Mac OS X v10.1
Encyclopedia
Mac OS X version 10.1, code name
d "Puma", is the second major release of Mac OS X
, Apple's desktop and server operating system
. It superseded Mac OS X v10.0
and preceded Mac OS X v10.2
. Version 10.1 was released on 25 September 2001 as a 'free update' to version 10.0. Starting with version 10.1.2, Apple made Mac OS X the default operating system on new Macs.
The operating system was handed out for no charge by Apple employees after Steve Jobs
' keynote
speech at the Seybold publishing
conference in San Francisco. It was subsequently distributed to Macintosh users on 25 October 2001 at Apple Stores
and other retail
stores that carried Apple products. The operating system was better received than Mac OS X version 10.0, although critics claimed that the operating system was still lacking features and was plagued with bugs.
This system release brought some major new features to the Mac OS X platform:
as the default booting operating system on new computers illustrated their point. Apple switched to using Mac OS X as the default with the 10.1.2 release.
Code name
A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage...
d "Puma", is the second major release of Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, Apple's desktop and server operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
. It superseded Mac OS X v10.0
Mac OS X v10.0
Mac OS X version 10.0, code named "Cheetah", is the first major release of Mac OS X, Apple’s desktop and server operating system. Mac OS X v10.0 was released on March 24, 2001 for a price of US$129...
and preceded Mac OS X v10.2
Mac OS X v10.2
Mac OS X version 10.2 "Jaguar" is the third major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system. It superseded Mac OS X v10.1 code name Puma and preceded Mac OS X Panther...
. Version 10.1 was released on 25 September 2001 as a 'free update' to version 10.0. Starting with version 10.1.2, Apple made Mac OS X the default operating system on new Macs.
The operating system was handed out for no charge by Apple employees after Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
' keynote
Stevenote
"Stevenote" is a colloquial term for the keynote speeches given by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs at events such as the Worldwide Developers Conference and previously the Macworld and Apple Expos. Jobs' vibrant speaking style and manner of exciting the crowd was often referred to as inducing a...
speech at the Seybold publishing
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
conference in San Francisco. It was subsequently distributed to Macintosh users on 25 October 2001 at Apple Stores
Apple Store (retail)
The Apple Retail Store is a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc., dealing in computers and consumer electronics. The stores sell Macintosh personal computers, software, iPods, iPads, iPhones, third-party accessories, and other consumer electronics such as Apple TV...
and other retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
stores that carried Apple products. The operating system was better received than Mac OS X version 10.0, although critics claimed that the operating system was still lacking features and was plagued with bugs.
System requirements
- Supported computers—Power Mac G3, G4, G4 Cube, iMac G3, DV, eMac, PowerBook, or iBook
- RAM required—128 megabyteMegabyteThe megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...
s (MB) (unofficially 64 MB minimum) - Free hard drive space—1.5 gigabyteGigabyteThe gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
s (GB)
Features
Apple introduced many features that were missing from the last version, as well as improving overall system performance.This system release brought some major new features to the Mac OS X platform:
- Performance enhancements—Mac OS X v10.1 introduced large performance increases throughout the system.
- Easier CD and DVD burning—better support in FinderMacintosh FinderThe Finder is the default file manager used on Mac OS and Mac OS X operating systems; it is responsible for the overall user-management of files, disks, network volumes and the launching of other applications...
as well as iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.... - DVD playback supportDVD playerA DVD player is a device that plays discs produced under both the DVD-Video and DVD-Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards. These devices were invented in 1997 and continue to thrive...
—DVDs can be played in Apple DVD Player - More printer support (200 printers supported out of the box)—One of the main complaints of version 10.0 users was the lack of printer drivers, and Apple attempted to remedy the situation by including more drivers, although many critics complained that there were still not enough.
- Faster 3D (OpenGLOpenGLOpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
performs 20% faster)—The OpenGL drivers, and handling were vastly improved in this version of Mac OS X, which created a large performance gap for 3D elements in the interface, and 3D applications. - Improved AppleScriptAppleScriptAppleScript is a scripting language created by Apple Inc. and built into Macintosh operating systems since System 7. The term "AppleScript" may refer to the scripting system itself, or to particular scripts that are written in the AppleScript language....
—The scripting interface now allows scripting access to many more system components, such as the Printer Center, and Terminal, thus improving the customizability of the interface. As well, Apple introduced AppleScript Studio, which allows a user to create full AppleScript applications in a simple graphical interface. - ColorSync 4.0ColorSyncColorSync is Apple Inc's color management API for the Mac OS and Mac OS X.-Version history:Apple developed the original 1.0 version of ColorSync as a Mac-only architecture, which made it into an operating system release in 1993. In the same year, Apple co-founded the International Color Consortium...
, the color managementColor managementIn digital imaging systems, color management is the controlled conversion between the color representations of various devices, such as image scanners, digital cameras, monitors, TV screens, film printers, computer printers, offset presses, and corresponding media.The primary goal of color...
system and API. - Image CaptureImage CaptureImage Capture is an application program from Apple that enables users to upload pictures from digital cameras or scanners which are either connected directly to the computer or the network...
, for acquiring images from digital cameras and scannersScannersScanners is a 1981 science-fiction horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Michael Ironside, and Patrick McGoohan...
.
Criticisms
Although version 10.1 was a more efficient operating system than its predecessor, it still received its share of criticism.- System performance—Although system performance in version 10.1 was greatly improved, it was still deemed 'not enough' for many to adopt Mac OS X as their main operating system.
- Minor upgrade—While version 10.1 made some significant headway, many users criticized the step between versions 10.0 and 10.1 as not large enough. The user interface was said to have barely changed at all, and significant bugs still existed, some that caused entire system crashes.
Mac OS X v10.1 as a main operating system
Critics claimed that Mac OS X was still not fully developed in terms of reliability or functionality, and as such could not be used as a main operating system under normal conditions. They believed that Apple’s use of Mac OS 9Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as...
as the default booting operating system on new computers illustrated their point. Apple switched to using Mac OS X as the default with the 10.1.2 release.
Release history
| Version | Build | Date | OS name Uname uname is a software program in Unix and Unix-like computer operating systems that prints the name, version and other details about the current machine and the operating system running on it... |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.1 | 5G64 | September 25, 2001 | Darwin Darwin (operating system) Darwin is an open source POSIX-compliant computer operating system released by Apple Inc. in 2000. It is composed of code developed by Apple, as well as code derived from NeXTSTEP, BSD, and other free software projects.... 1.4.1 |
Original retail CD-ROM release; 5L14 and 5L17b available after certain security updates |
| 10.1.1 | 5M28 | November 12, 2001 | Darwin 5.1 | Mac OS X Update 10.1.1: Information and Download |
| 10.1.2 | 5P48 | December 21, 2001 | Darwin 5.2 | Mac OS X Update 10.1.2: Information and Download |
| 10.1.3 | 5Q45 | February 19, 2002 | Darwin 5.3 | Mac OS X Update 10.1.3: Information and Download |
| 10.1.4 | 5Q125 | April 17, 2002 | Darwin 5.4 | Mac OS X Update 10.1.4: Information and Download |
| 10.1.5 | 5S60 | June 5, 2002 | Darwin 5.5 | Mac OS X Update 10.1.5: Information and Download; 5S66 after networking update |
External links
- Mac OS X v10.1 review at Ars TechnicaArs TechnicaArs Technica is a technology news and information website created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, science, technology policy, and video games. Ars Technica is known for its features, long articles that go...