Apple Computer’s upgraded Mac OS X operating system, called Tiger, would be available from April 29 onwards, the company has announced. The first consignments of Tiger, which has 200 new features, would be shipped in the first half of the year.
“Mac OS X Tiger is the most innovative and secure desktop operating system ever created. Tiger’s groundbreaking new features like Spotlight and Dashboard will change the way people use their computers, and drive our competitors nuts trying to copy them,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive.
Tiger, which would be available at a cost of US$ 129, would further enhance users’ interest in Apple computers that have seen a spur in growth due to the Mac Mini and the iPod digital music player.
The latest operating system has an added feature called Spotlight, which is essentially a desktop search function that makes it easy to find documents, music, photographs and email messages on the computer. Another feature peculiar to Tiger is Dashboard, which is mainly a set of Internet programs that help users obtain quick information about movie timings, stock prices, airline flights and a host of other information. A multiple user pack would cost US$ 199 for use on five computers in one home.
Tiger’s other enhanced features include Safari RSS, which scours Web sites for news items and articles and lists them in one easy-to-read, searchable manner; Automator, which acts as an assistant for organizing repetitive manual tasks without programming; QuickTime 7, an upgraded version of Apple’s standards-based media player with live video resizing, zero-configuration streaming and extensive surround sound; and Mail 2, an enhanced new version of the Mac OS X built-in Mail application with a new user interface, among others.
Meanwhile, rival Microsoft’s updated operating system, titled Longhorn, seems to be taking forever to be released. It is now likely to be released in the year 2006; in the interim Microsoft will launch IE7.0, due this summer for XP users.
