ANTenna Blog -- Hardware & Software

Apple is making headway in the enterprise environment. But is Leopard, the sixth major release of Apple's Mac OS X operating system, worth an IT manager's consideration?

PC Magazine loves it. "Despite minor problems, it's by far the best operating system ever written for the vast majority of consumers, with dozens of new features that have real practical value—like truly automated backups, preview images in folders, and notes and to-do lists integrated into the mail program."

But, writer Edward Mendelson adds, "Propeller-heads with IT know-how will no doubt hold up Linux as the better choice, and Vista has its devotees as well(and will probably have more when SP1 is widely available), but, for the average user, Leopard is the most polished and easiest to use OS I've tested."

Ars Technica's very lengthy Leopard review (17 pages!) can be summed up with this sentence: "If you're wondering whether you should upgrade to Leopard, the answer, as it's been for every major revision of Mac OS X, is yes."

CNET, while not as gung ho, is also impressed. "Should you pay for Leopard? If you're happy with the way Tiger works, then maybe not. If you need Bootcamp, however, then you must have Leopard. And if you're considering the purchase of a new computer, Leopard makes Macs more enticing than Tiger did. Plus, Leopard makes it far easier to find documents and applications than Windows Vista. Leopard's interface niceties made the daily mechanics of using the computer more pleasurable. Mundane chores, such as finding files and backing up data, become a visual treat."

LAPTOP Magazine had this to say: "If you're a Mac user, Leopard is worth the price for Time Machine alone, but the sheer variety of improvements and innovation inside this OS give you much more than your money's worth. While some enhancements are just for fun, and others could have gone further, there's plenty here to keep Apple users productive and happy-and make Windows users jealous."

And, in the end, isn't that what it's all about?

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