompson Prometric. This book will give the reader everything necessary to pass the exam. Those pursuing Apple Technical Certification may also want Apple leader-led training, which is available at training centers in major cities in the United States.
For the above reasons, I highly recommend this book, which is well written, easy to read, contains essential information, is thorough in its scope and complete in its design.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Support Essentials (2nd Edition)

The only Apple-certified book on supporting Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, thiscomprehensive reference takes support technicians and Mac aficionadosdeep inside the new operating system, covering everything frominstallation to networking technologies, and more. Following thelearning objectives of the Apple Certified Support Professional exam,the lessons in this self-paced volume serve as a perfect guide forApple's own training class and a first-rate primer for computer supportpersonnel who need to troubleshoot and optimize Mac OS X as part oftheir jobs. Lesson-review quizzes reinforce the knowledge gained alongthe way.

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