For months, it has been the hottest topic of conversation among Mac users: have you made the switch to OS X?
OS X, as in OS 10, has been plugged by Apple as the only place to be for good Macolytes. It is a geek's dream of an operating system, with hardcore credentials ensured by the Unix core that powers it. But on top is the shiniest, candy-coloured coating in computerdom: all bouncing icons, swooshing windows and internet-enabled dynamism.
For the bulk of the Mac world, which perseveres on Apple's OS 9 system, it's a case of when - not if - they shift. But Apple still needs its latest OS X incarnation - version 10.2 - to persuade them that now is the time to jump. After years of development, OSX 10.2 is the platform on which Apple will introduce a raft of new features.
The last minor version of OS X might have been only 10.1.5, but 10.2 is better by a lot more than a few notches. I have been using 10.2 on my new model iMac for 10 days, installing it over the previous system (10.1.5) in a process that took a little more than an hour. The first thing you notice is the effect of the Quartz graphics. All modern Macs will use Quartz, a system that is intended to speed up the machine by farming out responsibility for creating what you see to your computer's video card. Quartz smoothes the type on display, meaning every page resembles a PDF document, more like a printed page than ever before.
The effect is not universally successful but, in most cases, it works well. Other tweaks improve the user experience, including a toning down of the candy colours, and more flexible system preferences. In the Finder, the "spring-loaded" folders that existed for years in pre OS X systems, but which were stupidly dropped from the new OS, have been reintroduced. Moving to OS X 10.2 will, for Mac users still on OS 9 or earlier, still be a shock, but OS X's looks have been tamed sufficiently for the learning curve not to be too steep.
The performance of previous versions of OS X was to be tackled in 10.2. It is clear some operations were faster - especially starting up, although this is something you do not have to do often, given OS X's stability. I went weeks without restarting10.1.5, and 10.2 shows no signs of being less reliable. For most day-to-day operations, however, there is little obvious speed improvement, something borne out by tests by enthusiasts this week at Macintouch.com.
I still feel Macs lag behind even quite modest PC set-ups in day-to-day operations such as web browsing - a problem Apple is rumoured to be working on. More obvious are the new features. First up is iChat, the AOL Instant Messaging-compatible chat client. This is a clean-looking, simple bit of software, following in the i-mould of previous packages such as iTunes and iMovie.
It has worked well in a few lengthy chats I've had, and neat details, like the way your comments are reserved a place the moment you start typing, make it slightly more slick than using AOL's software. The Mail application has been radically revamped, with improved spam filtering, although I still prefer the feel of Microsoft's Entourage.
And Apple promises great things for the new Address Book, which can synch with remote devices to help manage your diary and contacts. I still prefer my trusty Filofax, but Address Book - which will synch over Bluetooth with things like mobiles - could break down my resistance. Indeed, much of the system's allure lies in its promise.
Take, for instance, the Rendezvous networking feature, which threatens to make the lives of anyone managing even modest networks simpler. It should allow Macs and remote devices to see and connect to each other without human intervention, via wired connections and wireless networks. I also look forward to a fully functioning Sherlock search engine: by dint of being mere Euros, we are denied the new Yellow Pages-style features it boasts in the US.
Apple may introduce a similar service in Europe, but in the meantime we can only watch as users across the pond locate businesses, view maps and operate a variety of services from their desktop. It's an impressive application that underlines the fact that this is truly an operating system for the broadband, always-on world. Broadband is not the only technology OS X really likes to have. A newer Mac, and lots of memory, are also recommended, as is all OS X "native" software, so you do not have to use the OS 9 "classic" environment.
So is OS X 10.2 worth the investment? For most people, yes. If you have hesitated about migrating from OS 9, you will find many of your fears have been tackled. This system is stable and feature rich and, provided you have a recent-era Mac, reasonably fast. Moreover, as every new development in the Mac world is going to happen in OS X, you will quickly find yourself feeling left behind if you don't join the party soon. Once only a Mac geek's dream, OS X now cuts it as an operating system with something for us all.
