Posted on: Tuesday, October 9, 2001

New version of Mac OS X fast, more full-featured

By John Yaukey
Gannett News Service

Version 10.1 of the Macintosh operating system, featuring many new performance enhancements, is now available — free as an upgrade if you're already running OS X.

OS X was released in March after seven years of development, but hit shelves without several key performance capabilities such as the ability to burn CDs and DVDs, prompting many to view it as incomplete.

OS 10.1 takes care of those shortcomings.

Other enhancements include:

• Speed. In response to complaints about sluggishness in OS X, Apple is reporting that most applications in 10.1 will launch two to three times faster.

• More control. For example, the toolbar known as the Dock can be moved to the sides of the monitor screen rather than being fixed at the bottom. Many of the other features are resizable as well.

• More "logical" arrangement of system preferences.

• Better Web browsing. OS 10.1 includes Java 2 — fully supported by Microsoft's Internet Explorer 5.1 browser.

• Easier wireless (802.11b "WiFi") networking with an enhanced AirPort Setup Assistant.

The software will sell for $129, but anyone already running OS X can get the upgrade for free at most retailers that sell Macintosh computers, including Apple's new stores. The upgrade also is available through Apple's online store (apple.com), but it costs $19.95.

Until further notice, Apple will continue to ship hardware with both OS 9 and OS 10.1, with OS 9 as the default operating system.