Entered CNET Catalog: 10/17/2003
SKU: 0718908551080
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Manufacturer description
Mac OS X is the world's most advanced operating system, blending the power and stability of UNIX with the legendary simplicity and ease-of-use of the Macintosh. Mac OS X version 10.3 "Panther" contains over 150 new features and provides significant enhancements to its modern, UNIX-based foundation. Panther includes iChat AV for personal video conferencing, Expose for instantly finding any window, and a new Finder for easy access to everything you need. It's like having an all-new Mac.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 10/31/2003
 Panther has dumped Aqua in favor of a brushed-metal look for the Finder, which now includes a sidebar that replaces Favorites. |
Once you reboot, you'll notice that Apple has abandoned the light and airy Aqua interface for the darker, heavier brushed-metal look of iTunes. The interface is also busier and less consistent than Jaguar's. When you turn off the Finder's title bar, for instance, the window converts to a completely different style with a gray title bar and no borders; it's not brushed metal, but not quite Aqua, either.
Many of Panther's interface changes seem to promote style at the expense of usability. The transparency of title bars has disappeared, so you can no longer tell if there are open windows behind the front window. Internet Preferences is also gone; to set your default e-mail client, you now have to go to the Apple Mail application's preferences. If you want Internet Explorer or Camino as your Web browser or if you want to change the location of file downloads, you have to go to Safari Preferences. And for no apparent reason, buttons have replaced tabs in every application--even non-Apple apps.
With Panther, Apple continues to create new places to park file and folder icons. Version 10.0 gave us the Dock; Jaguar added the Finder toolbar. Panther adds the sidebar, which contains drive icons and the special folder icons that were formerly in the toolbar, to the left side of every Finder window. (The toolbar now supports only generic folder icons.) As with the Dock and the toolbar, you can add your own files and folders to the sidebar, which also appears in Open and Save windows. Since the sidebar doesn't provide anything new and takes up more screen real estate, we don't see the advantage of it.
Unfortunately, in creating the Finder toolbar, Apple has eliminated the Favorites feature and crippled the Column view. When you click a sidebar icon such as Home, you can no longer go up the directory tree. Before, a click of the left arrow key would take you to the left column. Now, you have to use multiple mouse clicks to navigate back down the directory tree from the hard disk icon. Mac OS X 10.3 Panther boasts some impressive new features despite its dubious interface changes. We like the real-time searching in the Find field in the Finder toolbar; just type a few characters, and a list of files and folders instantly begins to assemble. Don't backspace, though, or you'll watch the cursor spin as Panther tries a new search for every character deleted.
 Expose exposed: the F9 key shrinks every open window, letting you choose one by clicking it. |
The new Expose feature makes up for the Dock's historic application-switching inadequacies. Press the F9 key, and all open windows in all open applications shrink to a tiled view. Or press the F11 key to whisk all windows off to the edge of the desktop. A direct copy of a third-party utility, LiteSwitch X, from Proteron Software, also improves application switching. When you hit Command+Tab to switch between applications, the middle of the screen displays large icons of the currently running applications, among which you can then choose.
 Panther's real-time searching brings up returns almost as fast as you can type characters into the search field. |
The inclusion of Apple's fabulous iChat AV is a welcome feature, considering that Jaguar users will have to pay $30 for it starting in January. If you subscribe to Apple's $100 per year .Mac service, accessing your Web-based files is now much faster. Panther automatically stores your iDisk contents in a cache on your hard drive. (Owners of external LaCie hard drives, beware: Some users have lost data stored on LaCie FireWire 800 drives after they installed Panther.)
We're also impressed with Panther's fast user switching à la Windows XP. This enables multiple users to be logged on to a Mac at the same time, letting you switch from one user environment to another without logging out or quitting any applications--all remain running in the background. Panther outdoes XP, however, by animating the switch, as the current screen appears to rotate on a big cube to the next user's screen. Another new feature, FileVault, offers built-in drive encryption technology. Unix fans will appreciate the inclusion Apple's X11 for the Mac OS X environment, probably the best implementation of the Unix windowing system for Macintosh.
Panther also increases compatibility with Windows networks, letting Macs function fully on networks with regard to file sharing, printing, and so on. There's better Active Directory integration and support for IPsec virtual private networks. Unfortunately, we found several problems with Panther's file sharing. First, Panther offers two different methods to log on to a server that yield different results. If you type a URL in the Go menu's Connect To Server window, file sharing is the same as before: the server mounts on the desktop and appears in Save windows, and a new drive icon appears in the sidebar. If you log on to the same server through the Finder's Network icon, however, the server doesn't appear on the desktop or in the sidebar, and in Open and Save dialogs of applications, you have to click through three or four levels of folders every time.
We also saw instability: Windows SMB files servers would appear, then disappear, when we tried to log on. Sometimes clicking the Network icon would lock up the Finder with the spinning beach ball. Searching user forums at Apple's Web site and elsewhere, we found other users having the same problems, although Apple told us it was unaware of these glitches.
Although Panther patches more than a dozen security flaws that exist in earlier versions of the OS, at the time of this writing, we could find no mention of these patches being made available for download for users of Mac OS X versions 10.2 and earlier. It doesn't seem right that the only way for older Mac OS X users to get the needed security patches is to shell out $130 for the new OS. Mac OS X 10.3 Panther will give you only a small speed increase over Mac OS X 10.2.8, the most recent Jaguar build. In fact, our tests show that with the exception of our iTunes benchmark, the 10.2.8-to-10.3 performance improvement is smaller than the one you get from upgrading from 10.2 to 10.2.8. In fact, 10.3 was a hair slower (less than 1 percent) than 10.2.8 on our Photoshop 7.0 benchmark. The largest performance gain we saw from 10.2.8 to 10.3 was on our iMovie test (6 percent). On our 3D gaming benchmark, Panther's frame rates on Quake III were 3 percent faster than the latest version of Jaguar, 10.2.8.
Our test installations of Panther and Jaguar were both new installations. Your mileage may vary, as Mac OS X has a tendency to slow down over time--that is, doing a clean installation of the same version of OS X will get you faster performance. For Panther, the single-digit performance gain by itself is not reason enough to upgrade.
Photoshop 7.0 test (Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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iMovie test (Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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iTunes test (Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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CNET Labs uses three different applications (iMovie, iTunes, and Photoshop 7.0) to test the Apple Power Mac G5's performance. Through the use of a number of timed tests, CNET Labs is able to roughly determine the performance of a given system.
Quake III: Arena test (Longer bars indicate better performance)
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To measure 3D gaming performance, CNET Labs uses Quake III: Arena for OS X. Although Quake III is an older game, it is still widely used as an industry-standard tool.
System configurations:
Apple Power Mac G4
Dual 1.25GHz G4; 512MB DDR SDRAM (333MHz); 120GB 7200RPM Ultra ATA/100 hard drive; ATI Radeon 9000 Pro 64MB DDR; Mac OS X 10.2
Apple Power Mac G4
Dual 1.25GHz G4; 512MB DDR SDRAM (333MHz); 120GB 7200RPM Ultra ATA/100 hard drive; ATI Radeon 9000 Pro 64MB DDR; Mac OS X 10.2.8
Apple Power Mac G4
Dual 1.25GHz G4; 512MB DDR SDRAM (333MHz); 120GB 7200RPM Ultra ATA/100 hard drive; ATI Radeon 9000 Pro 64MB DDR; Mac OS X 10.3 For a company as meticulous as Apple, we are always surprised by the anemic support with which it backs its products, both hardware and software. Apple provides a 90-day warranty on the Mac OS X 10.3 CDs, but does not give you any free phone or e-mail tech support during that time or afterward. (Phone support costs $49 per incident.) You can buy support for your entire Mac, but the three-year period starts at the purchase date of your Mac; if you bought your Mac two years ago, your $149 to $349 (depending on which Mac you have) will get you only a year of support. If your Mac is three years old or older, you're out of luck.
Apple does offer some self-help options. Apple.com includes an extensive knowledge base and a large discussion board. The built-in Mac OS X help system includes basic information about performing most tasks. The 13-page setup guide is adequate, but the 24-page Welcome to Panther brochure gives only a cursory introduction to some of the features and bundled software.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201
User Rating: 
4/10
Why did I Install Panther?
Pros: Cool GUI, like the brushed metal look as oppose to the old bars.
Cons: Has the stability of Windows.
User Rating: 
7/10
I guess it is better then os.9
Pros: GUI is nice. The apps are sweet and there is tons of open source code for it. Flash, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver are mad fast!
Cons: I liked the look of os. 9 better. It crashes alot.
User Rating: 
8/10
Jaw-Dropping, Rock-Solid, Feature-Filled Operating System
Pros: Beautiful, simply beautiful OS! Loads of useful features, Much more secure than that 'other' popular OS : ), Easy to use
Cons: Might make more sense to wait a little bit more for Tiger (10.4), Easier and greater linux support would be great!, Expensive if not bought with a Mac, Doesn't run on PCs
Although if you are a power user or tech-adaptable the free Linux OS might be a better choice (and it runs on your PC, alongside windows if desired)
User Rating: 7/10
Good Value if upgrading from 10.1
Pros: Panther is noticeably faster than Jaguar on an iMac SE G3 @400mhz. New finder window is easier to use despite the dark metallic look.
