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Panther software
Panther is the latest version of Apple's Mac OS X 10.3 operating system and while there are some desirable new additions and capabilities, some of the cosmetic changes seem to unnecessarily complicate matters
By Andy Benedek
Apple's reviewer's guide for Panther (Mac OS X 10.3), the latest version of its operating system, begins with the words 'The power of Unix with the simplicity of the Macintosh'. Well, for those readers unfamiliar with Mac OS X and who might accept such a statement at face value, let me now disillusion you. The Macintosh operating system is not simple. It undoubtedly has a prettier interface than Windows or Unix, but it is not simple. Early versions of Apple's operating system used to be simple, but Mac OS X certainly is not. Unix (the engine behind Mac OS X) is a very powerful, but complicated operating system and although the Macintosh interface shields users from much of the complexity, it does not do so completely. There are times when it is necessary to return to the command line method (when you have to type in a string of letters and words in order to effect a command) of achieving one's aims, because an intuitive, Macintosh-like way has not been implemented.
Many updates
Mac OS X, has been updated many times since its first appearance - with Panther following in the footsteps of Cheetah (10.0), Puma(10.1) and Jaguar (10.2). When you add to these the welter of 10.x.x updates, you could be forgiven for thinking that Mac OS X must now possess all the functionality required of a modern operating system. Apple, however, clearly thinks that this is not the case because it has said that updates to its operating system will be released every year - to which could be added, 'whether it needs it or not'. So what has Apple added to Mac OS X to justify this release? Well, the answer is nothing vital so it has turned to that old standby, the interface. Yes, at the forefront of the list of new features appearing in Panther are...