Umm, everything? Go crazy nuts on that baby and find out if it passes the test.

The reason for the extra protection (for iPhone apps) is that while everything is running on OSX, it's all runnning as root. See this eWeek article for details:

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0%2C1895%2C2191373%2C00.asp

Ouch everything runs as root? This from Apple that's supposed to be better than Microsoft at security? hmm

Also, why does Leopard require a whopping 9GB of hard drive space? Even in these days of cheap hard drive, 9GB for just an OS is a lot.

Please test Time Machine first. That would be the major attraction of Leopard for me.

BTW, Rob what's Apple's position on this? Have they confirmed or denied the report? No wonder they don't allow third party apps.

I would like to know how adobe cs3 products perform under leopard.

The translation that Rob didn't provide:

We want to allow 3rd software makers to develop for the iPhone, but we don't want to give them access to features that may allow them to unlock the iPhone. We need time to check the SDK for security holes that may allow developers, and the hackers who will get their hands on the SDK easily, to unlock the phone.

Honestly, they aren't concerned about virus or malware. The iPhone is too small a market for that. Their primary concern is ensuring that the SDK does not provide a means for unlocking the phone.

Definitely Time Machine (and if there are special portable USB hard drives that work better with it than others) as well as Spaces and Quick Look -- are they truly helpful applications?

It will be beneficial to hear about length of installation, what minor glitches you encounter, how files transferred, and so on. It will help us to know if we should buy....or wait.

Thanks!

If you get your hands on the G4 It would be a lark to find out how it compares in general usability to a 1Ghz P3 with 1GB of RAM running Vista Home Premium. (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/systemrequirements.mspx)

And while 9GB seams huge for an OS Vista needs 15.

9GB really isn't that much considering Leopard is more than just a kernel, media player, and browser, like another operating system. It features music production, video production, email...

Apple need to reconsider offering Java applications on the iPhone. The 'virtual' environment that Java provides limits the vulnerability of the phone in ways that native code can never hope to do. It's the safest, most flexible, option. I imagine that Apple would implement a lovely Java user-interface.

Speaking of Java, I assume there is no indication of Java 6 coming out with the initial release of Leopard? I've had the developer's pre-release JDK for Java 6 for some time, but I'd like to know when I can start shipping Java apps for OSX that require it. Has anyone heard any news, rumors, guesses?

Obviously test everything, but specifically on the G4 test out the processor and graphics-heavy features like iChat, quicklook, and spaces.

A review of time machine would be helpful, but that may be a separate column altogether. I note that apple is not loudly noting that you need an external harddrive to use it.

Please test the new operating system for compatibility with files made for Microsoft operating systems, like Word, Word Perfect, etc. I am thinking of switching and am concerned that I will no longer be able to pull up those files into the Apple programs, e.g., to review or modify them.

Please test to see if the Mac can finally connect with Bluetooth phones using Dial Up Networking profiles (eg., Samsung Blackjack phone used as modem/data connection for Macbook).

I'd like to see Rob test Leopard using an older G4 Mac. I run a 17 inch iMac G4. I don't think I'll update to Leopard because it'll run too slow on this Mac, even though Apple says it'll be fine. I'm not so sure.

The iPod Touch is basically an iPhone stripped of phone features and a camera. So it is a good sandbox to practice hacking the iPhone on. Seems reasonable for Apple to carefully control access to its innards, too.

"I note that apple is not loudly noting that you need an external harddrive to use it."

Maybe that's because anyone with an IQ above room temperature would know it without it needing to be shouted from the rooftops. (Though I'm sure there are clueless folks out there who currently do their only backups to their one and only hard drive, their cluelessness is hardly Jobs' fault.)

I'd like to see a review of Time Machine. It looks like the main reason I'd want to upgrade.

Yes, pls test for Microsoft software compatibility, especially Office/Word. And thanks.

I just want to see how that G4 runs on the minimum amount of recommended RAM. Mostly because I think it'll be incredibly painful, but am not masochistic enough to run that experiment myself.