Cons: Not dramatically better or different to justify spending $100 on Panther if you already have Jaguar. Better to wait for the next release
User Rating: 4/10
a backwards step in the mac evolution
Pros: Expose is awesome. I've heard there is a speed increase but cannot confirm this since I have it running on a completely new computer (my wife's).
Cons: I am a huge die hard mac addict. So it pains me to say that panther is not one of Apple's shinning moments. Networking, which was very simple and reliable is Jaguar, is now difficult and unreliable. The gui has lost some of its elegance. Hopefully t
User Rating: 
2/10
Ultra modern, runs on my old iMac
Pros: nice GUI, built in BSD is sweet, rock solid. Can't say any of that about Windows XP.
Cons: Doesn't support a lot of hardware. My two year old sony external USB CD-RW is unsupported ;-(
User Rating: 7/10
Worth it...if you're buying a new Mac...
Pros: Panther really seems to speed up basic finder processes and lightens the CPU load when compared to Jaguar. Older machines running OS X will benefit greatly from Panther, if they have enough ram to utilize it. Expose does its thing, and it does it well
Cons: Lot of ambiguity regarding specifics in Panther (look at the apple boards to understand that better). Also, it seems that Panther has done a lot of damage in the time it has been out. Apple really should have picked up on a few of these things before r
User Rating: 
5/10
A leap back for networking.
Pros: Exposé, Performance issues fixed, other eye candy added.
Cons: For someone who needs frequent access to a network, this has gotten exceptionally worse than Jaguar. Connecting to a server with the Go menu has gotten more difficult, and when you connect to servers via the Network folder in Finder, it doesn't mount serv
User Rating: 
3/10
copy of windows xp
Pros: Color folder are back
Cons: It's an copy of windows xp, apple has messed up there easy finder windows opting for a windows look alike. The Expose F key need to be moved for anyone that uses the system for professional work because they interfere with other programs. Over all not wor
User Rating: 5/10
Networking flaws & not worth the price
Pros: The Sidebar and Expose are good interface improvements. Other minor tweaks are nice, too.
Cons: Way overpriced for an essentially minor upgrade. New brushed metal interface is less elegant than Aqua. The networking interface is confusing and barely functional. Mounting AFP OS X servers only works properly if they are accessed by IP address. File s
User Rating: 
10/10
freakin amazing!
Pros: speedier than 10.2 - STABLE!
Cons: VPN support still somewhat lacking. Although racoon is usable...
User Rating: 8/10
stick with 10.2.8
Pros: it will throw some cash to apple.
Cons: ill have to throw another $129.00 to apple come next year.
User Rating: 8/10
Nice touches, despite what review says
Pros: I like the consistency that the Panther mods have given OS X. The tab changes, brushed-metal, and more. Even the change when you turn off Finder's "title bar", as the reviewer describes, makes sense since when this is done the behavior reverts to an older
Cons: Price is a bit high, but I'd nail it at $99. You can get it online for $109, which is close enough to the target for me. The only thing that bit was when I got caught setting up the Mac Printer sharing. Shared the printer fine and was visible in Windows,
User Rating: 
9/10
Outstanding. Apple's best yet.
Pros: Total stability, noticeably better performance than 10.2.
Cons: Can't think of any.
User Rating: 10/10
your all stupid
Pros: this is a great update, works fine, nice and smooth. well worth every penny.
Cons: there are non. and for those saying it cant do this, or it cant do that, i just say you dont know what you are doing. take a while and learn how to use a computer instead of complaining about apple. apple is great for those that know what the hell they
User Rating: 9/10
How can CNET only give Panther a 6.8?!?
Pros: Expose is sweet. Faster performance than Jaguar. Better Finder although I don't like the brushed-metal look. More spit & polish for the interface.
Cons: Some compatibility problems with older applications. Kind of spendy for the average user.
User Rating: 5/10
Probably the most expensive beta ever!
Pros: Pretty eye-candy. Easy to use - when it wants to be used. Neat features, like Expose. Increase in speed - when it's not getting Kernal panics
Cons: No more Online Banking. HP printers beware - Your driver may go mad. Unstable.Kernal panics galor. Too expensive!!
User Rating: 
6/10
Good step up
Pros: I upgraded from Jaguar. Stability is improved, and I like the new Finder and Expose features a lot. Windows networking is improved (but does have a way to go yet)
Cons: Bought a new PowerBook in September, but still had to pay full price for Panther. Not really fair.
User Rating: 6/10
Faster, more stable, but not necessary
Pros: Definitely faster. My system feels like I just added an extra 256MB of RAM. Expose' is a logical feature, but nonetheless cool as hell. I like the integration with .Mac account, but this only applies to those with a .Mac account of course.
Cons: I'm one of those people who likes to stay as up to date as possible, but I really don't see this as $130 worth of additional features. People who whine about the price? Guess what? You don't have to buy it. Your computer will still run without it, ok?
User Rating: 9/10
Thank God I'm a student!
Pros: Thanks to Apple's wonderful student benefits program, I got Panther for sixty bucks! I had been new to Apple computers in general and was working on Jaguar for only a couple months before I got Panther, but I could tell the differences immediately. It's
Cons: Although i have a feeling I can chalk this one up to Windows, but I find unreliability when attempting to connect to my PC through even just a simple crossover cable. My PC appears and disappears just as sporadically from my Network connections.
User Rating: 9/10
New Finder is more usable
Pros: For my girlfriend, finding the few folders she uses is much easier now with the sidebar. And now that I'm used to using it, I would never go back. I can still find rarely-used files just as easily, but I can now find often-used files much faster than be
Cons: Still waiting for the BeOS filesystem, with the ability to really use metadata.
User Rating: 9/10
Apple has done it again
Pros: Once again Apple has developed a quality product that fully justifies its price. CNet's unreasoning Windows bias aside, Mac OS 10.3 "Panther" is a very good successor to Jaguar, improving on its strengths and relegating its weaknesses to the dustbin. Th
Cons: There are a few little bugs that are still being swatted, but none of them have bitten me yet. I also don't think that the new way of dealing with network drives is an improvement.
User Rating: 8/10
Panther is great!
Pros: Exposé, File Vault, Secure Trash, better Mail.app, tightened Finder, UI changes, etc. Lots of pros.
Cons: File Vault was said to eat some people's files. Didn't happen to me though. Too expensive expecially if you had just gotten Mac OS 10.2
User Rating: 8/10
Expose is worth it alone
Pros: Expose! Windows will be ripping this off and doing a second-rate job of it. Everything is faster, even on my 1999 Mac.
Cons: Hey, it's nearly 130 bucks, but considering the thousands of hours I use my Mac, it's totaly worth it.
User Rating: 8/10
Don't wait--there are two many improvements worth paying for
Pros: Exposê; Fast User Switcher; faster and smoother Finder performance, even on slow machines; Internet Sharing "sticks" ( I don't have to turn it on after a restart)
Cons: networking takes a little more work; broke Encyclopedia Britannica & Analog Clock on Desktop window (one machine)
User Rating: 9/10
Much better than 10.2
Pros: It's much faster. The Finder sidebar is accessible even in narrow windows (unlike all the icons in the Toolbar - John Rizzo, that is why it is better). Expose is simply incredible. Nothing matches it! Well worth the money!
Cons: John was right on displaying the network volumes in the sidebar, but that's really it.
User Rating: 6/10
Worth it for GUI speed ups
Pros: The spinning pizza cursor is for the most part banished which makes this update worth it. The networking improvements are great on multi-platform networks as well. I have yet to get the active directory integration working though.
Cons: Price is a bit high, especially since I feel like I just bought Jaguar. FileVault implementation is plain sloppy.
User Rating: 9/10
The Best Mac OS Yet
Pros: The new finder is awesome... I find I need far fewer finder windows than before. Fast User Switching is essential for a family with several users on one machine, and the improvement in file search is the worth the price of admission. It's much easier to
Cons: Haven't found any.
User Rating: 7/10
A solid release - worth the upgrade cost.
Pros: More advanced networking features. More "power user" features.
Cons:
User Rating: 9/10
Makes older macs feel new again!
Pros: Made my iMac 350 sing and dance! If you have an older mac, (i.e. any G3 or less than 867mhz G4), you NEED this upgrade. Exposé alone is worth the price of the upgrade.
Cons: haven't found any yet
User Rating: 7/10
Another Milestone
Pros: Significant speed increase across-the-board, fast user switching, Expose, built-in faxing, super fast PDF viewing with Preview, Font Book, automatic on-the-fly defragmentation
Cons: Some application programs will require updating for Panther compatibility.
User Rating: 7/10
A bumpy road but it will get better
Pros: Several new features that make navigating faster and easier, OS X better in the long run from this upgrade yes but there is still a long ways to go.
Cons: As to be expected there are bugs in the initial release people will have to be patient and wait for the bug fixes to come in this goes with any new operating system.
User Rating: 10/10
Keeps getting better!
