10 Reasons Why Snow Leopard is an Essential Upgrade

Pete Mortensen ()

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It’s easy to take for granted how rapidly Apple upgrades Mac OS X with meaningful new features. After all, with Friday’s Snow Leopard release, the world’s best desktop OS will have seen its fifth major leap forward in the same time it’s taken Microsoft to add only Vista and the promise of Windows 7 (I know it’s coming soon, I’m just impressed Apple’s beaten Microsoft again).

Three days from the next great version of the best great thing, here are 10 reasons why you should upgrade to Snow Leopard.

10. It’s Leopard Done Right
The release of Mac OS X Leopard was fraught with peril. It was late, it ran a bit slow, and it offered amazing new features — some of which weren’t fully ready for prime time. Snow Leopard is all about performance, optimizing features to deliver a great experience. It takes what you know today and makes it perfect.

9. It’s only $30
Recognizing that it has an evolution, not a revolution, on its hands, Apple’s keeping Snow Leopard incredibly cheap for existing Leopard users. At $30, it’s more than we paid to move from 10.0 to 10.1 (which was free), but it’s still one heck of a bargain. And it’s only $50 for a family pack.

8. You’ll add six gigs to your hard drive
This is a no-brainer. If you install Snow Leopard, your hard drive gets bigger — it takes up six or seven fewer gigabytes than Leopard. It’s less bloated in more ways than one.

7. Smarter Stacks and Expose
The OS X Finder already contains some of the most innovative UI elements ever. Snow Leopard makes them smarter. Stacks allows scrolling and advanced support for multiple folders now. And Expose allows you to just click on an app’s icon, thereby allowing you to select between that app’s windows.

6. It’s fully 64-bit, so buy 17.2 billion gigs of RAM!
If you own a recent Mac (anything with a Core 2 Duo), you’ve got a 64-bit processor. And with a fully rewritten Finder and under-the-hood code, Snow Leopard will let you manipulate absolutely gigantic files, up to 17.2 billion gigabytes at a time. Basically, if you’re doing high-end photo or video work, this will be the best platform ever.

5. Killer Multiprocessing with Grand Central
Apple’s been pushing multiprocessing since at least 2000, but the promise has never really paid off for most users. Snow Leopard aims to change that with Grand Central Dispatch, a powerful API for creating multicore-optimized code. Some apps will run faster right away, and it will only get better over time as other developers get caught up. It will be the gift that keeps on giving.

DON'T MISS

4. Unleash the Power of Your GPU With OpenCL
Time was, Windows lovers could (justifiably) deride the 3-D graphics power being packed by Macs. Anyone who tried to run Quake III Arena on a first-gen iMac can remember the pain we all shared. That’s changed now. The integrated NVIDIA graphics in even Apple’s low-end machines are totally respectable, and the dedicated cards in the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro are downright brawny. Unfortunately, unless you’re a gamer, an architect or an industrial designer, that probably doesn’t matter much to you. That’s why OpenCL is so great — it’s a coding framework that allows ordinary applications to tap into the extra power in your graphics card for all tasks, from web browsing to iPhoto. Snow Leopard’s all about power, and OpenCL’s a big part of it.

3. Native Exchange Support
A lot of factors have kept Macs out of the office over the years, but none has been more significant than the lack of MS Exchange e-mail, address book and calendar support. Outlook is as close to a standard as a proprietary format ever comes, and Apple’s taking its experiments with Exchange on the iPhone to the desktop. From now on, anyone with a Mac can make appointments, view contacts, and send e-mail via Exchange. I don’t know if I’ll ever bring my work computer home again.

2. QuickTime X Restores What the Tech Was Meant to Be
One of the great disappointments of long-time Mac users has been watching the slow decline of QuickTime. Once a legendary consumer multimedia player and editor, it increasingly became over-shadowed by iLife and iMovie. Charging for the Pro version meant that most people steered clear of it entirely (I couldn’t tell you the last time I played a video in QuickTime Player). QuickTime X fixes all of that. A ground-up rewrite, X integrates all former Pro versions into a free version for the rest of us. It’s two-and-a-half times faster than previous versions, plus built-in authoring capabilities, including recording via iSight and microphone, YouTube and Mobile Me uploads, and export to iPhone. Basically, it’s finally Apple giving some love to the multimedia technology that started it all.

