In October, Apple released version 10.5 (colloquially referred to as “Leopard”) of its operating system (OS). The upgrade boasts new features, productivity enhancements, bug fixes...and a new set of potential incompatibilities and workflow problems. If you’re like most graphic designers, you can ill afford production slowdowns caused by unknown bugs and lurking incompatibilities in new software, especially the OS.
Not that it’s all bad news. There are more than 300 new features and performance enhancements in Leopard, including simplified Finder menus, as well as improved file management, networking and other OS elements. New features include:
- Time Machine, an automatic backup system
- Quick Look, a viewer that lets you view the contents of files without opening them
- Spaces, a utility that lets you create multiple customized workspaces on your desktop
There is much more to Leopard. Visit Apple’s site (www.apple.com/macosx) for details.
That all said, users should exercise caution before taking the plunge with this, or any, upgrade, as it will likely not play nice with all “legacy” hardware and software.
Some issues to pay attention to:
- Printers—Many popular printers have updated drivers and PostScript Printer Descriptions (PPDs) included in the OS upgrade. Apple provides a list of printer drivers included in Leopard at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306684.
- Scanners—Not all scanners will function in Leopard without an updated software driver. Check your manufacturer’s Web site to ensure that there is a 10.5-compatible driver.
- Software—In January, Adobe will release a free Creative Suite 3 (CS3) update to add Leopard compatibility to InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat and other CS applications. Adobe has a Leopard compatibility FAQ document available at www.adobe.com/support/products/pdfs/leopardsupport.pdf. (Note that Creative Suite 2 and earlier might not run well – if at all – in Leopard.) Quark has already posted a free updater for QuarkXPress (version 7.31) that has been optimized for Leopard. We recommend, though, double-checking online user forums to gauge user experience with these updated versions.
If you use other types of hardware and software, be sure to check the manufacturers’ Web sites or customer support for Leopard compatibility. Apple itself has released OS X 10.5.1 to fix some problems and compatibility issues.
Perhaps most importantly, consult with us regarding files created in Leopard-compatible applications. We’re experts in ferreting out problems unique to graphic arts workflows and can advise you accordingly.
