Real Kato Blog: Apple Watch: Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther" Set to Ship October 24th

Apple's latest operating system, code-named "Panther", is set to hit stores on October 24th, at a retail price of $129. Is it worth it?

Apple, in its usual style, will be holding a party from 8 p.m. to midnight on the 24th at all of its retail stores, to introduce its newest version of Mac OS X with a bang. New features in version 10.3 include fast user switching (as Windows XP has, but with a bit more style), a new Finder, speed improvements, iChat AV video-conferencing, and a new version of Mail (its e-mail application).

The one feature that might make the whole package worthwhile, though, is ExposŽ. At first, this feature, which arranges small versions of all your on-screen windows with a single key-press, might just seem like more eye candy. But for a user like me, who frequently has to shuffle through ten or more open applications at a time, ExposŽ will be a tremendous time saver.

I'm a bit less thrilled about the new Finder; not because I'm attached to the existing version, but because I don't think Apple is going far enough in changing its desktop metaphor. I like the idea that files would be organized more like songs in iTunes, but I want to see that concept extended... I want to do away with folders altogether, and just attach meta-data to each file.

I want all my files to be available to me all the time, sorted however I want, with no navigating through endless hierarchies of folders and subfolders. In iTunes, if I want to change the way songs are organized, I can just go to the song and change its metadata... click, type, point; no navigating needed. In the current Finder, I have to open two windows, navigate to the correct place in each window, and drag files across. Third-party developers, help me out here!

Still, I'll rush out to buy a copy early, just to see if the rumors about speed improvements are true. Apple has long known that perception is reality when it comes to speed: if a user interface feels fast, then people will think the whole computer is fast. Right now, Mac OS X feels slower than it is, and that's hurting its "Switch" campaign. I'm sure Apple knows that, and that they're itching to fix that problem; when I get my hands on Panther, I'll let you know if they've succeeded.

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