Not every feature of speech planned for OS X 10.5 find an extensive demo during last workweek ’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote — a few were just mentioned in kick the bucket by Apple CEO Steve Jobs and the other executives who shared the stage with him . While these features may not have the marquee value of Time Machine or enhancements to iChat and Dashboard , they ’re still worth noting for what they ’ll add to Leopard .
Apple’s “Complete Package”
What it isIn the past year , Apple has produced a trinity of practical app — the photograph effects software Photo Booth , the multimedia direction shaft Front Row , and Boot Camp , which lets you install and run Windows XP on an Intel - based Mac . The first two apps have n’t been available to all Mac drug user — Photo Booth has only come installed on Macs equipped with iSight camera , while Front wrangle has been fix to Intel - based Macs and the iMac G5s released last fall . Boot Camp is a beta program that you ’ve had to go out and download yourself . begin with Leopard , all three of those programs will be included with OS X , making them freely available to all Mac users ( although PowerPC - based Mac owner wo n’t get much use out of Boot Camp ) .
And ?
And … that ’s it . Look , we ’re as puzzled as you are about why Steve Jobs included this among the 10 Leopard feature previewed in his Worldwide Developers Conference keynote while relegating a much - raise version of iCal to “ Oh yeah , I almost forgot … ” status .
If the prospect of bring three exist program to the packet you get from OS X 10.5 is n’t necessarily the most exciting development , it for certain is a welcome one . mack users without lately purchase ironware have two option when it comes to Photo Booth and Front Row : do without or download a cracked adaptation . With Leopard , they ’ll be able-bodied to find both political platform lawfully for nothing beyond the cost of upgrading to OS X 10.5 . And while anyone can download the Boot Camp beta now , it ’ll be more convenient to kick upstairs to Leopard and just have the dual - booting applications programme be there .
( This kind of tactical maneuver by Apple is not unprecedented . If you retrieve , iMovie made its unveiling as a roll up app on theiMac DV ; midway through 2000 , the company made the movie - editing app available as a barren download . )
What ’s missingWith a few exceptions , Apple has been cagey about what to expect from these applications programme when they appear as part of Leopard . The company says it will lucubrate the number of cameras Photo Booth works with — but did not say whether to expect any new feature or effects to be summate with Leopard . Apple has confirmed that the Apple Remote that controls Front Row wo n’t work on motorcar without an infrared porthole — creating an opportunity for third - political party developers to add their own result — but has n’t pronounce much else about the software . And while it ’s a safe bet that Boot Camp will be out of beta form and a finished production when it appears with Leopard , there are no other item about what to expect in that finished version .
Who ’s it forBasically , everybody with a Mac . The new package wo n’t appeal to everyone — I ca n’t opine spend a minute of my life with Photo Booth , just as I ’m trusted there are some Mac user who have no interest in boot into Windows XP on their Mac Pros or MacBooks . But with Leopard , at least , everyone will have the choice of sampling this software if they select .
Parental controls
What it isOS X presently offers some modest control via a tab in the Accounts preferences pane of System Preferences . Using these controls , parent can place limits on which apps specific users accounts can run and whether they ’re permitted to perform sure task such as cauterize candle and DVDs , modifying the Dock , administering printers , and so forth . More specific choice let parent insure apps like iChat ( permitting who kids can chat with ) , Safari ( listing which entanglement sites they can surf to ) , Mail ( limiting outgoing mail to specific addresses ) , and Dictionary ( choke up certain actor’s line including profanity ) .
Clearly some parent found these control to be want , as Apple touts the change to this field under the heading of “ Because you said so ” on itsLeopard preview Sir Frederick Handley Page . The promised enhancements include more flexibleness , the power to restrict cyberspace use , and the power to specify when and how long kidskin can use certain program . Apple also promises a remote frame-up feature that lets parents determine control from anywhere .
What ’s missingThat ’s about it , as far as details go . The parental controls feature article barely shop a cite from Jobs in his keynote , and the Leopard World Wide Web site dedicate less than 50 wrangle to the topic . If we can be forgiven some rampant guess , the front of a specific logo ( pictured on the right wing ) prepare us marvel if parental controls will get a pane of its own in Leopard ’s system preferences .
Who ’s it forParents who find limited by OS X ’s exist control condition will need to give this feature film a feeling see once Leopard ships . Others will likely go on ignoring its macrocosm .
A few words about Xcode 3.0
What it isIf it seems strange that Apple would give short shrift to a new reading of Xcode , its free graphic ontogenesis environment , at a keynote primarily wait on by developers , remember that the interview also included many newsperson breathlessly awaiting Steve Jobs ’ next Apocalypse . And us newsperson type be given to get fidgety when the keynote public lecture turn to under - the - hood concepts that ca n’t be parsed into promiscuous - to - compilation soundbites . Also , once the reporters were shooed away , Apple doubtlessly spent considerable time briefing developers about Xcode in the many not - for - public - revelation sessions that make up WWDC .
To summarize the major change then , this variation of Xcode adds inline substance bubbles ( think iChat ) to show build errors , breakpoint definitions , and debug time value , along with the applicable reference code . There ’s a unexampled Interface Builder , which Apple say will let developers perform refactoring performance and add vivification to their apps . A new feature article , Xray , uses a GarageBand - fashion port to track and liken substance abuser - consequence and carrying into action metrics such as read / write actions , UI events , and CPU load .
[ Philip Michaels is the executive editor of Macworld.com . ]
