Friday, November 05, 2004
Mac users, you've got some homework to do this weekend
Not that we're usually in the business of public service announcements around here, but I did want to mention that there have been a few updates released by Apple this week. At the risk of sounding like your mother, I recommend that you find a few minutes to install any of the following that apply to you. Most if not all of these will appear in Software Update sooner or later, but I've given you the direct links in case you want to dive on in right away:
MacOS X 10.3.6 update: The seventh official version of Panther was just released Friday afternoon. I've installed it, and in general there's nothing noticeable or special. Just the usual bit of added speed (not that speed is an issue anymore with OS X), a bit of added stability (not that stability has ever been an issue), and a whole laundry list of arcane enhancements (big news: Calculator has been updated to version 3.1 -- you get the idea). If you never bothered to install 10.3.5, there's also a combo updater that will allow you to jump straight to 10.3.6, as is the usual OS X custom.
iTunes 4.7: This update is actually for both Mac and Windows, so be sure to sneak the new version onto all the PCs at your workplace while the IT guy isn't looking. While the headlining feature of version 4.7 is compatibility with iPod Photo, the feature that the rest of us will care about is the new "Artist Alert" feature. I haven't had the chance to test it out yet, but it sounds appealing. Basically, I can now set iTunes to automatically let me know any time one of my favorite bands has made any new content available in the iTunes Music Store. It's not that I need an alert to let me know that U2 has a new single out (all I have to do is watch an Apple commercial on television to know that), but it'll come in handy with some of the less prominent artists among my favorites.
Security updates: Just because security is not an issue on the Mac, doesn't mean you want to put off installing any security updates Apple releases. I mean, if the company is going to work that hard to close potential security holes before they're ever open in the first place, then you might as well take advantage of it. If you've been slacking off, just run Software Update and you'll likely find three or four of them in there. If you've already installed them all yourself, then you might want to go ahead and do the same on behalf of any Mac-using friends or relatives who haven't been keeping up with it. Hey, it can't hurt. Just because no one has tried to steal your car, doesn't mean you should start leaving the keys in the ignition overnight.
MacOS X Server 10.3.6 Update: The odds are probably fairly small that you're running MacOS X Server (unless you're running a business or a school), but here's a link to the latest update for it as well.
Well, there it is. Don't say I never did anything for you. I'm outta here, the weekend awaits. I'm going to go visit some old friends and then go to the Dolphins loss. Uh, I meant game. Go to the Dolphins game. Yeah, that's it, think positive.
Enjoy your weekend. And get cracking on those installs!
Not that we're usually in the business of public service announcements around here, but I did want to mention that there have been a few updates released by Apple this week. At the risk of sounding like your mother, I recommend that you find a few minutes to install any of the following that apply to you. Most if not all of these will appear in Software Update sooner or later, but I've given you the direct links in case you want to dive on in right away:
MacOS X 10.3.6 update: The seventh official version of Panther was just released Friday afternoon. I've installed it, and in general there's nothing noticeable or special. Just the usual bit of added speed (not that speed is an issue anymore with OS X), a bit of added stability (not that stability has ever been an issue), and a whole laundry list of arcane enhancements (big news: Calculator has been updated to version 3.1 -- you get the idea). If you never bothered to install 10.3.5, there's also a combo updater that will allow you to jump straight to 10.3.6, as is the usual OS X custom.
iTunes 4.7: This update is actually for both Mac and Windows, so be sure to sneak the new version onto all the PCs at your workplace while the IT guy isn't looking. While the headlining feature of version 4.7 is compatibility with iPod Photo, the feature that the rest of us will care about is the new "Artist Alert" feature. I haven't had the chance to test it out yet, but it sounds appealing. Basically, I can now set iTunes to automatically let me know any time one of my favorite bands has made any new content available in the iTunes Music Store. It's not that I need an alert to let me know that U2 has a new single out (all I have to do is watch an Apple commercial on television to know that), but it'll come in handy with some of the less prominent artists among my favorites.
Security updates: Just because security is not an issue on the Mac, doesn't mean you want to put off installing any security updates Apple releases. I mean, if the company is going to work that hard to close potential security holes before they're ever open in the first place, then you might as well take advantage of it. If you've been slacking off, just run Software Update and you'll likely find three or four of them in there. If you've already installed them all yourself, then you might want to go ahead and do the same on behalf of any Mac-using friends or relatives who haven't been keeping up with it. Hey, it can't hurt. Just because no one has tried to steal your car, doesn't mean you should start leaving the keys in the ignition overnight.
MacOS X Server 10.3.6 Update: The odds are probably fairly small that you're running MacOS X Server (unless you're running a business or a school), but here's a link to the latest update for it as well.
Well, there it is. Don't say I never did anything for you. I'm outta here, the weekend awaits. I'm going to go visit some old friends and then go to the Dolphins loss. Uh, I meant game. Go to the Dolphins game. Yeah, that's it, think positive.
Enjoy your weekend. And get cracking on those installs!
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