1. Because You, Like Me, Are a Gigantic Apple Fanboy or -girl
It’s OK. We have a cult for that. Think it’ll make it here by Saturday?

22 comments »

About the author

Petemortensen

Pete Mortensen is a design strategist for consulting firm Jump Associates and the co-author of Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy, a book and blog that are significantly more interesting than you might initially think. Pete's particular Apple avocations are both around design--interface and industrial. Follow him on Twitter!

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Posted in Apple, Software, Top stories |

  • Sreenath Nair

    Plzz Can You Explain me in Detail the system requirements for Installing Snow Leopard? I’m a noobe and still a user of Windows,but had tried some linux distributions.Mine is a Intel P4 Processor With 1 GB DDR 1 Ram.If There is Any need for upgradation Plzz Guide me.I am very much attracted towards Mac Features.

    Plzz Mail me on (sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address).

    Thank You...

  • king

    This article actually made me excited over Snow leopard. Will it shave few Gigs if I only upgrade or do I need to make a clean install?

    I don’t see the new Quicktime giving any real reasons to be excited over. Recording simple video is ancient, but my mac uses it by default to play all media and then what is too difficult for it to play there will always be VLC

  • Jim

    I can’t wait, I am a recent convert and I just love Leopard. If they make Leopard even better I am all about that!! Who knew you could actually love your computer again!!

    Peace

  • john

    i will totally upgrade, the minute i can get my hands on a copy, hopefully asap

    if people ever used leopard, they’d stop comparing it to windows 7 or vista, which are pathetic resource hogs and lame copy attempts

  • http://stacywebb.biz Stacy Webb

    Ordered mine within 20 minutes of it being announced. If it’s available in the Apple store on Friday then I expect to get mine in the mail by then. Nearest Apple Store is over 100 miles away. Man, I wish they would build more. As for the space saving, if you’ve ever used CleanMyMac or any other cleaning app you may not see 6 gig’s of space reclaimed. Most of those apps remove the language packs and ppc/universal files automatically. So it will be interesting to see how much is truly gained (at least in my case).

  • OlsonBW

    I ordered Snow Leopard a long time ago. Basically shortly after it appeared on Amazon. It supposed to be at my house on Sept 2nd to 5th.

    Don’t I want it on August 28th? Yes and no. Like most things in like the wanting is the best part. Not that it won’t be great but all too soon it feel normal. Well not totally. I still have my G4 PowerBook that I use more than my 24″ iMac, only because I take it to work…

    But then I’ll probably go back to taking my 24″ iMac to work like I used to. Like Homor (should) says, “Snow Leopard” and then drools.

  • Rjd

    Windows had had these features for awhile now. Can’t believe mac users are just now getting real 64 bit. Wow!

  • Moshe Cohen

    Bullshit. I stay on 10.4.

  • MacRat

    And it make Apple more money!!

    $29 for an UPGRADE disc that was $9.95 for previous releases!

    $169 for a FULL INSTALL disc that was $129 for previous releases!

  • CaryMG

    @king
    You don’t “upgrade” as in: Leopard+The SnowLeopard AddOn.
    It’s the full deletion of Leopard then the full installation of SnowLeopard.
    You’ll get an extra 7 GBs on your hardrive.

  • http://helidragon.blogspot.com Kiteless

    Preordered mine via the $9.95 Up to Date program. Apple is wording it to sound like it will show up on Friday. Hope it does. I am a “slider”. While my MacBook Pro is my main machine, I still like Windows and am excited about 7, but not as much as I am about Snow Leopard. Mainly hoping to see noticable speed imporovements in iPhoto, iMovie and who knows, maybe the few Mac games I play?

    Strongly considering a totally fresh install. Backup all my data and apps and starting totally fresh. Currently my Leopard install has files on it dating back to my Core Duo MacBook (White), thanks to time machine.

