Appletell

According to AppleInsider, Apple is getting ready to send out developer builds of Mac OS X 10.5.4. 10.5.3 was just released about a week ago, and many users have been reporting graphics issues and issues with files and Adobe CS3. Apple will likely be addressing these issues in 10.5.4.

The new update may come sooner rather than later, as it is expected to carry updates pertaining to the 3G iPhone and a .Mac renaming, both of which are expected to launch at WWDC June 10th, less than a week away.

Direct quote from Apple Insider:

People familiar with the matter say developers could have the first pre-release copies of the update in their hands by week’s end. It’s almost a certainty that the beta software will surface by the company’s developer’s conference next week, they add.

Only time will tell if Apple plans to push out another update so close following 10.5.3.

Via [AppleInsider]

Mac OS X 10.5.3 is an update which Apple developers have been testing for the past few months. Mac users have been waiting patiently for its release. The fabulous news is that you are finally able to download Mac OS X 10.5.3. This update is recommended for Mac OSX 10.5, 10.5.1, and 10.5.2 (Leopard) users.

A surprising twist is that Apple has included detailed information about this software update. Numerous Mac users have complained about the lack of documentation with the Apple updates and Apple has done a great job of documenting the fixes for each application. Mac users will find the usual fixes within the Mac OS X 10.5.3 update such as general operating system improvements to enhance stability, compatibility, and the security of your Mac computer. Numerous applications have received an update with this release including Address Book, Airport, Automator, iCal, iChat, Mail, Parental Control, Spaces, Time Machine, and Voice Over.

Mac OS X 10.5.3 download varies from computer to computer. Remember if you don’t regularly update your system you might need to install other updates before you are able to install MAC OS X 10.5.3. Checking to see whether your system is up-to-date is simple click on the Apple symbol once the menu opens click on Software update. That’s it, software update will check to see whether your system needs to be updated. Have you noticed anything different in the update? 

Though most seem to be happy with Mac OS X 10.5.2, a select few, Steve Jobs apparently included, aren’t. Mac OS X 10.5.3 is on the fast track to release, as yet another developer build was seeded over the weekend.

While 10.5.2 had widely publicized bugs it was fixing, 10.5.3 has but one: WiFi issues, most recently exemplified when New York schools halted Mac shipments due to the issue. Two other issues it is known to have fixed are shutdown hangs and system mode issues. The others are anybody guess. Or anybody’s guesses, as the list of bugs fixed by this update is apparently longer than 170. This specific build, 9D22, fixes 15, and has no known issues.

Update: After this writing was finished, Apple released Build 9D23, adding 8 more fixes. Once again, no known issues.

Given the rapid succession of build releases, the consensus is that 10.5.3 will be available by mid-May. Perhaps this will give way for 10.5.4 in June?

Have you had any 10.5.2 issues? Or would you just like them to leave well enough alone? Sound off below.

Via [World Of Apple]

The problem that has plagued me personally, and seemingly evaporated, has finally been acknowledged by Apple. Graphical “tearing” when scrolling webpages and flickering when watching video seems to be rather common place on new MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Apple has said that they know about it and are looking into it.

The issue does not render the computer unusable, just annoying for watching videos. Scrolling through webpages or emails in Apple Mail gets you distorted pages as seen above. YouTube video especially shows large white bands that flash up for less than a second, then flash again, making for an annoying experience.

One user got back a reply: “Apple has received reports similar to the behavior you are describing and we are investigating those reports. Further information will come in the form of a Knowledge Base article, Software Update, or Software Release.” The fix may come in Mac OS X 10.5.3, seemingly coming soon.

Via [Ars Technica]

According to a Mac Rumors report, Mac OS 10.5.3 could be very near.  On Friday, the update was seeded to developers.  Starting in february with 10.5.3 (9d10), Apple has slowly been seeding more and more updates to developers, this time with probably the final version (9d19).  No intended date of release has been announced, as it can take developers more then a month sometimes to completely work through a new update.

According to Arnold Kim of Mac Rumors, the update includes “31 bug fixes for the growing list of issues addressed in the upcoming release.  Features that are specifically targeted for focused testing AirPort, Back to my Mac, Spaces, Time Machine, and many others”.  Maybe, just maybe, this will fix the growing number of issues with Time Machine wireless backups. 

This is by no means a guaranteed outcome, but an Apple representative I spoke with seemed very confident that we will see an update from Apple very soon.

I had called Apple about my MacBook Pro. About every 4 times I put it to sleep, it would wake up, but the screen would not come on, and then it would require a force shutdown. Upon reboot, It would tell me that Mac OS X has shutdown unexpectedly. I assume it had a kernel panic, though I couldn’t verify because the screen wasn’t on.  I was also having a problem with using my MacBook Pro in closed lid mode with my external display. As I thought, the Apple rep confirmed that these problems were related. There was apparently a specific run of MacBook Pros with this issue.

Where it got interesting is when he told me that I had two options: either I could do an Archive and Install, or I could wait for the next update. “Oh, great,” I thought, “Either move back to a buggier OS version, or just wait for who-knows-how-long.” Then the Apple rep said, “the update should be coming out very soon.” I asked what that meant, a few months? A few weeks? A few days? His response: “I’m surprised it’s not out yet.”

His advice was to check software update every couple of days.

Here’s what I think is safe to assume, assuming he has the correct information: An update is coming out within the next week or two for Leopard. It is most likely Mac OS X 10.5.3, given that the other solution was to move back to 10.5.0, implying that the problem stems from 10.5.2. Thus, 10.5.3 would logically be the problem solver. And lastly, it fixes this (rather large) MacBook Pro problem, as well as logically bundling other bug fixes.

Start checking Software Update!