Pros: Finder is easier, color labeling for files is back, Expose is awesome, fast user switching is a big help, FileVault is a good addition, Faxing is now easy, which is HUGE, the new Fonts package/manager is awesome, and these are just the new improvements, o
Cons:
User Rating: 9/10
A great new system, but a little expensive
Pros: It's a great system, with file vault, expose, iChatAV, xcode, etc. It is smoother to use to.
Cons: It cost way too much for a little upgrade.
User Rating: 9/10
99£ 14m after Jaq beats 350£ for each win ver
Pros: absolutely terrific to use - finder is MUCH improved in the speed stakes (its native OS X/Cocoa i think, not just carbon'ized) the metal interface...well its a bit odd to contrast it against aqua but.... i think the reviews comments are a bit cynical th
Cons: confused about the finder being grey...but perhaps its gearing up for a paradigm shift in 'the desktop, files, manila folders' metaphor -- certainly its faster and thus more workable (ie it dont take long to GET USED TO it)
User Rating: 7/10
Good features but needs more testing
Pros: Faster, Expose, Mail, Fast user switching and support for many open standards that enable connectivity and support for different platfomrs (UNIX and windows).
Cons: Some bugs and security flaws emerged immediatlly after OS launch (FireWire 800 issue and FileVault glitch) may indicate that they have released it too early and more testing could have be done.
User Rating: 8/10
Ready to use
Pros: It's worth the upgrade if only to support continued development.
Cons: No Newton file integration into iCal. Some apps, like aol, you'll find yourself having to reload.
User Rating: 7/10
Just for the Speed
Pros: I have a 866mhz G4 Powerbook with 640mb RAM and have seen a signifigant speed gain after switching from 10.2.8 to 10.3. The new features are pretty (Expose is really useful) but the thing that will make this worth your while is the speed improvement. Ev
Cons: Expensive for 10.x update.
User Rating: 8/10
Faster, smarter, cuter.
Pros: Faster GUI functions. Expose is genious. Finder upgrade makes all applications more useful.
Cons: Price is bit steep. A little buggy still, but surely not for too long. Object selection not as pretty, but makes it clearer. Finder FTP still doesn't work out of the box.
User Rating: 8/10
Good, but a tad expensive
Pros: I love the new features such as expose, X11, iChat AV, &c.
Cons: I wish they'd stop changing the interface, and it really should have been less than $129 for Jaguar owners
User Rating: 7/10
It's Apple at its best - again
Pros: Apple has hit a strong chord again with OS 10.3 (Panther). It is easy to use, has a comfortable interface, and includes a wonderful new Finder menu. Plus utilizing Expose makes using OS X even more of a joy.
Cons: What cons?
User Rating: 9/10
Worth The Upgrade
Pros: Faster Boot Up, Speedier overall in everyday use. More stable. As a recent switcher from Win Xp..I ahve to say I am very impressed.
Cons: Naming nomenclature could be improved/ Should have been Version 11.
User Rating: 8/10
Everything is easier and layed out nicer.
Pros: New Finder makes it easier to manage file system, Fast user switching is VERY useful. I have different users set up for different tasks, and swiching is fast. Expose is an awesome Idea. Many new features... This is no small upgrade. In the CNET review
Cons: cost? Panther cost 129, but Win XP will run you 200
User Rating: 7/10
The best OS we've got
Pros: Further refines the best (IMO) general-purpose OS on Earth. Faster that ever, and must-have features like Fast User Switching and Exposé are worth the price of entry by themselves.
Cons: Apple's quality control is in something of a slump at present, and the first release of 10.3 has more bugs that I'd like. $229 (here in Australia) is fairly expensive for Joe Public.
User Rating: 6/10
My G4 cube is screaming with Panther
Pros: OS X has never performed at these speeds on my G4, 450mhz cube, which has seen every iteration of the OS.
Cons: I find the command-tab switching graphic annoying, and it doesn't seem like you can turn it off.
User Rating: 
1/10
More hype from Apple
Pros: Few. Expose is nice. Ummm... That's about it for the everyday user.
Cons: Where to start. It wiped my FW drive. My Logitech multi-button USB mouse is hardly functional. Network and FTP browsing is a JOKE (how come it's so easy in Win2K?). Apps like Photoshop and Dreamweaver crashing on startup. Lost files and dirctories. Myster
User Rating: 8/10
The beast
Pros: Expose is just awesome, finder is much easier to deal with, alt + tab finally works, text pad (finally! :))
Cons: I don't like how Aqua was just completely removed, no choice to go back either. Plus, steep price tag, its a quasissential upgrade but not a necessary one.
User Rating: 7/10
Much improved finder
Pros: The main improvement is the finder/save dialogue box--much faster to use. I love it. Can now change the width in the columns of save dialogue boxes. Expose is OK but would be better if all windows were labeled vs. the one hovered over. Best used when w
Cons: Multitasking is not as good as with prior version. I've experienced negative performance impacts when multiple processing operations are running.
User Rating: 9/10
A great upgrade
Pros: I was possitively surprised by the big gains in speed in the release. Expose is great and have been longing for en auto-sync iDisc for some time ... thanks Apple
Cons: Network browsing need some improvements in speed
User Rating: 8/10
Very nice upgrade from Jaguar
Pros: Expose is very useful. I find myself relying on it after only a week of useage. Mail, Address Book, Preview and other core Apple apps seem faster and better integrated. New finder allows faster access to my stuff.
Cons: $129 price is high. Expose is great, but Apple could take interface even further in this direction. I'd like to see a little more risk taking from Apple's OS development team.
User Rating: 9/10
Mac OS X just gets better and better
Pros: The vast improvement in speed, The new Finder (though not everyone likes it), Activity monitor with more info than you'll ever need, the small details like being able to Install and Keep software updates, desktop printers returning (very overdue feature),
Cons: A few weird bugs exist, the most major being that Windows shares don't always show up in Network. Most people don't realise they need to activate Appletalk in the Directory access utility to access Classic Mac OS networks. Many people don't know to run
User Rating: 7/10
Nice but....
Pros: Expose is fantastic... X11 is great... Much snapier performance...
Cons: Price! A $59 price tag would have been much more in line with what this is... An upgrade to 10.2. I don't know how many more times Apple's customer base is going to shell out $129 for dot release "upgrade." Also I'm NOT a fan of the brush metal look and
User Rating: 6/10
A good (not great) upgrade
Pros: The new Finder side-bar is nice and having it in the Open/Save dialogs helps. Exposé is cool for those of us who don't have 23" screens. FileVault will protect your data if your laptop is ever stolen. Mail supports threads... finally! Easy install and
Cons: Printing broken to some printers. Don't turn on FileVault yet.
User Rating: 10/10
The best hing since the oriinal 238k Mac!
Pros: I love the new finder. It's much easier to visualize wher you are in the scheme of things. I also like the fact that the open/close dialogs feature the same display. I have liked the ability to open new finder windows since their inclusion in 10.1. And wh
Cons: No Mac 9.2 OS is included. I haven't had to wory about Mac OS 9 in a very long time.
User Rating: 9/10
Microsoft should be ashamed of themselves!
Pros: -SPEED. Upgrading from X.1 my 700MHz G4 iMac run so much faster it is like having a new computer. The flight simulator game, Fly II, was unusably slow. Now it is perfectly fluid on the highest graphics settings. -EXPOSE. Greatest interface improvement
Cons: Flawless so far. I wish Apple would make upgrades more affordable.
User Rating: 7/10
Great OS, but not much better than Jaguar
Pros: I have a 15" PowerBook G4, so Expose is a big help. There are some minor improvements everywhere, like better Terminal features (clears things like man pages or top when done, uses bash by default) and iChatAV nicities (away message tooltips now wrap). Sa
Cons: Beware when trying to migrate your old data from Jaguar over to Panther. When trying to move my iPhoto library Panther decided that it wasn't going to play nice with it, and wouldn't allow me to use any of my Albums as my Desktop. This was fixed by creati
User Rating: 10/10
The best OS despite what you can say
Pros: This article was obviously biased. Daring to say that features have disappeared, or saying that what everybody admitted was a better finder (with the Places system, the Action menu, the return of the families, a crisper design) was 'useless' and made just
Cons: There is some, like, the FileVault system is not quite working yet, and you can lose data, but this, CNET didn't find it, proof their review is superficial.
User Rating: 9/10
CNet misses some key points
Pros: A major aspect of Panther is that it's optimized for 64-bit computing... something that was not tested (as of 11.05.03) by CNet. All the tests were done on G4 machines, which regardless of configuration are not 64-bit systems. I have a G5 and there is a
Cons: I miss tabs... the buttons are just as functional, but lack a certain charm. Also, the brushed metal is a nice compliment to the G5 tower... but it needs to be all or nothing. iTunes, iChat, Safari are all metal; Mail, and a bunch of my other apps are a
User Rating: 8/10
All of the little things add up to a good upgrade
Pros: Love exposé, the new app switching, expanded fields in Address Book, extra Sherlock channels, threaded messages in Mail, enhanced .pdf handling in Preview. Truly appreciate the family edition (5 licenses for one house).
Cons: Safari still does not work with some of my financial sites (Bank of America's investments most notable).
