Happy Birthday Mac OS X

phillyclaude writes "Thanks to Wikipedia's Anniversaries page, I just realized Mac OS X turns three today! How could I forget such an important birthday?" Mac OS X 10.0 was released on March 24, 2001.

Comments

Shouldn't that be .3 today

[BoomerSooner]

Since it is 10.3?

Birthday Present

[k_killmore]

Now all Apple needs to do is deliver those 3 ghz G5s today and it will really be a day to remember. ;)

Re:Birthday Present

[System.out.println()]

Better yet: deliver them for free :D

I want one....

Re:Birthday Present

[Tumbleweed]

You'll be seeing 2.5gHz G5s first (perhaps next week, according to the rumour sites). The 3gHz machines aren't expected until end of summer, or thereabouts.

I'd be _very_ interested in playing with a generic PPC970FX board (www.970eval.com) with Linux, though, if it became affordable.

I'm _really_ hoping the new machines at end of summer come with PCI-E, so we can all get on with the task of migration at the same time as major processor upgrades.

Re:Birthday Present

[BrookHarty]

I picked up a Dual 1.42ghz mac last year, and the thing is fast. I normally run a few shells in iterm, and mozilla/imap, and fink for my unix applications, and some media players. It's a great box to use as a desktop. I also like the look of the older G4 cases.

But if the 1.42ghz system is fast and smooth, a 3ghz must compile applications under fink in seconds. I bought a few games for mac to test it out, Ghost Recon, RTCW, plays smoothly. The system is stable, and I hardly ever get the little beachball busy cursor.

While I dont care for the mac way of user input and keyboard commands, I have found work arounds. I just wish I could use the more standard methods of GUI usage. I found some apps to make it more like other OS's. And I'm happy my Intellimouse and MS natural keyboard works on it, and drivers are downloadable from microsoft's site, if you want the extended features.

Also, while its mostly BSD underneath, and if you are a BSD user, you can figure most stuff out, HFS/HFS+ and the GUI takes a little getting used too. Getting proper termcap files are a little bit of a hassle, and a decent VGA fixed width type font (mac's are not fixed font oriented), but all in all, its a great OS.

I couldn't switch full time to OSX, because I play CS. But as a normal desktop, I use it all the time. Most of my applications run under screen on a linux box, so I just need a good term program.

Re:Birthday Present

[Anonymous Coward]

You know, there were some things in your comment that made me wonder if you have any idea what you're talking about. No offense.

I just wish I could use the more standard methods of GUI usage.

What? Seeing how the Mac has been around longer than any other presently extant user interface, I'd say the Mac way is the standard way!

a decent VGA fixed width type font (mac's are not fixed font oriented)

Courier, Monaco, and Andale Mono are all installed on your machine by default. There's absolutely nothing wrong with them. In fact, Courier 14 with antialiasing is far easier to read on-screen than any other font. (VGA? What?)

thanks for helping with the math.

[dotgod]

Mac OS X 10.0 was released on March 24, 2001.

Thanks, Pudge...I wasn't sure if 2004 - 3 was the proper operation for determining the original year based on an anniversary.

Expose

[tblease]

Ah, the birthday of OS X. Here's to wishing that Windows had something similar to OS X Panther's Expose!

Re:Expose

[thirteenVA]

Here's to hoping that when they do, apple has created something even better...

:)

Happy OS X user

[GreatDrok]

OS X is the first OS that came with a computer I bought in the last 20 years that has actually stayed on the machine rather than either with BSD or Linux. OK, I confess I have a Windows XP/Linux dual boot machine, but I use XP only for games and some casual web browsing with Firefox, no e-mail, no work. That machine defaults to Fedora 1 but my Mac defaults to OS X and that is fine by me. Terrific. Panther is a vast improvement over the previous versions, and they were hugely better than Windows XP.

It will be interesting to see where we stand with OS X 10.6 when Longhorn finally releases. Most interesting is the fact that MS makes a big song and dance about OSS destroying the software industry whereas Apple has built a very nice symbiotic relationship with OSS. Proves the lie. In reality what threatens MS is serious competition that can't just be bought out.

Re:Happy OS X user

[MBCook]

10.6? I seriously doubt that people will be running 10.6 when Longhorn comes out. It will be more like 10.2834 (*rimshot*).

Seriously though, by the time Longhorn is supposed to come out (2 or 3 years, assuming no more delays) OS X will be 5 ot 6 (or more) years old. I would think by then it would get bumped to XI.

Re:Happy OS X user

[mrgeometry]

I would think by then it would get bumped to XI.


