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March 13, 2007

updates

Mac OS 10.4.9 released to thunderous applause by me

Posted Mar. 13, ’07, 3:25 PM PT by Pat Nakajima
Category | Software » Updates

Software UpdateHark! The chasmic dearth that was Mac news has seen its biggest update since… I can’t even remember! Mac OS 10.4.9 was just released, and with it comes not only a bevy of enhancements and security updates, but also, the symbolic end of 10.4’s development. Unless Apple plans to go off its rocker and release a 10.4.9.1, this will be the last major update to OS X Tiger. Isn’t it amazing how fast they grow up on you?

The changes from the 10.4.9 update primarily impact the networking and communication aspects of the OS, such as Bluetooth, the three i’s (iChat, iCal, and iSync), as well as networking and printing updates. (That’s right, those of you who thought you’d have to wait for Leopard to see external USB modems report DLE-d for busy tone detection will be happily surprised.) Also, everybody’s favorite service, .Mac, got some lovin’ in the form of what appear to be optimizations that probably should’ve been made long ago.

Tiger’s last roar tells this Safari guide that the Leopard must be just around the corner. And if you thought that the tone of this post bordered on that of an elated school child, wait until the ever-nearing release of 10.5. We’ll have fun.


13 Comments

Tuquee said:

Not necessarily- they could always go 10.4.10.

March 13, 2007 5:23 PM
John Christie said:

It wouldn't be the least off their rocker for them to release 10.4.10. There's no reason that those numbers have to be single digits. The numbering is not how you know that 10.4's day is almost over.

March 13, 2007 5:29 PM
Stoney said:

You can't count past 9?

I expect 10.4.10 before 10.5.0

March 13, 2007 5:47 PM
Brian said:

4.9 + .1 = .5

March 13, 2007 6:39 PM
Dan Moren Author Profile Page said:

Technically, nothing is holding Apple back from going to 10.4.10...nothing, that is, except for Apple's extremely image-conscious personality. 10.4.10 would be a most un-Apple-like route to go. I don't think you'll ever see an Apple product that goes into the two-digit realm for a point release. If they do, I will gladly imitate the animal of your choice on the next podcast.

March 13, 2007 8:40 PM
Derik said:

For you clearly rational readers, I agree with you that if Apple needs another update, they'll drop a .10.

March 13, 2007 10:02 PM
Dave said:

Ha, Brian. I can do even more rudimentary math: 2 + 2 = 4

wtf?

March 13, 2007 11:33 PM
simon said:

Hmmm, some big assumptions here.

Let me explain base-10 math and versioning. Should apple wish to continue there current development path under majro version 10.4, the next release would be 10.4.10, 10.4.11, etc...

4.9 is not a base-10 number but two base-10 numbers. The first be a major version number and the second a dotted version number. After that, well the changes are usually minor to the overall project.

March 14, 2007 6:55 AM
Kelmon said:

"4.9 + .1 = .5"

Er, right... And if we were discussing normal arithmetic here then I'd agree with you but unfortunately we're talking about software version numbers. Do you really think that if an important update is required to Tiger that it would not be released because the version number requires us to wait for Leopard? Don't be silly.

March 14, 2007 7:04 AM
jayH said:

they'd probably release the important update under "security update" and not .10

leopard is due to be released any moment now and i don't think apple would release a 10.4.10 knowing leopard is just around the corner... they'd call it something else. just how many updates have we had between 10.4.8 and 10.4.9 :dizzy:

March 14, 2007 7:57 AM
weldon said:

Dan, check the version number on Bluetooth File Exchange.

I like cows.

March 14, 2007 8:58 AM
Kelmon said:

One thing that I have noticed about the new update is that Spotlight searches seem to be MUCH faster now. I'm not sure what has happened but the usual sloth-like performance (which I compared unfavourably against Panther's ninja quickness in an earlier comment somewhere else) seems to have gone and now my searches are returning almost instantly. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that my speed is almost as good as that operating within Steve's Reality Distortion Field when Tiger was first demoed. YAY!

PS. Leopard isn't releasing soon - give it up already.

March 14, 2007 9:37 AM
Dan Moren Author Profile Page said:

@weldon: I was referring to OS X specifically, but as I didn't make that clear, and I'm a man of my word, cows it is. Tune in next time.

March 14, 2007 8:13 PM

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