    - Kiteless

  • http://website.com Jason Flaccidsen

    Typo in OpenCL section: “frameork”

  • http://www.definitivemind.com James Katt

    Who uses 64-bit Windows? Hardly anyone. 64-bit Windows is incompatible with existing 32-bit applications and drivers. You are a lonely person to be using 64-bit Windows. Try playing games on 64-bit Windows. They don’t work. Har har.

    Mac OS X Leopard, however, can be used by nearly every Mac User with an Intel Processor. Suddenly, there will be Millions of Mac users with a 64-Bit Operating System. Not only that, but 64-bit Mac OS X can run all 32-bit Applications as well as all 64-bit applications. Windows 64-bit cannot do that. Thus the transition to 64-bit Mac OS X is going to be much more successful than it is on Windows.

  • jeremyji

    @MacRat, those prices aren’t even close to correct. The upgrade was $79 last time and $129 for full version as this full version is. You’re quoting the price for the boxset that include iLife and iWork. Apple has been offering an up-to-date upgrade for recently purchased machines for $9.95 for most consumer software for a couple years now. If anything, Apple is losing a bit of profit this time due to the $29 upgrade.

  • DesiCresnet

    I have 10.5.6 leopard on last year macbook pro. If I upgrade, means do I install on top of it? or fresh clean install on the same hard disk?/

  • http://helidragon.blogspot.com Kiteless

    “James Katt”.

    Look I know that this is the LAAAAST place I should be talking about windows, but I just feel the need to inform you of how totally wrong you are. Do you even own a windows computer? Have you ever even seen Windows Vista run in 64bit? Or do you just drink the Apple Cool-Aid? I have 2 computers running Windows Vista 64bit. No, they are not perfect, My Mac isn’t flawless ether (currently effected by the HDD spindown problem 5400 RPM drives have in the late 2009 MacBook Pro, and not fixed yet) but they are the most stable Windows computers I have ever had. One is a gaming laptop that came with 64bit Vista and the other is a Media Center that gets rebooted maybe once a month and only when new updates come out.

    Not to say that none of that you say is true. It has been a slow plodding process to move to 64bit for Windows. As a long time Windows user I have seen and dealt with all of it, but it has mainly been the fault of the hardware vendors who have ever so slowly adopted 64bit. If you are a savvy user like me you know what Vista wants to run smooth. A fast CPU & Video card and a bare minimum of 2GB of RAM (4GB is preferred) . It has gotten leaps and bounds better thanks to updates and service packs.

    But gaming on 64 bit is great. All the drivers and most games are optimized for it. Windows is still the ideal platform for non-console gamers and things are faster than ever, even in Laptops. You can get an incredible gaming machine that will last you years that has easily twice the video performance of the highest end Mac laptop.

    But I like to think of myself as a user that is right down the middle I like Mac and Windows (PC) equally, but for different reasons. If someone asks me what kind of computer they should buy, and I get asked that a lot in my life, I ask them a lot of questions as to how they use a computer. Macs can certainly play powerful roles, but if someone wants to just work with photos, basic video, e-mail, a safe and easy user experience, I suggest a mac. If they want to do power video editing, but are not very savvy I still suggest a mac. If they are savvy, I will suggest a PC. Hardcore gaming… PC.

    All I am suggesting is to open your eyes. Both platforms can be great, but great at different things. It is my opinion that most of the conflict between mac and PC comes from APPLE itself and those damn “get a mac” adds. I am glad apple is getting more market share. I love my Mac, Apple has an amazing product, but you have to give credit to Microsoft. They make an operating system that works on literally hundreds of millions, maybe billions of different hardware configurations. And this is thanks to the collaboration of thousands of people around the world, who make hardware, software, the OS itself and everything in between.

    - Kiteless (The Slider)

  • fred edison

    I think a percentage of Windows users are under the impression that they are somehow “savvy,” when they really aren’t any more savvy than Mac users. If you want to be geeky with a Mac, go buy a book that goes into the OS environment details. OS X is plenty powerful under the hood. If you want to be savvy with Windows, do the same thing. Lots there to tinker with. Just remember one thing. It’s a damn computer. You shouldn’t need a Ph.D. degree to use an OS on a machine. If it’s confusing to understand and difficult to use, it’s a programming failure. Be it the Mac OS or Windows OS. The apparent simplicity of an OS is not (and should not be) a reliable indicator of its full power and ultimate functionality.

