Mac OS X 10.2.4 Is Out

J. Ventura writes "Mac OS X Update 10.2.4 has been relased. The 10.2.4 Update delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for the following applications, services and technologies: Address Book, Classic compatibility, Finder, FireWire, Graphics, OpenGL, and Sherlock. It includes AFP and Windows file service improvements, as well as audio, disc recording, graphics, and printing improvements." Get it via Software Update.

Yay!

[asparagus]

They fixed the bloody bug where everything on the desktop got moved when you dropped something on the edges.

OSeXy!

-Brett

Rendezvous doesn't seem to be the Eric version

[AnamanFan]

"Rendezvous-enabled computers that have Personal Web Sharing turned on appear in the Safari Rendezvous bookmark collection."

Taking a quick look at the Rendezvous bookmarks on Safari, I see a bookmark for each user made on my mac ("User's website") and then the one made by Eric Christopher [mac.com] is still present. Admitabally, it doesn't seem that they used Eric's mod, but I can't be 100% about it.

Bluetooth Serial Utility

[thatguywhoiam]

... is included. Handy.

What about laptop power management???

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm getting kind of tired of my iBook bitching at me that it's running on reserve power, when the battery is at more than 75% full. Even worse when it just goes to sleep with NO WARNING shortly after the spurious battery warning, and won't wake up until I plug it in.

I know I'm not the only one who has seen these kinds of problems with OS X-- the iBook power management was rock-solid in OS 9.x.

Re:short list of bugs?

[exp(pi*sqrt(163))]

Note that Apple don't appear (to me at least) to tell the truth about what bugs they've fixed. I think 10.1.2 was really buggy for me. It used to kernel panic, fail to wake up from sleep and generally be unreliable. With 10.1.3 these problems went away. No mention of any of this in the detailed description of what they'd fixed.

Re:short list of bugs?

[bo-eric]

If you want the really detailed changelog for why kernel panics go away, check the Darwin cvslog.

Broken Softwore Update?

[PetWolverine]

Maybe something is wrong with my Software Update, but it's not showing that there's an update available for OS X. It didn't show yesterday's Safari update, either--I had to download that from Apple's Web site manually.

Or maybe it's the fact that I'm running OS X Server--does anyone know if the update to Server has come out yet?

Another Ho-Hum Update

[spaceport]

Well, I just finished applying a bunch of system patches to my 2K box at work (no choice), and have witnessed, much to my dismay, the return of what I call the 'Instant Death' bug. I click, or open one of two applications (my two 'big' apps), then watch the memory count up on a black screen, with an energy star logo for entertainment. This happens 5-10 times a day, for the last 2 days since I updated.

I just installed OS X 10.2.4 at home, and surely will do so tomorrow on the (good) machines at work! As per the usual with these things, I don't really notice what it did. And that is good.

I mean really, since when should a system update f&#k so badly with the (presumably) graphics subsystems that it breaks, and breaks really, really badly, apps that have gotten along just fine for about a year?

Now I am likely going to have to install 2K again from the CD, losing huge chunks of my preferences, hacks and such that had been running (stably ??) for the year, like the ones that disabled that horrid windows key that always to masquerade as an apple key (I do have a nice keyboard ; ) and made a control key like it should be (email me for this one, it is incredibly nice). Well, if I don't lose 'em, at least I am going to have to find every, single, bloody one of them that made that horrid os tolerable (though still not by choice).

Just to bring things full circle, I did once have to re-install jaguar after having screwed pretty badly some of the boot files (completely my bad). I remember the horror when I realised that the only hope was a reinstall. I also remember the sheer joy as I discovered that every bloody single preference, login item, font, and what-not was exactly as I left it, and functioning perfectly.

I always get excited at mac update time : )

--

"It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for subtlety." -- Isaac Asimov

Re:Much faster -- Mails not the only thing...

[Rouxfus]

I think the post-update speed bump most people percieve is due to re-starting and getting rid of their swap files. Whenever a unix system starts swapping memory out to disk it's gonna slow down. I keep an eye on the number of swap files - when it goes from one to two, I re-start machine, uptime be damned - once there's more than one swap file the system gets -s l o w- in my experience.

The easiest way to track the number of swap files is to use the "Go To Folder" command in the Finder's Go menu, and type "/var". Drag the "vm" folder to the right side of the dock (bottom if the dock is oriented vertically). Now you can click and hold on that folder in the dock and the pop up dock menu will show you the swap files. Another way is to run Memory Stick.

Re:10.2.4 startup panic FIX

[coolmacdude]

I installed that but had no problem with the update.

Re:solid release...Some more Objective Numbers

[EverLurking]

OK, here's my anal retentive self doing rough stopwatch timings for various application launch times under 10.2.3 and 10.2.4

Yeah, I wanted to know if it was just my perceptions being fooled by my expectations after installing a OS upgrade or if this was indeed a real effect. Hardware: Powerbook G4 667 MHz Gigabit Ethernet,768 MB RAM, 30 GB HD

10.2.3 => Cold Boot = 1:06, Shutdown 0:45, Login 5-7sec, Logout 6-15sec

10.2.4 => Cold Boot = 1:07, Shutdown 0:15, Login 6sec, Logout 5sec

The shutdown time has definitely been trimmed, but most of us OS X users will not be enjoying this speed advantage much as...we just don't have to shut down that much when the sleep/wake state is so quick and stable to use unlike my WinBlows computers.

The following times are in seconds, timed from when icon clicked on in the Dock to when the application window was fully loaded and ready to go.
(Task or App--10.2.3 1st run/Subsequent run--10.2.4 1st run/Subsequent run)
Safari----11.5/03.5--14.0/03.0
Chimera--12.0/5.1--11.0/05.2
Mail------05.5/03.5--05.3/02.2
Address--03.0/02.8--05.3/02.0
iCal------04.0/03.5--04.0/04.0
Sherlock--14.5/12.2--12.0/08.2
Word-----05.5/02.5--05.0/03.0
iTunes----05.2/02.2--04.5/02.0
iPhoto----05.8/04.2--05.2/04.0
QTPro----02.0/01.5--02.8/01.0

Sorry the formatting is so lousy, /. won't let me do a table. Also, the errors are like +/- 0.2-0.3 sec depending on if I was reaching for my beer during the timing and missed seeing the window pop up.

Sure it ain't scientific, but I think this update has gotten things moving along a tad faster, as have all the other .1, .2, .3 updates. Which is nice as many other OS's just seem to become more bloated with each iteration.

DaveC