User Rating: 10/10
I have a new G4 mac...
Pros: My MAc G4 450 MHZ it's new again, thanks to Panther...it´s FAST, it has real usability...whant can I say more? Now I can do some real work in here. Graphic Design and animation for web. BUY IT and USE IT, YOU'LL LOVE IT!
Cons: some minor bugs, that I'm sure 10.3.1 will take care of. And Apple is already working on it.
User Rating: 8/10
I'm hooked
Pros: I switched last year from windows. I love OSX so much I'm happy to pay for the upgrade. It is faster and Expose is very cool. No problem to install. Best of all it's not windows.
Cons: Not a huge leap forward, but I'm still more than willing to support the cause. Anyone thinking of switching, stop thinking and do it. You will never regret it. No way possible.
User Rating: 8/10
So almost excellent
Pros: Speed, reliability, Expose, Finder, PDF, Speed, refinement. It's only US$129! Great that Apple can compete with Microsoft. Hope that never ends!
Cons: Some minor bugs to work out that irritate. Expect they're frantically fixing some silly bugs now and perhaps reassessing QA for it's next release
User Rating: 9/10
firewire 800 problem?
Pros: getting better and better + great performance optimized + super nice looks + expose + new aqua interface + whole alots of linux/unix apps + way way advance human orient look and feel than xp + a lots of killer apps
Cons: firewire 800 got failed but apple just releases its patch :) + limited choice of application but they are usually way better than average windows apps + wish it comes with $99 but still cheaper than aweful, crippy XP :) plus educational price $69 is accep
User Rating: 8/10
My old PowerBook is twice as fast!
Pros: Panther is all around faster, cleaner, and better than Jaguar. Panther has also brought a higher level of consistancy to the OS that feels better throughout the system. Expose is an excellent windows management system and should have been there all alon
Cons: Cost of updating is, in my opinion, to high.
User Rating: 8/10
The CNET reviewer must be a PC user and just dosn't get it...
Pros: Much faster than previous release, many "real" changes made to the os. No real problems to speak of.
Cons: Potential loss of data if you are stupid (turn off or force quit the machine because the file vault is taking to long? idiots deserve to loose data). and the Firewire problem (though it turns out the 922 chipset being not fully complient is the issue, not
User Rating: 7/10
Great Upgrade, somewhat pricey
Pros: exposè is awesome! i love it, it makes application switching so simple, the new interface is great, i'd been using a brushed metal skin on jaguar before because while aqua was cool at first, it was a little to bright and childlike, didnt match my g4. ver
Cons: some of my haxies (especially themes, tho it looks a lot like the theme i'd been using) no longer work and one 3rd party screensaver i'd been using behaves oddly. and, as i mentioned before, slightly pricey
User Rating: 7/10
Advantage of new finder window
Pros: The review states that they do not see the benefit of having a sidebar for showing icons that used to appear across the top. The benefits are: 1.) consistent look/feel with iApps. 2.) do not have to expand window all the way across the screen to see the
Cons: I'm only focusing on the flawed assessment of the new finder windows. The new finder windows are clearly superior to the old finder windows
User Rating: 10/10
It keeps getting better!
Pros: I've been using X.3 for about a week now....and it's great. I love Exposé and font book! Booting up is A LOT faster than X.2 and the finder is great! (I really didn't think I would like the new finder!) All in all it's a 10!
Cons: The only draw back is the price. Though it's really worth the cost.
User Rating: 8/10
Great upgrades in Mail program!
Pros: It's like having a new computer--twice in one year, as I upgraded to Safari at the beginning of the year and now again to Panther.
Cons: Printing goes from last page to first which was fine until I went to print Quicken checks -- had to go back in and renumber all that printed!
User Rating: 8/10
Solid Upgrade for a Solid OS
Pros: SPEED. . . definitely feels faster even on the same hardware (533 G4 tower), new features and programs (expose, ichat av, improved finder layout, release quality x11, etc), and it's bottom-line fun and intuitive to use!
Cons: Don't like the price too much. . . but frankly that's because I'm cheap. It really is worth $130, plus many in Apple's market can get it as low as $70 (student, teacher, developer, etc.)
User Rating: 9/10
Nice GUI additions
Pros: Apple added a lot of nice GUI additions to this revision. Fading screens and different small effects really add to the value of the product. The new OS is faster and very stable. Finder is much better and makes more sense. Finding files is much easier
Cons: The price tag is a little steep for a new copy. I payed the upgrade price so I have no complaints. But since there seems to be frequent revisions, Apple should lower the price.
User Rating: 9/10
Wonderful upgrade
Pros: Having shelled out much money over the years for marginal software upgrades, this OS upgrade is wonderful.
Cons: Not many cons, very smooth sailing, but the FileVault feature is buggy
User Rating: 2/10
The Jag is still the fastest cat
Pros: Good interface changes. Some nice features, including a long-overdue font management application.
Cons: It's slooooow. I own a year-old iBook and it's struggling with this OS. Features not worth the price. If you don't own a G4 and you're happy with Jaguar, avoid.
User Rating: 1/10
Overpriced Junk
Pros: It has Steve Job's blessings?!?!?!
Cons: So much money for what should have been fixed for free in the first place!
User Rating: 9/10
10 x better than any MS product, marginally better than OS10.2
Pros: like all apple OS, crash proof. so easy to use that my 1 and 3 year olds use it daily.
Cons: still need OS 9 "classic" to run some apps. WHY? When will Apple retire this?
User Rating: 10/10
A must-have update
Pros: Much faster. Exposé is extremely nice. Despite the metal, the Finder really is better. XCode is a great update to Project Builder. All in all, it's much nicer than Jaguar.
Cons: Haven't found any
User Rating: 10/10
The CNET reviewer is way off base - its great!
Pros: Having 10.3 (Panther) installed is like getting new computers. 10.2 was great, but 10.3 is SO much faster. Its like how OS9 felt back when it was new. I forgot that computers could be this fast. Expose really is a "how did I ever live without that" fu
Cons: Brushed metal has never been my favorite, but its not the end of the world and now you can grab windows from any side.
User Rating: 8/10
Panther outdoes XP
Pros: Security. Speed. Useability features like Expose. New finder. Powerful developer tools. Excellent UNIX features. XP can't touch the UNIX capabilities.
Cons: Possible issues with FireWire 800 drives. Fix is being worked on. Expect an update.
User Rating: 9/10
Refined
Pros: Faster, smoother, simpler, subtle, direct, smart...it keeps getting better.
Cons: some minor filevault problems, for which a fix should ready soon
User Rating: 7/10
Best Client OS Out There, Period.
Pros: You will be crack-addicted to Expose within hours of installation. Much faster. Lots of nice smaller things like new version of DVD Player.
Cons: $125. Face the facts, that's what people are squawking about. Apple should have sent this out for $49 or something. I believe it is worth $125 but it isn't worth all the cackling that amount has produced.
User Rating: 8/10
Worth the money...
Pros: Everything feels faster. Noticable performance improvements all-around. Journaling filesystem helps protect data and has very little impact on performance. Expose is the biggest innovation in window management in MANY years. Mail is much improved. Network
Cons: New finder takes some getting used to (but it has grown on me). Icon grid spacing can't be adjusted. Errors with network shares can still cause the GUI to become unresponsive.
User Rating: 5/10
minor facelift
Pros: expose. fast user switching. major boost in gui speed.
Cons: minor features that are really just cosmetic, the fact that I can't edit system icons is such a minor bit of code but extremely important to me. I also hate the metal theme and wish I had an option to remove it (without 3rd party hacks that Apple continua
User Rating: 8/10
Faster and More Refined
Pros: I love the new Finder and find the sidebar extremely convenient. It's easier to manage then favorites were and always visible. Many things are faster; Help, System Preferences, searching. It's a winner!
Cons: Font Book is buggy and annoyingly obtuse. Popup menus for Docked folders much faster. But, selecting an item takes you to its Finder window instead of launching. Bad Apple. Bad, bad, bad.
User Rating: 5/10
OK, not Good or Great or Excellent
Pros: Faster, some Finder enhancements...
Cons: It seems that this is more hype than anything else. In my opinion, Jaguar was just fine, and included some other features (title bat transparency). If you have 10.2 or even 10.1 I'd say save your money, there are better things to buy for a Mac than this l
User Rating: 3/10
Panther Flaw for travelers
Pros: Some appealig new features [i,e, OS 9]
Cons: Having just spent two hours on the phone with AppleCare, it seems that there's a flaw. When I installed Panther over my Jaguar in my Titanium laptop I use for extensive travel, it failed to pick up the 100+ local access numbers in my Internet Connection f
User Rating: 9/10
another gem
Pros: Faster than jaguar, expose', Active Directory Support...Stop crying about the price. $129 not have the lock up issues or blue screens of death is worth every penny. Besides, seen a virus lately?
Cons: None
User Rating: 8/10
CNet is biased. This is great
Pros: Makes my macs seem new. Fast and loaded with great features like Expose and improved applications all around.
Cons: None significant.
User Rating: 7/10
Faster on the same hardware!
Pros: When was the last time Redmond trotted out a new OS that was actually LESS taxing on the hardware? This can't be over emphasized. Very well done.