  • http://helidragon.blogspot.com Kiteless

    Hey thanks for the reply. I was not sure anyone would want to read such a long winded post on an article that is several days old and involving Windows, so thank you for the feedback. Out of all the things I talked about in my above post I did not mean to imply that mac users aren’t savvy. But trust me, if someone does not know what kind of computer they want, often times they are better off with a Mac (My parents included). I have made waaaay too much money off people fixing their Windows computers because they just didn’t understand why opening an e-mail attachment called “funnyjoke.exe” would cause their computer to start acting strangely.

    Mac’s are generally safer. Because Leopard is more secure? While I think that Leopard is very secure I don’t think this is the reason. It’s because only 10 percent of the computers in the world are Mac’s. Why write a virus for something there is so much less of, yeah?

    So I do agree with you Fred. I didn’t mean to imply that all mac users are not savvy. Most of my friends who own Macs are beyond savvy. Programmers, network architects, engineers, things like that.

    I guess I just get frustrated. When I get windows users who seem my Mac and start talking bad about it I am compelled to at least try and dispel some of the myths about the Mac to them. Show them WHY Macs cost more, and that there actually is ALOT of very high quality software for the Mac, things like that. When I have my Windows PC I get mac users giving me a hard time and I feel compelled to tell them what makes a Windows PC so great. I really try and walk the line and while most probably disagree with me, I don’t think one is better than the other. I think they both go great foe different roles and different kinds of people.

    OK I think I have babbled on long enough. Thanks again to anyone who took the time to read this.

    - Kiteless (The Slider)

  • Ebon

    “You’ll get back 6gb of drive space”? Where do you get that from? 10.6 gives you the ILLUSION you got more drive space because it does math different, and actually in a less precise way. Instead of the average person learning that 1gb is 1024mb, Apple has gone to the false math of 1000. So yea, you seem to magically now have a hard drive that is the size you always thought it was supposed to be because you can’t understand 1024 as a gig instead of 1000. Fact is, if you understand math there is no change.
    http://www.macworld.com/article/142471/2009/08/snow_leopard_math.html

  • http://www.snubcommunications.com Craig Grannell

    @Ebon: I know people who’ve got back 30GB+ on their nearly full drives, so it’s not just down to calculations. First, a bunch of printer drivers are gone—OS X now download what it needs; secondly, lots of apps are now massively smaller; thirdly, some of the code base is more efficient, again showing a reduction in footprint.

  • BeachDude

    Everyone that hurried to install Snow Leopard seems to be Underwhelmed!

    1. Tiny little Apps that always ran just fine are now crashing.
    2. The extra HD space is just due to less files being loaded!
    3. Quicktime X has no REWIND, WTF!!
    4. Everything looks the same, if it’s able to run!

    This should have been a free service pack upgrade, and not a $30 program!

  • Vrassing

    I am a long time user of PC’s and a new user of Mac’s and have been very impressed with OS X. It is very intuitive and have found the speed to be unbeatable. That being said… I thought that it would be a great idea to upgrade the RAM in my Mac and went to 8GB (not from Apple but from Micron and saved big$$$$$) I installed it and started enjoying the speed. THEN IT HAPPENED. The Mac started locking up. Forcing me to reboot. I thought that it was a flaw and started it back up and after a few minutes it happened again. Not knowing anything I called Apple and they started saying that I needed to re-install my OS and then I mentioned that I upgraded my RAM and they turned it to me. Anyway I ran the same configuration on a couple of other Mac’s and the same result. I talked to Micron and they said that they are working with someone at Apple to remedy the problem with Snow Leopard.

    All of that and I was wondering if anyone else was running 8GB on Snow Leopard and had the same experience. (Apple still says they dont know of any “known” issues)

    PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

    Vrassing