Tiger: The Next Generation Mac OS

By Jonathan Berohn

Whenever new operating systems come out, there’s always a lot of hype.  But more often than not, the OS itself isn’t much more than a repackaging of the previous version.

Apple’s last 2 OS’s however, have really raised the bar for what computer users are going to expect from their OS (note to Microsoft).  First, OS X revolutionized the Mac environment by switching to a Unix based system.  Now Tiger has taken OS X to new heights, offering a combination of stability and features you just can’t find n the Windows environment.

Stability

The same rock solid stability that Apple introduced with OS X is still going strong in Tiger.  Since the Mac OS is now Unix-based, it just doesn’t crash—period.  Sure, the odd program will hang once in a while, but all you have to do is force it to quit (with a simple keystroke or a right click) and then you can start it up again and continue on your merry way.  Yes, Windows users, you don’t have to restart the whole system when any little thing goes wrong.  With Tiger, crashing is simply obsolete.

Features

Spotlight

Tiger is more than simply an updated OS X, though.  To start with, Spotlight will revolutionize the way you organize and use files.  Simply put, Spotlight keeps track of everything you do on your Mac.  It builds an index that lets you search everything on your machine instantaneously.  When you type out a search term, you get results each time you hit another letter.  You no longer have to worry about building fancy folder structures or waste minutes searching to keep track of your stuff.  Spotlight puts every file type on your computer a few very quick key strokes away.

Dashboard

As cool as Spotlight is, Dashboard just blows it away.  The best way to describe Dashboard is to call it Stickies on steroids.  If you don’t know, Stickies is a Mac standard—essentially a stick note program that lets you show notes on your screen when you need them, and put them away for later when you are done.  But more than simply stickies on Steroids, think of dashboard as a Formula I racecar compared to Stickies’ go cart or Model T.  With Dashboard, a simple click of the mouse pulls up a flexible set of widgets that you choose.

Of course, you ask, what is a widget?  A widget is simply the coolest thing to hit personal computing since Minesweeper.

OK—I’m showing my age again, but widgets really will change the way you use your computer.  Strictly speaking, a widget is sort of a mini-application that pops onto your screen.

What makes Widgets so cool is the amazing variety of options, tasks, and diversions they offer you.  Tiger comes with a few standard Widgets (including an updated Stickies, of course), but Mac hosts a free download site at the Apple web site that offers literally hundreds more.  Yes—that’s right—hundreds of little applications waiting for your every need.

Want a scoreboard tracker or a recipe search engine?  No problem.  How about weather updates, web cams, or blogs?  Got that, too.  Yes, there is even a Minesweeper widget among the many games you get.  And yes—you read that right before—they are all free, so you can test and try out all the Widgets that interest you to find the perfect combination.

RSS

Every time I see a new acronym I immediately cringe and duck for cover behind my Webster’s unabridged dictionary (2nd Edition, thank you very much).  Surprisingly enough, RSS is one of those new acronyms that are destined to catch on and make surfing the net even more addicting that it already is.

Briefly, RSS is a real time news thread service.  What that means for you is that Safari, Apple’s web browser, can keep track of news headlines for you.  And it tracks these headlines from the sites you choose.  For example, if you want Safari to watch the New York Times, it will tell you how many new headlines the Times has posted since you last visited, then take you directly to the headline page that lists them all in order by time.  The only downside to this whole thing is that you will probably want to write off at least a couple days’ worth of productivity (ahem) while you are…er…"breaking in" your system.

iChat AV

OK—if you don’t have a web cam, here’s an application that will make you want to go buy one.  With iChat AV, videoconferencing has never been easier or better.  You can now set up 4 person videoconferences with a few simple mouse clicks.  Better still, you can actually set up 4 person videoconferences for around $100 per person for a cheap web cam and see what’s going on.