Cons: Networking implementation further bolsters some opinions of Apple's (un)suitability to truly interoperate as a networked workstation in an enterprise environment.
User Rating: 9/10
Panther is Amazing!
Pros: Expose, more clear and useable Finder, much faster searching, speed increases across the board, all advertised features plus tons more, including auto-de-fragmentation of files on-the-fly, etc
Cons: Firewire drive and File Vault issues...
User Rating: 4/10
no reason to upgrade
Pros: expose is a great new feature. some speed gain in iTunes and iPhoto.
Cons: not enough to move me from Jaguar 10.2.8. some apps that have been working flawlessly under 10.2.8 suddenly have problems. java hot spot problems with the "on-top" upgrade. $130 is simply too much for one or two useful features in panther. waiting for 10.
User Rating: 8/10
Great additions to OS X
Pros: My ibook G3 800 seems to run faster, quick boot time too. Yes there are cool things like Expose, but the more mundane things like security and improved utilities and apps make it worth the $130.00. This operating system seems to be more tightly integrat
Cons: Minor changes mean surprises every now and then. But it's a Mac so when you do find one it's not too difficult to figure out.
User Rating: 8/10
Reviewer on MS Payroll
Pros: Speed, stability, Expose, Fast User Switching, Font Book & More...Sure you'll probably notice a marginal improvement on a Dual 1.25mhz Powermac, but on my iBook 600 + Quicksilver 733, the machines feel much faster.
Cons: Mail is still a little unstable.
User Rating: 9/10
Ignore Rizzo's review-Panther a Winner
Pros: Stable and fast. Finder window is improved and allows better navigation.
Cons: Could use a few more built in features..but still more value than that other OS.
User Rating: 1/10
Its apple of course it sucks ass.
Pros: None
Cons: Its apple k, what can you really do in the real world with an apple.
User Rating: 4/10
Keyboard interface still needs work
Pros: With 10.3, Apple has made some improvements for those of us who find the mouse painful and distracting for common tasks. App switching with Cmd+Tab works just the way it should. And you can now select menu options by typing the first letter of the command
Cons: ...unfortunately, to get to the menu, you still need to use the mouse or an excessive number of arrow keys. Apple, c'm on--this isn't rocket science. Let me FIRST type the letter of the menu, THEN type the letter of the menu item. Windows, Java Swing, KDE
User Rating: 10/10
Solid stable mac OS X!!!
Pros: Best system I have seen from apple! Secure, and ready! Haven't rebooted my system since I installed. Will not crash!
Cons: None yet...
User Rating: 10/10
Panther is worht every pennny
Pros: Fast user switching Expose Encrytion Fast finder search feature Easier to navigate your network/hd More standards supported. Easy to setup network and shared printing with multiple pcs. If only it were that easy on a pc. Not a single crash yet. Did I ment
Cons: Brushed metal takes sometime to get use to but you do.
User Rating: 7/10
Best upgrade yet!
Pros: On a 550MHz PowerBook, it boots faster, interface and applications are much snappier, new features like Expose are a must have. Mail is vastly improved.
Cons: Took a while to get an efficient hang of the new Finder interface and connecting to servers.
User Rating: 9/10
Overall a great upgrade!
Pros: Excellent window management with Expose, useful improvements to the Finder, built-in file compression, and, best of all, much better performance. It makes my 867 MHz PowerBook feel like a new machine!
Cons: The brushed metal look of the new Finder, moving the Internet Preference panel into Safari and Mail.
User Rating: 9/10
Happy I switched from Jaguar!
Pros: Not sure where Cnet is coming from on this one. Worth every penny in my opinion. Networking with my Windows box finally works, fast user switching is great, Expose is a real time saver, and all of my truly important old software still works well. Panth
Cons: A few haxies like Clear Dock need to be updated, but that doesn't concern me much.
User Rating: 10/10
10.3 made my ibook 500 and G5 fly
Pros: Both my systems are running faster. my iBook 500 is loading faster then it was on 10.2.6 and they G5 will its a fast system but it feels fasters now with 10.3... Am just a designer so all the other features for networking and programming are out of my le
Cons: An upgrade install times longer then a clean install with the 3 CD's.... So have time to kick back and install.
User Rating: 5/10
i agree w/ j rizzo
Pros: it does feel faster ,
Cons: UI is so inconsistent that the time saved is eaten up trying to figure out what apple has done to the finder. metallic finder windows are difficult to distinguish from other app's windows. hate 'em.
User Rating: 5/10
Nice for everday users
Pros: Looks pretty, has great new additions. IPV6, Bluetooth integration actually keeps in time with the system(ie: my mouse actually tracks with my hand now...) Very fast and fluid finder.
Cons: System Crashes on common sync apps. Encryption corrupts home dir. prefs. Itunes corrupts Music library, Encryption home lost my whole directory and everything in it. Lost of new tech features with lots of new bugs. Can't wait for 10.3.1!!
User Rating: 4/10
No thanks, I'll pass
Pros: Relatively inexpenise Some speed gain
Cons: Very unstable Difficult interface Upgrading was a pain! Shouldn't this be free?
User Rating: 8/10
OSX becomes slick sophisticated
Pros: Though the headline changes might persuade you that this is a minor upgrade the reverse is true. The cumulative effect of the multitude of tweaks and minor usability changes make this upgrade at least as big an advance over Jaguar as it was over 10.1. A b
Cons: One small niggle. Like the reviewer, I too find the changes made to the methods for connecting to a server counter intuitive and retrograde.
User Rating: 8/10
much improved
Pros: Fast, Expose is fantastic on my 12" iBook, finder is a LOT more user-friendly, seems like a more organized OS
Cons: Sherlock was neutered, where's the cool Aqua gone?, a bit pricey for the upgrade
User Rating: 10/10
95% Satisfied
Pros: Too many to list, but expose & fast user switching. Yowza, it's good!
Cons: Only problem was when I did the security update, it hosed my network connection (DHCP). A reset of my router & cable modem cleared it up.
User Rating: 9/10
i love it!!! apple does it again...
Pros: iChat AV Expose Fast User Switching Preview (very fast for pdfs) fax software
Cons: none for me...
User Rating: 7/10
virus's don't kill windows...windows kills windows
Pros: Great improvements in the feel and speed of just simply navigation. Exposé is a must have for anyone without dual 22inch monitors. Installed with no problems. Think of the $129 as a nearly bomb proof virus protection.
Cons: will not wash my car for me. Sometimes the screen goes black when the computer is asleep... I mean..come on!
User Rating: 10/10
SHAME ON CNET
Pros: VERY GOOD PRODUCT BUT CNET SLAMED IT IN ITS REVIEW CONTRARY TO PCMAG.com i have at home a pc and a mac netrworking with panther was perfect and i find windows t obe ajoke operating system
Cons: WHAt is that setup and interface 7 it is supposed to be 9 or 10 features 10 imovie i chat iphoto .... performance 9 service and support 8
User Rating: 3/10
Not worth the upgrade.
Pros: Not much. Especially if you're a normal user.
Cons: Overpriced. There is no way that this is worth the price. It offers NOTHING useful over its predescor and charging for it is ridiculous. If you have the money, then save it for a later upgrade that could be worth it, or use it elsewhere. I feel tricked by
User Rating: 8/10
Performance, stability are main features
Pros: I don't know why this reviewer didn't seem marked performance improvement. On my Ti Powerbook G4 everything seems *much* faster.
Cons: There don't seem to be any real new features.
User Rating: 6/10
UNIX power people friendly
Pros: CORE: FreeBSD 5, Mach 3.0 FINDER: snappier, new design FUN: iChat AV, Expose XCode: Great dev. software
Cons: Price
User Rating: 8/10
get it!
Pros: I have no idea what the editors at CNET have been testing, but I can assure you that Panther is a very worthwhile upgrade. It's substantially faster than Jaguar, and features user interface enhancements that were totally missing in Jaguar. (The alt-tab fe
Cons: My biggest beef with Panther is the lack of themes. It would be nice to be able to customize the GUI to fit the individual's tastes. But, it's really a personal quibble. The OS has been rock solid stable, and has improved performance on my Dual G5, Dual
User Rating: 8/10
Hey Rizzo
Pros: If you rate this a 6.8, what the heck are you using that would make you so bitter. I can only laugh at your review, because I think you have OS envy! If you give Panther a 6.8, I hope you gave XP a 4.5. XP has to be the most unsecure OS in history.
Cons: The con is believing that you did an honest review. You have a big chip on your shoulder and it shows
User Rating: 8/10
Strong Upgrade
Pros: exposé, faster UI, improved Mail.app, M$ Exchange Support, finder based network browser, FontBook (good start), iChat AV, improved UI appearance, Text Edit opens and saves as *.doc, Installed on machines under the "Honor System."
Cons: Still issues with external drives, Font Book (still buggy), had to reconfigure httpd.conf file for Apache.
User Rating: 5/10
Apple doesnt tell the whole truth
Pros: Cool futuristic interface. Unix stability. Users can compile most linux and unix programs on X. Some windows compatablity.
