Chapter 2: What s New in Panther

How to…

• Discover new features in Panther

• Meet the Panther Finder

• Learn about new applications

• Find out about enhancements to Mac OS X applications

Mac OS X 10.3, or Panther, is the third major version of Apple’s Mac OS X. Released in October 2003, Panther includes “more than 150 new features and innovations,” as Apple’s marketing material says. But for once Apple didn’t exaggerate—there are many differences between Jaguar (Mac OS X 10.2) and Panther, and the changes Apple has wrought on its operating system are profound and will have a great effect on the way you work.

If you’re upgrading from an earlier version of Mac OS X, this chapter will give you an overview of what’s new in Panther. (If you’re upgrading from Mac OS 9 or earlier, see Chapter 1 to find out how different the two systems are.) I’ll go over the main changes in Panther and tell you how you’ll need to adapt to them. I’ll also cross-reference many of these changes to the appropriate chapters in this book.

Think of this chapter as an introduction to get you ready to make the change to Panther; you’ll see what awaits you in Mac OS X 10.3. If you already have upgraded, you may discover some features you hadn’t noticed yet. But in both cases, this chapter will give you a glimpse of some of the compelling features that make Panther an excellent operating system.