the more things change

The more things change, the more they stay the same, or so they say, and sometimes that's a good thing.

The last thing you want to encounter when doing a software upgrade is having to learn to use it all over again.

Happily, that's not the case with Mac OS X 10.5, a.k.a. Leopard. While the look is a little different, and there's some new features to be explored, chances are just about everything you already knew how to do with OS X still works as expected. It fits like a new glove carefully modeled on an old one that had already shaped itself to your hand.

taking your OS X game to the next level

The version of Mac OS X 10.5 that will come preinstalled on all new consumer Macs starting this coming Friday is, strictly speaking, the 'client' version of the OS. There's also a server version, which will also be released on the 26th.

The foundation of the two is the same. What differentiates the server version is that it comes with a suite of administration tools and server programs.

Like the client version, it's designed to be easy to use, easy enough that it's a reasonable choice for groups and company's too small to have an IT department, even easy enough for home use for those who need the sophistication of a server.

That's not to say that it's been dumbed down, Mac OS X is Unix, after all, and you have only to open the Terminal program to be reminded of that fact. Any standard tools that may not have been encapsulated in graphical interfaces will still be there, just a command-line entry away, and any other POSIX compliant software available as source code should compile without modification.

Personally, I'll be getting the client version, since I only have one computer, at present, and no real need for the server programs. I wish I could justify the server version, because I'd love to play around with Wiki Server, iCal Server, and iChat Server! Taken together, these server programs and the client programs that work with them comprise some pretty fancy groupware, capable of significantly improving productivity in situations where they're a good fit.

So maybe you're not yet ready for Mac OS X Server either. Just remember that it exists and keep an eye peeled for circumstances in which it might be the right solution. You may find that such circumstances are commonplace, practically everywhere you look!

on the bright side

The wait for Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5) is almost over, only six days left to go.

For a peek at what Leopard will be like, check out the guided tour on Apple's website.

when on death row...

Want to know whether Michael Richard's lawyers were running Windows or Mac OS X? Good luck!

That issue seems not to have made the cut as compared with whether the death penalty ought to be abolished, whether lethal injection is unconstitutional, whether Judge Keller ought to have accepted a late filing, or whether Richard deserved what he got - understandably, I suppose.

Personally, I suspect a coverup. I mean, if his lawyers had been using Macs, you *know* it would have rated inclusion as part of the story.

But we're talking about Texas here. What are the chances his lawyers weren't running Windows? I'd say just a hair above zero.

The bottom line: when on death row, make sure your lawyers aren't running Windows.

Murray Bookchin's parting of the ways with anarchism

Never heard of Murray Bookchin? No surprise, but you may count yourself the poorer for it. While American society bumbled its way along, Murray's gaze always penetrated deeper, and the transformations he went through were far more thoroughly considered.

The essay linked here primarily traces one such transition, one that even his admirers frequently overlook.

consolidation and repurposing

I can feel it coming, there's a change in the wind.

With three blogs, two websites (one venerable and the other just recently put to use), and one registered domain, I'm feeling the need to bring a little more order to this online presence business.

I have the beginnings of a plan, but want to let it steep for awhile before making any changes that would be difficult to reverse, or saying more.

Don't worry, nothing beyond my own degree of distraction depends upon this.

ebb and flow

This is why I would be very hard pressed to write a regular column; I don't always have something to say.

It might be easier if I didn't get so caught up with the next big thing coming (usually) from Apple. Right now it's mainly Leopard (and Xcode 3), although Mac OS X 10.4.11 is looking ready to drop any day now. The tension is palpable; Leopard's release will be huge! And I can hardly wait to start reading the details about Objective C 2.0 and to try out the new development environment.

Acquired tastes, I realize, but there it is.

Meanwhile the rest of the world muddles along much the same as if I were giving it my rapt attention. That's a very liberating thought, I've discovered, and I no longer beat myself up over my various obsessions and what I'm not getting done while pursuing them.

one month to go

Leopard, Mac OS X 10.5, which was originally expected to ship earlier this year, now appears to be just about ready for release, with a target date that still reads October, so make that a month plus or minus a couple of weeks to go.

Given the delay, it's easy to lose track of why this matters. Ho, hum, another operating system update, another big cat name, big deal, right?

Well, yeah, it IS a big deal. For a reminder of why, click here.

iPod Touch as SIP Terminal

Apple's new iPod Touch may not be a phone, out of the box, but it lacks only a microphone and a bit of software for use as an Internet phone, for example using SIP.

Since the iPhone and all recent full-size iPods use the same dock connector, and there are already microphones that work with it [(1), (2), (3), (4)], all that remains is software.

Since the iPod Touch uses the same software foundation as the iPhone, and work on SIP for the iPhone is already well along, it shouldn't be long, perhaps just a matter of days, before that is also in place.

Not that it matters all that much in a world of millions of sales; it isn't likely to be more than a tiny niche for the time being, but it's a COOL niche!

Thank you, Apple!

Masters of damage control that they sometimes/usually are, Apple has seen the light in almost record time, and will be offering $100 credits to those who purchased iPhones prior to the cutoff date for their standing price protection policy, provided they paid full retail and haven't received some other form of refund.

For myself, with the release of Leopard coming up soon, that $100 credit is as good as cash! ;-)