Cons: Those NT admins looking for a way manage their mac systems on the Active Directory will have to keep looking. The built in support for active directory isnt quite as easy as apple says. When users run into trouble getting the system to bind to the AD, don
User Rating: 7/10
Solid OS Release, Too Pricey
Pros: With this release Apple has went over OS X with a fine comb and straightened out any kinks both in interface and under the hood. Expose is revolutionary. Security features are very advanced for a consume OS. New finder welcome.
Cons: At $220 Canadian it kind of sucks knowing you can get an XBox for the price of this thing.
User Rating: 8/10
Feels like a new computer!
Pros: Every other OS or Application update seems to slow down the computer. This situation is so bad that I sometimes feel that OS vendors are in collusion with hardware vendors. However, OS 10.3 actually speeds up the computer. Everything is nicer and snapp
Cons: Some features are still buggy. But, I believe Apple will fix them quick enough.
User Rating: 8/10
Finally an OS X that runs fast on G3.
Pros: Responsive interface on older hardware (I'm running G3 600Mhz.) Things feel almost as fast as running OS 9.
Cons: Why couldn't this have been X 10.0?
User Rating: 6/10
I'm torn
Pros: It's a great OS. It can't be beaten. I've had it since it came out and it hasn't crashed at all. Not that my mac ever did. Expose is really all that they say it is. Finder is functional
Cons: It's not much more than a few new creature comforts. It feels like Mac OS X, but I agree that it feels less mac like. Aqua is sorely missed. My mac cant decide what printer drivers it should use for my printer.
User Rating: 3/10
Decent, with networking problems
Pros: Interface attractive, lots of standard features and programs, decent compatibility with old programs
Cons: Price, networking instability (my upgrade couldn't stay on the internet but clean install works)
User Rating: 10/10
Can I have whatever CNET is smoking
Pros: Polished interface, rock solid, excellent windows compatibility, performance improvements, improvements in pretty much every application, overall just plain excellent and a must have upgrade for any Mac user.
Cons: None that I have found yet
User Rating: 7/10
The best X yet.
Pros: Much faster GUI responsiveness across the board. Makes my old Pismo Powerbook usable again. Safari significantly improved, and overall surfing experience is now as it should have been in the beginning. Startup on my (older) machines is significantly short
Cons: Cost, but the features are well worth it.
User Rating: 9/10
The best OS out there
Pros: Fast stable, not full of stupid XP style activation and spy-ware. Also a nice lack of Virii, Trojans, worms and bugs. Xcode is awesome, I just what I've been waiting for
Cons: None. I'd just like to add.... CNET is a company linked with Microsoft. This is why they knowingly wrote a **** review for a product that they know full well isn't. The figures speak for themselves Bill....
User Rating: 8/10
Great Production OS
Pros: Faster than all get out, expose is the new hotness, holds true to stability of 10.2 but eliminates all the speed bottlenecks, great for audio production, awesome coreMIDI, great looking interface (finally lost the cartoony-ness), new finder is better than
Cons: Though problems are inevitable, haven't used panther enough to uncover any. Guess some people might think it cold or something (but I like the new look; very anti-windows XP).
User Rating: 9/10
Apple rocks our world again!
Pros: Cnet's review is bogus. Panther is incredible, well worth the upgrade price and light years ahead of Windows in features, performance, and reliabilty.
Cons: No cons, can't really go wrong with this update. It's solid and ready for the masses. Windows updates are not free either so get over it. At least I get what I paid for with Panther!
User Rating: 9/10
Great improvement
Pros: It may have few or small improvements but are great and will help to find, do and work faster. New finder works great, Expose is amazing, ichatAV, so many things
Cons: The cost may be tu much for some but how much your productivity cost?
User Rating: 7/10
Great update, not essential for the $
Pros: New finder is great to navigate. Aqua transparency was necessary when multiple windows were open, better organized finder and expose elimiate the need for it.
Cons: $129 is expensive ($69 for education users, btw). Features are great, but not all those who are happy with Jaguar will feel the price is justified. CNet appears to be a pawn of dell, based on this review and the Dell DJ.
User Rating: 9/10
It's Like A Secret You Want To Tell The World
Pros: Panther like all OS X versions offers you a way to improve the way you do work. You still can run OS 9 fast and smoothly inside or outside of OS X. It improves on the quality of the way windows stay organized and navigate intuitively. I like that I can do
Cons:
User Rating: 9/10
Another step towards perfection
Pros: super fast e-mail along with automatic spam and pop up blockers. Brings back auto sleep and start-up. faxing from the desktop is built in, but a land line is needed.
Cons: None apparent. Some new windows linking ideas may need work or awaiting for the next update.
User Rating: 9/10
easier than ever
Pros: The system overall works a lot more smoothly, the reviewer here at c-net seemed a bit too critical of everything, im not sure why. I have had absolutly no problems at all. my computer has been on for a week now and been used everyday with no crashes or gl
Cons: none so far.
User Rating: 8/10
Most Polished Mac OS Ever
Pros: Much speedier Finder. Built-in apps are much speedier and much more stable. Many new, worthwhile features.
Cons: Networking is iffy... "Connect to Server" function has been stripped, and the whole process of easily mounting same-LAN Macs has become erratic.
User Rating: 5/10
Many improvement, new problems
Pros: Excellent design, many new much needed features (encrypted email, better Windows support, fast user switching). Nice additions such as Expose.
Cons: Many new features are erratic and capricious. I still can't get the Mail program to utilize imported certificates and it has yet to verify signatures. The brushed metal interface is interesting but more harsh the Aqua - how about a user choice? I prefe
User Rating: 10/10
MACOS 10.3, Simply Wonderful
Pros: SuperFast, stable, secure, did I say Fast... Ive been a MAC user since 1990. Im a multimedia designer creating original audio, video, websites, CD-ROMs, and DVDs. This OS just enhances the way I work. If you are STILL using Windows I really feel sorry for
Cons: are you kidding.... NONE!
User Rating: 9/10
Comical CNet review!
Pros: Dramatically faster OS (15% performance boost on both my Macs), great new features and "tightening up" of exising ones, and automatic defragging in the background.
Cons: None yet after using it for a week. I use CNet for the community opinions, not for their accuracy in terms of reviewing products.
User Rating: 9/10
Great if you don't have an FW800 Drive
Pros: Great, fast user switching. Expose is worth price alone.
Cons: Dangerous to FW800 Drives
User Rating: 9/10
I absolutely love Panther - Expose is worth the (student) price alone!
Pros: Faster; expose; new finder is fantastic; iChat AV. Easy archive and install option works great and leaves all your apps alone!
Cons: There are problems with some firewire hard-drives... these should be fixed soon by Apple.
User Rating: 3/10
This should be free for all OSX users
Pros:
Cons: This is nothing but the equivilant of a "service pack" in the Windows world. Apple is getting greedy and I'm getting sick of it. I've loved my Mac, but am about ready to "switch" to Linux or Windows. Apple is ticking me off.
User Rating: 8/10
Panther is a mature, refined OS.
Pros: Panther is faster, and generally snappier than Jaguar was. Expose´is incredible, and fast user switching is very convenient. Mail's WebKit implementation finally makes it a solid program. All-in-all Panther is extremely refined and mature. Too bad 10.0 wa
Cons: Too pricey. I disagree with the "maintenience" upgrade line, as Panther is a full-blown upgrade, but yes....$129 is too much..how about $99 or $79?
User Rating: 9/10
It's a X
Pros: CNET has proven once again their reviews are all but worthless. I can't help but think if this OS was from MS it would've gotten a 9.5. This OS is excellent. Runs faster especially on slower systems, Expose is excellent, the new finder is great and mak
Cons: Missing Internet Preference pane is very Microsoft-like. Networking issues will require a patch.
User Rating: 4/10
Destroys USB modems
Pros: Expose is good
Cons: Don't bother with this if you use a USB modem. It won't work. And as for "150 new features"....hmmm...most people will use Expose and that's about it. Not worth the money.
User Rating: 10/10
The best os ever hands down!!!
Pros: i loved puma, and jaguar, and now panther is even better!!! i dont know what cnet was talking about apple has great service and suppport and so far everything they said you couldnt do in panther iv found a way to do, with no third party apps. if you own a
Cons: none at all, apple rocks!
User Rating: 10/10
The best OS for Mac EVER!!
Pros: Very Very Very Very Very VERY fast, great features, the review from Cnet should have been higher, becuase this is truly a great OS, wayyyy better than that POS Windows.
Cons:
User Rating: 7/10
Easy to use. Good Help Fast even for dialup.
Pros: Expose is great. Fontbook is great but should have been here long time ago after all what takes up most of your screen.
Cons: Calculator sucks unless you do your math on a blackboard. I want my Jaguar Calc back. Can't upload photos back to your card in IPhoto like you can in most camera software. Can't download clips off digital cameras. Should be able to do this stuff by no
User Rating: 3/10
129$ for nothing
Pros: Expose is cool. Finder is faster.
Cons: OS is much slower(900 ibook G3). Some apps wouldn't run. I hate the new look. Jaguar's Aqua is so much nicer! The windows network drives still crush.