Oh, but checking out how the dvd players works on older machines ("DVD Player requires a 1.6GHz processor or faster for improved de-interlacing," according to the tech specs) would also be appreciated if you have the time.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I can answer a couple of these questions already: Microsoft Office for Mac can open any files created in Microsoft Office for Windows; at worst, you'll have to download an extra converter to open files saved in the new Office 2007 XML file format. As for WordPerfect files, I'm pretty sure that Word for Mac handles them as well.

You can also use Google Docs in your Web browser or buy Apple's $80 iWork to work with most Microsoft Office files. (Here's my review of those two options.) The free, open-source NeoOffice, a Mac port of OpenOffice, is yet another option. And if you just need to open the occasional Word file, you can use the TextEdit program included in OS X itself.

This issue has nothing to do with different versions of Mac OS X: It depends entirely on what applications you're running on a Mac.

- RP

Leopard uses a second hard drive to run Time Machine (a backup). The operating system does not need a second hard drive to run.

Test of Photoshop Elements 4.0 would be greatly appreciated. After installing iLife 08, there is a slight glitch w/PSE4.0 (which can be worked around) most likely due to the use of stacks rather than files.

Also, if possible, a test of Print Explosion Deluxe 3.0. Thanks.

The first thing to check on X.5 is what's not there...yet.

They allegedly will offer [Real Soon Now] ZFS as a filesystem. If you do not know that is,
check Wikipedia. ZFS is pronounced "kick ass" as that's what it does.

Feed back please on the Spinning ball bug, I am sure this is must soon for Apple to address, we live in hope the it has been fixed in 10.5

yes, PLEASE test g4 compatibility with leopard. I've found a lot of discusssion amongst ibook owners regarding the upgrade--features attractive but i worry about only 512mb of memory and being a power pc rather than the intel (CPU Speed: 1.2 GHz). and THANKS for realizing there are a lot of us out there.

It would be really interesting to see how an older G4 processor works with tiger in terms of 'snappiness' Also I would like to see how some third party apps like Skype work. I suspect you don't have an isight camera on the old G4 so that might be a bit difficult, but that would be a good test.

please test vpc7.

I have been an Apple user since I helped set up Canada in 1980/81. THAT IS 27 YEARS! I have used Apples IIs, IIe, IIg, III AND THEN LISAs, and finally Macs since the first 128K machine in (for me, 1983 - 1 year before general release!). There has NEVER been a so-called PC file, that I have not been able to open and read and re-save again!

All you "Windows PC" people keep asking the SAME OLD questions! Why do you not LISTEN to what millions of Mac users have REITERATED countless times... NO problems...NO problems...NO problems...NO problems...NO problems...!
Just switch and be done with it!
LEOPARD will NOT let you down! Just as TIGER did NOT let anyone down. If you stay with the proper installations and keep up-to-date with updates, you'll always have a smart computer that'll work for and with you!

As far as viruses are concerned, there might be a very slow start to Mac viruses, but to-date, there are none!, No adware, No spyware, no worms, no problems. Even virussed Windows MS Word documents smothered in viruses and launched on a Mac do not interfere with the operating system, though, they might interfere with the proper behaviour of that specific document on the Mac. Just delete it and re-open MS Word! That simple!
If you have a problem, just call me!!

P.S. Same as iPhone... if you use it as it was designed, it'll work properly - if you don't want to agree to Apple methods, then do not buy! Very clean, easy and simple.
Only rather dumb people decide that Apple should be all things to all people. You tend to forget that the rest of the world (100s of PC manufacturers) is non-Apple, so it is really a case of single-handedness! Not too shabby if you ask me! Stop complaining and read a little then believe it!

G4 iBook fears...
first, no-one in their right mind should be using 512MB RAM and Tiger. Sure, it will operate, but why bother with Mac OS X if you are not going to properly fuel it?
Minimum should be 1GB RAM - better 2GB. iBooks LOVE 2GB RAM and work beautifully with anything Apple offers!
iSight cameras work well on all Macs and Leopard will work just fine on any 867MHz G4 processor. My G3 500 PISMO will not work with Leopard, but works fine with TIGER 10.4.10!!! It is now 7.8 years old! And my G4 1.25MHz Mac Server will work just fine, too, with Leopard.
Have a little faith, Brothers!