Mac OS X is a super-modern operating system that combines the power and stability of UNIX with the elegance of the Macintosh. Mac OS X features a stunning new user interface called Aqua, making work and play on the Mac even more intuitive for new users, while providing powerful, customizable tools for professionals. At the foundation of Mac OS X lies an industrial-strength UNIX-based core operating system that delivers unprecedented stability and performance.

Features

Aqua user interface

Easy to use and intuitive for new users, with powerful features for professionals

Innovative organizational features such as the new Dock and Finder

Fully customizable to the way you work

Stability and Performance

UNIX-based core operating system provides industrial-strength foundation

Protected memory and advanced memory management increase system stability

Preemptive multitasking boosts system performance and responsiveness

Symmetric multiprocessing takes advantage of dual processor systems

Modern, standards-based networking offers seamless network integration

High-performance I/O architecture provides plug-and-play support for USB and FireWire peripherals

Classic technology supports most of current Mac OS 9 applications

Designed for the Internet

Internet applications include Mail, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Internet Connect

Use integrated iTools services including a Mac.com email address, iDisk storage space and more

Get software updates over the Internet to keep your system up to date

Graphics

Quartz Extreme provides stunning onscreen graphics, PDF imaging and extensive font support

OpenGL powers intense 3D graphics

QuickTime 6 technology streams audio and video on the Internet

Featured Technologies

AppleScript

Aqua

Bluetooh

Darwin

Inkwell

Java 2 Standard Edition

MIDI and multichannel audio

Open Directory

OpenGL 3D

Personal Firewall

Personal Printer Sharing

Quartz Extreme(1)

QuickTime 6(2)

Rendezvous

Featured Applications

Address Book

DVD Player

iChat

iMovie

iPhoto

iTunes

Mail

Sherlock 3

Adobe Acrobat Reader 5

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.2

Languages: English, Japanese, French,German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese

Requirements

Power Mac G3 or G4

iMac

eMac

PowerBook G3 or G4

iBook computer with 128 MB of physical RAM

Preemptive multitasking

Preemptive multitasking essentially works like a controller that enables the PowerPC G4 to process several different tasks simultaneously. The controller gives priority to your primary applications, while the PowerPC G4 continues to crunch away at other tasks in the background. Mac OS X uses this controller to monitor the processor at all times. The controller prioritizes tasks, makes sure activities are at peak levels, and allocates resources on the fly to ensure that every task has the processing power it needs.

Processor priorities are set according to the importance of each task. If you suddenly decide to check your email or surf the web while you're in the middle of compressing an MP3 music file, Mac OS X preempts the audio compression task and re-allocates sufficient processor power to comply with your most recent request.

Symmetric multiprocessing

All Mac OS X applications and technologies are optimized to take advantage of the dual processor capabilities of the PowerPC G4, because symmetric multiprocessing takes preemptive multitasking to the next level. Mac OS X automatically harnesses both processors, so all of your applications benefit from the higher performance the second processor offers. Mac OS X allocates application tasks to the processors as needed, using (say) one processor to burn a DVD while it uses the other to create a new MP3 file. As serial processes these two tasks could take quite a while to complete, but with both processors in action &emdash; processing in parallel &emdash; the time to complete the two tasks is cut nearly in half. That's why complex tasks like image transformations, video compression and MP3 encoding operations are often completed in up to half the time using Mac OS X on a dual processor Power Mac G4.

Multithreading

Mac OS X enables performance increases by breaking down complex processes into sub-processes, known as threads, and executing the threads in parallel across two processors. For example, if you were creating a transition between two clips of video, the process would include decoding the first clip, decoding the second clip, rendering the transition, and re-encoding the transition back into the original format. On Mac OS X, the system can decode the two clips at the same time, one on each processor. And afterwards, while the transition is rendering on one processor, finished frames can be re-encoded on the second processor. Because threads are processing in parallel, you can complete a process in significantly less time.


You can easily connect your Mac to any network , whether wired or wireless, Mac, UNIX or Windows-based.
And it all just works.

Audio in OS X: Core Audio

Core Audio manages the access to audio hardware. In contrast to previous standards, Core Audio is an integral part of Mac OS X. Core Audio is more flexible, even allowing access to multiple audio hardware devices from several audio applications simultaneously, without restarting.
(Audio interfaces available: Emagic's EMI 6/2m and EMI 2/6; Motu 2496 mk3, Motu HD 192, ProTools TDM -Pro Tools HD, Pro Tools 24 MIX, Pro Tools 24- , Pro Tools LE -Digi 001, Audiomedia III and ToolBox- ...)

MIDI in Mac OS X: Core MIDI

Core MIDI controls the access to MIDI interfaces. In contrast to previous standards, Core MIDI is an integrated part of Mac OS X. This system-level integration contributes to reduced latency, and a dramatic increase in system stability. MIDI interfaces support Core MIDI (available: Emagic's Unitor8, AMT8 and MT4 USB ...) . Users can even access various MIDI interfaces from multiple MIDI applications at the same time.