User Rating: 9/10
Significant upgrade
Pros: Faster finder (by a long shot) Expose is brilliant User experience is better Windows networking is as good as Microsoft has
Cons: Safari browser could use better authentication mechanism More contextual menu items could be part of the system Better documentation of what has changed from previous systems
User Rating: 9/10
fast, plays well with others
Pros: Very fast, nice GUI improvements, wonderful networking with Windows, easily installed
Cons: only complaint is price, but well worth the $129
User Rating: 8/10
It's a major leap in features and stability.
Pros: Excellent new features and applications - user switching, iChat AV, advanced Mail program, better integration with Windows, more intuitive placement of features (I think in your review you thought some features disappeared - they just moved to a more intu
Cons: No upgrade pricing.
User Rating: 9/10
OS X has jumped to a new level
Pros: Improved speed, even better security and gobs of new features make this a welcome upgrade. The included development tools like XCode make it an unbeatable value. Top it off with Apple's outstanding product support, what more can you ask?
Cons: None found.
User Rating: 7/10
Improvement over Jaguar
Pros: Unlike the reviewer says, you do get 90 days of support over the phone for 10.3 Panther. I called about 2 things and wasn't charged a penny! C-Net needs to do research before writing reviews!
Cons: New Epson printer driver lacks black & white printing support. Cannot connect to Software Update via router connected to DSL modem. Used to do this no problem in Jaguar. Can get WinXP to see my shared Mac printer and create an alias to the printer,
User Rating: 8/10
finder additions are reason enough to go for it
Pros: expose', how did we live without it? sidebar greatly eases file management faxing built in smooth installation via upgrade option
Cons: colors make listview noisy how a freebie? hey, it's still OS-X
User Rating: 7/10
Good, but not worth 129 if you have Jaguar
Pros: Finder is more intuititive, expose is a GREAT addition, slightly faster.
Cons: Came out the day my new G5 was shipped. I didn't notice much difference between jaguar and panther other than those mentioned above. I prefer the aqua look over the metal theme.
User Rating: 9/10
Soooo Fast!!! Cons? What cons?
Pros: This upgrade adds significant speed and stability to even older G3 machines. Expose rocks, and finally Classic is seamlessly integrated into OS X...no redraw issues, etc., and did I say mention it is fast?
Cons: Everyone lists price here...buy a G5 and get it for free. Did I mention it is fast?
User Rating: 9/10
Most Advanced OS today
Pros: Best of Breed and now intrducing innovative GUI features. O X was solid in Jaguar and now Apple is innovating again. Not only that it is the best integrated OS: Unix, OS 9, Windows, Linux all come together here over the network and by means of X11, Cla
Cons: Sets expectations pretty high for the next version. Can Apple actually top this?
User Rating: 7/10
Easier to use for long-time OS 9 users.
Pros: Seems to combine the best of OS 9 and OS X 10.2.x and is much easier to use and get around in.
Cons: Seems a little slower on my new G-5 than 10.2 as I am seeing more spinning wheels.
User Rating: 10/10
I am glad to be rid of windows !!
Pros: very fast gui loads, is it just me or is there a few hints better of course but some similarity to xp functions ? yes i am a recent convert !
Cons: having to step out of your comfort zone and learn a better product !
User Rating: 5/10
129 for a service release...?
Pros: Works fine, efficient interface
Cons: This is really a minor service release upgrade with a new skin...microsoft would never get away with such a minimal upgrade...in face Apple has us paying 129 a year service fee!!!
User Rating: 10/10
Best Mac OS to Date!!!
Pros: Sped up my mac significantly. All of the new features (Expose, Finder, Mail, iChatAV, Print centre, fast user switching...to many to name). I love the new GUI, the metal look is very sleek and refined looking. I am most impressed with the speed differen
Cons: None. Get it now!!
User Rating: 9/10
couldn't be easier
Pros: Expose is awesome, especially with an explorer mouse, since it allows you to set the show desktop and windows commands to the side mouse buttons. Simple to install, I also like how the file encryption doesn't slow down the machine. For 19.99 for G5 owners
Cons: expensive for non-G5 owners
User Rating: 10/10
Faster and more intuitive
Pros: Things just work in Panther. You don't have to try and trick it to do things like you did in Jaguar. I absolutely love the new Finder and Windows Network compatibility. I thought my iBook g3 800 was too slow, but now that I have Panther, its lightning
Cons: Haven't found one yet.
User Rating: 1/10
Great toy - No good for production.
Pros: Looks nice. Apple makes more money off of us. Can't wait til next year to see whats new!
Cons: No good for production. Programs won't run, Can't print to postscript printers, have to download upgrades already. What a pain!!
User Rating: 10/10
Makes Jaguar feel slow & outdated
Pros: Significantly faster all round (iBook 600MHz G3)/All applications feel smoother/Finder, Preview & Mail are all much improved/X11 is very smooth & fast/open EPS files on the fly/built-in faxing/Exposé/Font Book
Cons: None that I've encountered - it's worth every penny in my view!
User Rating: 10/10
Very well done!!!FAST with great new features.
Pros: Expose completes OS X and makes it so much easier to use with my 12 in Powerbook. I really like the changes to mail. There are so many great improvements to the OS that it is well worth the price tag. I only paided $20 because I bought a Powerbook this
Cons: The only con is having to read about people whinning about the price and how steep it is. MS charges far more for unstable crap that hardly ever runs right. Yeah I know you just upgraded to 10.2 a year ago, then don't buy 10.3 and save your money. I w
User Rating: 8/10
Faster, Solid...More mature than 10.2
Pros: Expose and the finder work wonderfully. It really makes working with multiple apps and documents wonderful...Microsoft will no doubt steal this feature. Performance increase (finally). It makes a slower/older computer just a little more peppy... that a
Cons: iTunes requires users to quit if other logged on users have it open. I like the aqua look better, but that is a minor thing.
User Rating: 7/10
The industry's benchmark!
Pros: Expose, with all those apps open on one screen in real time. Show your windose buddies the ba-zillion clock cycles a Mac can handle with those open app's. Although new to Mac OS, I find everything so stable, elegant, and straightforward. An OS with charac
Cons: Maybe the upgrade price.
User Rating: 8/10
I'm Lovin' It
Pros: Expose is vastly more useful than I could have imagined, it's beautiful! I'm just figuring out the ins and outs, but it is a much friendlier computing environment. Network preferences now make sense.
Cons: User switching locks other users out of music, calendars, photos, etc. I'd like a simple solution to choose whether to share my iTunes and iPhoto libraries with other users. The process right now (especially for iPhoto) is convoluted, difficult, and ugl
User Rating: 8/10
Finally OS X has matured...
Pros: Great OS. Snappy, intuitive, easy to use. This is what OS X should have been from the beginning. Finally reached a point that it surpasses WinXP in almost every area. Expose is great, faster networking performance than my PCs both running Gigabit Etherne
Cons: - Price is a bit steep, but still worth it - some incompatibilities with Norton's software collection and other companies' software. I had no problems myself.
User Rating: 9/10
Must have upgrade for 10.1
Pros: 30% (margin error around 0.05) faster in G3 and 320M ram compare to 10.1.5, esp. in 2D rendering. Most notably speed can be found in finder and pdf. Adds tons of apps like iChat, iCal, iSync, Safari, to name a few, a must upgrade. I hold to purchase 10.2
Cons: None yet
User Rating: 8/10
Apple 10.3
Pros: Apple keeps punching out a good OS and Micro$oft keeps putting Longhorn further and further back (2006). I don't know why people are moaning about the price. If you were a Windoze user you would be paying for that in Virus protection and lost downtime.
Cons: Safari still has trouble loading some sites.
User Rating: 10/10
My mac is now 20% faster
Pros: increased performance, EXPOSE!!!
Cons: new finder will take a few days to get used to
User Rating: 10/10
Powerful, solid, speedy OS
Pros: The OS is definately faster than Jaguar (10.2). Since I just bought a dual G5 without Panther pre-installed, the $20 upgrade price was very nice.
Cons: For the regular user, the upgrade is expensive, especially since Jaguar was release just last year.
User Rating: 8/10
Glad I swithed from Windows!
Pros: Upgrade from 10.2. The fast User Account switching is a great tool for the Admin of the system. It will also keep the internet connection alive when swithing accounts. Expose is helpful too. The system runs faster and more stable on only 256MB Ram. Finder
Cons: Pricey. Could use an extra entertainment application thrown in for the kids.
User Rating: 9/10
The Only Sane OS!!!
Pros: Mac OS X has Grown Up! It's been a roughn road for some Mac users, but the time to "Dive In!" For anyone out there who has been holding off on an OS Upgrade It's Here Now
Cons: Oh stop whining about the price! It's worth twice the price! Just buy a new Mac & get it for free! I did and I LOVE my New iBook and I LOVE Panther
User Rating: 10/10
Panther Rocks the House!
Pros: Speed improvement alone is worth the upgrade. Subtle visual changes all to the better from what I can tell. The song Smooth should be its theme song. Expose is incredibly useful and cool. 5 App upgrades: Finder, Mail, Addressbook, iCal, and Safari - isn't
Cons: I'm stumped!
