Apple released their new OS X v. 10.5 Leopard operating system October 26, 2007. All new Mac systems now ship with Leopard pre-installed, and an upgrade is available for those currently running Tiger.
Leopard has a host of new and enhanced features that have met with positive reviews. Early reports from the field indicate Leopard is going through the typical issues that accompany any new operating system, such as compatibility problems with older programs and hardware such as printers, cameras, and other devices. Security concerns have also been reported, but overall Leopard’s future looks bright and intriguing.
The bad news: McAfee, TU’s site-licensed antivirus product available free for faculty, staff, and students at home and on campus, only offers a beta version for use with Leopard at this time. The other leading antivirus manufacturers are also behind with Leopard compatibility. Unless you need to buy a new computer right now or have a critical academic or business application that requires Leopard, OS X Tiger will remain your most reliable and secure option for the next few months.
The OTS Virtual Mac Support Team, along with the campus Mac community, is keeping a close eye on Leopard during its early launch phase. We are evaluating both the advantages and challenges of bringing Leopard into the campus computing mix. If you are currently using Leopard and have some information to contribute about your early-adopter experience, please contact {macusers@towson.edu}.
We will be publishing further guidance and advisory information about Leopard in the Daily Digest by late November 2007. Information will also be available in the Mac Corner at {http://www.towson.edu/adminfinance/OTS/support/maccorner.asp} Leopard’s new features can be seen at {http://www.apple.com/macosx/features}.
