Apple has released an update for Snow Leopard, releasing a pack of fixes for various issues within the operating system. The update, OS X v10.6.3, includes stability, reliability and security updates for Snow Leopard.
Users updating their system through the Software Update installer should be warned that the file size may vary from computer-to-computer. Users not installing the upgrade through the Software Update installer can download the required files here.
The updates in OS X v10.6.3 include:
- improve the reliability and compatibility of QuickTime X
- address compatibility issues with OpenGL-based applications
- address an issue that causes background message colors to display incorrectly in Mail
- resolve an issue that prevented files with the # or & characters in their names from opening in Rosetta applications
- resolve an issue that prevented files from copying to Windows file servers
- improve performance of Logic Pro 9 and Main Stage 2 when running in 64-bit mode
- improve sleep and wake reliability when using Bonjour wake on demand
- address a color issue in iMovie with HD content
- improve printing reliability
- resolve issues with recurring events in iCal when connected to an Exchange server
- improve the reliability of 3rd party USB input devices
- fix glowing, stuck, or dark pixels when viewing video from the iMac (Late 2009) built-in iSight camera
Coming in at two months after their previous update, Apple have today released their latest major update for Snow Leopard, which also arrives with a security patch that includes their previous OS X release, Leopard.
The Snow Leopard update to 10.6.2 arrives with a host of fixes that are aimed at improving the reliability of the operating system itself, while others are aimed at technical bugs related to Apple software that comes pre-loaded (Mail, Safari), as well as improvements to iWork, iLife, Aperture, Final Cut Studio and fixes for some graphical and font issues.
Fixes included in the Snow Leopard update:
- an issue that caused data to be deleted when using a guest account
- an issue that might cause your system to logout unexpectedly
- Spotlight search results not showing Exchange contacts
- the reliability of menu extras
- an issue in Dictionary when using Hebrew as the primary language
- shutter-click sound effect when taking a screenshot
- an issue with the four-finger swipe gesture
- an issue adding images to contacts in Address Book
- an issue in Front Row that could cause sluggish or slow frame rates hile watching videos
- creation of mobile accounts for Active Directory users
- reliability and duration of VPN connections
- general reliability improvements for iWork, iLife, Aperture, Final Cut Studio, MobileMe, and iDisk
- overall improvements to VoiceOver performance
- this update addresses video playback and performance issues for iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009) and iMac (27-inch, Late 2009) computers that may occur in some situations while AirPort is turned on
You can find the full list of Snow Leopards fixes at Apple’s website, the 10.6.2 update can be downloaded manually from Apple here or via Software Update in Snow Leopard.
The released security update fixes a list of flaws in numerous software used on both Leopard and Snow Leopard for applications such as Quicktime, plus included features such as Spotlight, to add to a number of other parts of the OS X system.
The security update is included in the Snow Leopard 10.6.2 update, but for Leopard users, you can download the update via the Software Update utility or by downloading it manually from Apple here.
In only two weeks since the official commercial launch of Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 7 has managed to surpass Apple’s Snow Leopard market share. Snow Leopard has been on the market for three months while Windows 7 has only been on the market for two weeks.
Microsoft still stands dominant in the market share, holding strong at 92.52% of all computers in October, compared to Mac OS X with 5.27%, Linux with 0.96% and 1.25% with other operating systems.
Windows 7 managed to surpass Snow Leopards market share (1.17%); Windows 7 managed to grab 2.15% of the market share, where Vista shows 18.83% and Windows XP with 70.48%.
In the weeks leadng up to this holiday season, sales for Windows 7 are sure to climb higher; Windows 7 has already exceeded Windows Vista in the first two weeks of their launch by 234%.
Apple has released a second beta version of the next Snow Leopard update (10.6.2) to its developers, according to AppleInsider.
According to users of this beta build, the new update has improved almost 150 “general focus areas” since the last update, 10.6.1, was released only weeks ago. These include updates to core services like Time Machine, Spaces and Front Row as well as several applications including the new QuickTime Player, Photo Booth and Address Book.
AppleInsider also reports that the update particularly focuses on Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) support for mobile data services and adds enhancements to MobileMe, iDisk, Exchange support and NTFS and WebDAV filesystem support.
Finally, the new update fixes performance and stability issues that are largely tied to drivers and OSX’s OpenCL compiler, includes a number of security patches and bugs including updates to the software update service, printing and parental controls, and fixes a bug caused when switching between applications using the Dock.
Users across the internet have reported several issues with Snow Leopard since its release in August 2009, with the first update, 10.6.1 being issued to users just days after launch. This initial update fixed numerous issues including an outdated version of Adobe Flash that shipped with the operating system.
No expected release date has been issued for the 10.6.2 update at this time.