Apple - Mac OS X - Overview

With innovative technologies built on a secure, reliable foundation, Tiger turns your Mac into a finely tuned instrument that lets you focus on the tasks at hand, whether that’s creating a new workout soundtrack for your iPod, publishing a paper on the human genome or perfecting the special effects in an upcoming movie.

Tiger’s polished appearance makes what’s onscreen as beautiful as the rest of your Mac — a sheer joy to behold and use. And thoughtful design decisions at every level let Apple engineers deliver breakthroughs such as Spotlight and Dashboard that put even more power at your fingertips. We hope you enjoy discovering all the wonderful things in your next OS:

Find stuff without even looking

Seamlessly integrated throughout the system, Spotlight lets you find your stuff instantly. Be organized without spending time organizing.

Search for anything, anytime, from the system-wide Spotlight menu.
Find stuff, even in the most complex PDF file, without extra software.
Create Smart Folders that update automatically when new files arrive.
Make Smart Mailboxes so you can see and sort messages in multiple views.
Control your System Preferences quickly with a predictive search.
Use Smart Groups to organize your contacts into categories automatically.

Enjoy an elegant, uncluttered workspace

Get instant access to what you want when you need it and a clean visual space when you don’t. Because putting you in control doesn’t mean littering the desktop with every possible button or menu at all times.

Dashboard puts handy utility widgets at your fingertips — and hides them instantly, too.
Automator happily performs repetitive tasks for you, so you don’t turn into a mindless drone.
Tell your Mac to read you new email with the advanced technology available via VoiceOver.
Exposé lets you see and navigate to any window instantly.
The system-wide menu bar gives every window more breathing room, provides access to system controls and lets you choose when to get help.

Surf the future — safely

Since Mac OS X already features a secure, reliable, Open Source foundation, Apple engineers can focus on delivering cutting-edge Internet applications that let you experience science fiction as reality today.

Know at a glance when your favorite Web sites have published new articles and read them right in Safari.
Brainstorm with your coworkers using personal videoconferencing that looks as elegant as the board room.
Find out stuff from the Internet, such as weather, stocks and airline flights, with ease — practical, yet beautiful.
Keep all your stuff in sync across multiple computers with .Mac.
Enjoy a responsive system that won’t get bogged down with spyware thanks to well-architected security.
Connect without hassles to any network from desktops and laptops.

It just works

Plug in virtually any device, plug into any network. No configuration, no hassle. Using and developing open standards makes Mac OS X the most compatible platform on the planet.

Connect hundreds of digital cameras, printers, audio and MIDI devices. DV camcorders, input devices, storage devices and optical media, scanners and displays using industry standard USB, FireWire (IEEE 1394) and DVI without additional software.
Connect Bluetooth devices such as cell phones and input devices securely with encryption and sync with your Address Book and iCal.
Print directly to Windows shared printers over the SMB protocol.
Send faxes using your built-in modem or Bluetooth cell phone.
Set up devices such as network printers and wireless webcams easily with zero configuration Bonjour.

Run on the latest innovations

In its fifth major release, Mac OS X Tiger builds on a stable foundation to deliver mouth-watering technologies that push the industry forward.

64-bit applications run side by side with 32-bit applications with no emulation mode.
The H.264 codec lets QuickTime 7 render widescreen HD and makes iChat AV videoconferencing crystal clear.
Tiger Core Image delivers astounding capabilities and performance for next generation image quality.
A UNIX-based foundation provides enough power to be the development platform of choice of major Open Source projects.
Xgrid lets you share your processing resources as a supercomputer node.