User Rating: 9/10
First time my computer sped up after an upgrade!
Pros: My 2 Macs sped up 10% and 15% respectively after installing this upgrade. This is the first time I've experienced a speed increase after installing an upgrade. This upgrade contains a lot of useability enhancements including an improved task manager, a
Cons: None to speak of.
User Rating: 8/10
Great Os...Stable and Fun to Use
Pros: Well....The GUI is much more responsive, cpu usage seems to go down, window compression seems faster and windows use less memory. User switching is a nice added touch and expose is really nice with my 14 inch iBook 700mhz/640mb ram. It runs a lot smooth
Cons: Found one bug so far, you cannot set your tracking speed for mouse/trackpad to the 2nd bar from the fastest...it reverts back down one bar...heh. But i'm sure all that will be fixed in version 10.3.1.0.4.3.2.3.4.2.1
User Rating: 8/10
Stone cold
Pros: Panther is fast. Expose is terrific. didn't use it long enough for following reasons.
Cons: Why did Apple change the Aqua theme? That's why I bought this 17" iMac, my first Apple in 18 pc years. It was beautiful and warm. Panther is blah, cold, and printless. Incompatibility caused reinstallation of 10.2.8. I'll miss Expose, but I love sitting
User Rating: 7/10
FASTER!
Pros: According to Xbench, memory allocation jumped from 80% (Jag) to 450% (Panther), and thus programs load 3x as fast. Interface is faster. Expose, user switching, new Disk Util are great. Reorganization of System Prefs is more logical.
Cons: Some old programs no longer work (check for updates). Expensive (should be cheaper for owners of Jag). New eye candy should be optional.
User Rating: 8/10
It's the small things that matter
Pros: Unlike Jaguar, which had a lot of flashy new features, Panther feels like more of a refinement of an already good thing. Aside from Expose (which could be worth the upgrade alone) and a few other features, I find the smaller features and productivity twe
Cons: A bit pricey for the content, but a worthwhile set of features that I don't mind paying for.
User Rating: 7/10
Stop comparing it to windows. It's pointless.
Pros: Quit comparing apple to windows. It's tiresome and pointless. Everyone knows apple is great but if you're cheap and you need lots of apps, you have to have a windows box, too, blah blah blah. Anyways, expose is great for tiny mons, i.e. notebooks. Mos
Cons: Not really worth it after shelling out for jaguar just last year. Who the hell uses ichat anyway? Make it leaner and cheaper - i.e. in the $70-80 range, esp. if you're changing it every year. Most mac'ers i know share the pricing sentiments.
User Rating: 9/10
No more spots on my cat!
Pros: Out of the box are 4 CD's, 3 for the OS, and 1 for Xcode. Upgrade was flawless, except for the multiple disk errors and fragmentation left in its wake. After 3 hours of defragmentation using the Norton products, the initial boot up process was about 50% s
Cons: Apple OS should run on x86, or at least "help" Longhorn folks get the product out before 2006 by offering them 10.3 in which to compile their DLL's using Xcode.
User Rating: 8/10
Speed, Power and Ease of Use Rock
Pros: Mac OSX 10.3 - Panther is a welcome and outstanding upgrade to Jaguar. As a PC to Mac switcher, the only real issues I had were with Finder (the three column view that wasn't adjustable and was the only option inside an application) and the clunky (thoug
Cons: Had to re-install my printer and mouse drivers.
User Rating: 8/10
Quality Upgrade
Pros: Expose is a great addition so convient. The new finder is very streamlined, although I'm not adjusted to it yet. I feel like flowing through folders will be much easier. The spinning rainbows of Jaguar are gone in this release. Intregration with Windo
Cons: Yes, it is expensive. But worth it
User Rating: 10/10
Best OS Upgrade Ever
Pros: In addition to the numerous features that have been added to Panther, the OS upgrade improves the system speed, improves cross platform networking, and improves the functionality of an already outstanding GUI.
Cons: None.
User Rating: 10/10
I must be doing something wrong.
Pros:
Cons: Too complicated to install. There never is an install like they show in the book. I had to clean install after erasing my MacOS Jaguar. I'm still having problems with it working right.
User Rating: 8/10
More than fluff - a healthy serving of upgrade
Pros: Optimized code means that 1.3 extra GB actually translate to more speed - great for G3s and early G4s. The top features are compelling enough to justify cost - expose, mail and address book enhancements, new finder and server connections, and did I mentio
Cons: Faxing is great, but isn't that about 5 years late? Fontbook needs revision to replace Suitcase X, costly for a decimal place -
User Rating: 9/10
It was worth it.
Pros: I own a iBook G3 900MHz with 640MB RAM. I was running Jaguar prior to Panther and all I can say is what a difference. When I click on programs they will open almost instantly. Apple was absolutely right about it being faster. Minimizing is also a lot smoo
Cons: It doesn't crash, it's fast and always works. Oh wait those are good things... sorry XP users, X with out the "powerless" is the only OS worth using. I try not to be too biased but with Panther it's hard not to be.
User Rating: 10/10
works faster and better
Pros: works faster and programmes launch faster, quick user switching is great and processes in background user still runs
Cons: some apps crash that did not crash before in jaguar
User Rating: 8/10
The OS for the rest of us!
Pros: Improved antialiasing makes text on my iMac look lot better than 10.2. Definitely snappier than Jaguar. Nice "inspiration" from windows XP for Fast User Switching and Command-Tab for switching between application. Expose is not only an eye candy, but also
Cons: iTunes could be run by only one user in Fast User Switching!
User Rating: 8/10
A little number with loads of new features!
Pros: Just sat in on a demo of Panther and it seems like Apple has really added lots of new features and increased performance under the hood. The reviewer missed lots of the new features that render PDF's much faster than even Acrobat can. PostScript files c
Cons: It's a little upgrade number ".3" for so many new features. Had this been a windows upgrade, it would have been a whole new version. Apple really packs a whollup with these minor tweaks.
User Rating: 10/10
Yet again, Apple doesn't let us down.
Pros: So many new features that we have all been waiting for. Built in font management, improved Finder, well actually the list will go on and on. 'Expose' is probably one off the most impressive to me... hmm also the 128-bit file encryption.
Cons:
User Rating: 8/10
Apple builds a better breed
Pros: It seems that Apple finally listened to the gripes of Classic users and threw in some features we had been begging for for years. File labels are back, as is file encryption. For the first time, one can change logins without closing apps, a lesson Apple l
Cons: In some ways, this is merely a facelift for Jag. The brushed-metal UI is interesting, but it leaves the user wanting at least the option to get Aqua back. The new Finder has much more to get in the way, so die-hard Mac users may become annoyed at the new
User Rating: 6/10
Fixes many problems
Pros: Much better compatibility with Windows networks. It worked right out of the box with my Windows box and Linux server for both file and print sharing. This was something that never happened with Jaguar despite considerable effort.
Cons: At first glance, the "pure Apple" aspects are more bells and whistles than real substance. If you don't use it in a multi-platform context,it's cool but not really crucial.
User Rating: 7/10
faster than ever and a beefed-up finder
Pros: expose is a useful innovation as is the font book. network capabilities are improved with ipv6 and a better vpn effort than in jaguar. looks utterly superb with quartz screen rendering, and the auto-login cube effect is breathtaking (at first).
Cons: way too expensive. personally i miss the days of free OS upgrades .
User Rating: 9/10
Great upgrade for common users
Pros: Apple has released a pretty solid product this evening. After tweaking with panther for a few hours now, it has significant increases in GUI responsiveness which make everyday tasks much more fluid and accessible. I run the OS on a powerbook g4 1ghz wit
Cons: $130? not quite worth it if you already own jaguar. while you will see significant increases in GUI speeds, the other functions are pretty much visual gimmicks that will not necessarily increase productivitiy (with the exception of expose which is wonde
User Rating: 10/10
SWeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
Pros: This is awesome! I have found almost no bugs with the first revision of Panther, Awesom new features. Much more stable than Jaguar.
Cons: Not all Mac software will run yet, will have to wait for future software!
User Rating: 10/10
"APPLE HAS DONE IT AGAIN!"
Pros: First off... why arn't more and more people ditching Windows and switching to a quality product like APPLE. Panther is just another way to say "Apple just gets better." All the new features including expose are great. You can even click on an email ad
Cons: NOTHING the system is flawless. It also is virus free unike WINDOWS!
User Rating: 10/10
It just keeps geiing better...
Pros: Yet more reasons to rub my operating system in the face of all my PC using clients.
Cons:
User Rating: 8/10
Must have for 10.1; great for 10.2
Pros: Over 100 new features; Safari 1.1 fixes bugs; the new Finder rocks compared to 10.2; faster; Expose is great; Fast User Switching.
Cons: $129 but worth it. A few bugs. iChat AV currently icompatible with PCs. Most haxies don't work yet.
User Rating: 10/10
Feels like a different OS
Pros: Networking with Windows networks is, well, easier than it is with Windows..very nice. Expose will be very useful, especially since I have a 12 inch screen. This OS is VERY fast. Very intuitive interface..even for someone who just made the switch to apple
Cons: Don't have any yet.