There's been a lot of talk to the effect that Apple is not likely to abandon the catchy-sounding "OS X" name. ("O S X I" doesn't sound as cool as "O S X"....) So will they call it "OS X Eleven" or "OS X Two point Oh" or what? Who knows?! As much as the OS might deserve a full new version number, the marketing aspect of it definitely pulls in the direction of keeping "OS X" as long as possible.

zach

Re:Happy OS X user

[tantalus]

There's been a lot of talk to the effect that Apple is not likely to abandon the catchy-sounding "OS X" name. ("O S X I" doesn't sound as cool as "O S X"....)


On the contrary, "O S X I", obviously pronounced "Oh, Sexy" sounds very cool indeed.

Switching views

[OmniVector]

It's pretty amazing how polar opposite many slashdotter's views about Apple have changed since the release of OS X. The science and *nix community has really embraced this newcommer to the *nix world.

Who else here used to hate macs until OS X, and now uses it as their primary machine? I'm sure I'm not alone.

Re:Switching views

[Dstreelm]

yes, i never used a mac before osx, i bought my powerbook over a year ana a half ago, and i have absolutley no regrets. i was a hardcore windows user and now i just laugh at my friends whose computers crash, my roomate just virus checked his system and he found over 2000 viruses, i have none. that being said, i would rather that alot of windows xp users not 'switch' because i like being the outnumbered and decenting. i know my system is betterand i could care less about most windows users. however i would like to see apple continue to grow and gain more acceptance

Re:Switching views

[MBCook]

Well, I didn't LIKE Macs (in a way) untill OS X.

I basically used Macs (mostly my good old LC II) untill about the time the Pentium came out and that's about when I got my first PC (a 386 clone) and I've been a PC person every since.

Now I had USED Macs during that time, I just didn't own one. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Macs (their design elegance, I though the interface was quite nice, etc) but I wouldn't have bought one (except as a second/spare/extra/toy comptuer) because of the OS. OS 8/9 wasn't BAD, but it wasn't as modern as Windows 9x or what I could do on Linux. I wouldn't have wanted to use it for a main computer. Add to that the speed difference that started to appear and that I played lots of games and that I liked to build computers and a Mac just wasn't an option.

But the OS (my biggest problem) because OS X which I have to admit I drool over. If I could buy it to put on my PCs (even if it cost $350 or so) I'd do it. It's got the Unix core (which thanks to Linux I've come to LOVE) but the great modern no fuss desktop. I don't play that many computer games any more (and those that I do then to be things that will get ported to the Mac anyways, even if I have to wait 6 months). I have moved to using a laptop almost exclusively (so building is out of the question, not to mention that I just don't have too much time to do that with my main computer, only "extra" computers). And now with computers getting so much faster than what I need most of the time (a G4 would be more than enough for me most of the time, but I drool over that G5). I've basically made up my mind that my next computer will be a Mac (probably laptop. I can't wait for iBook G5s. I'm not hurting so I can survive).

In summary I didn't "hate" Macs, but I wouldn't have bought one. They were outdated and dying for me compared to the "Wintel" side of things. But now Macs are back (with a VENGENCE). OS X fixed my biggest problem with Macs (the rest I could have survived). And not only did it FIX the problem, it added a Unix core that I envy. And while most things on Windows "Just Work" pretty well, these days when I don't have much free time to screw around with computer issues the "it nearly ALWAYS Just Works" of a Mac is majorly appealing too. Fixing my own computer problems (you know, the oddities of Windows and installing hardware/etc) is no longer challenging or entertaining in ANY way, it's just an annoyance. Years ago there was often something I would LEARN by going through all that stuff (even if I shouldn't have had to), but now it's just a pain.

Hold on little iBook G5... I'll be comming for you!

Re:Switching views

[DavidLeblond]

I use to despise Macs (rightly so.) I didn't even give them much thought when OS X came out.

But after upgrading to XP I started looking more and more at apple.com, and when XP went belly up on me last November I bought an iBook.

Never looked back.

Re:Switching views

[daviddennis]

I was a Windows loather who used mainly SGI and Linux, but when I decided to get into video in a big way in 1998, I decided to get a Mac because I was told the experience would be seamless.

It was, by 1998 standards, anyway, and I really liked the overall design of the system. But I still used the Unix machine for emacs and programming.

When the public beta came out, I put it on my dual processor G4 and switched almost entirely to the Mac immediately. I've been really happy with it ever since, so now I have a G5 at home, a G4 tower at work and a G4 PowerBook for the road.

Great systems, all of them. I couldn't be happier.

D

Re:Switching views

[Van Halen]

OS 8/9 wasn't BAD, but it wasn't as modern as Windows 9x or what I could do on Linux. I wouldn't have wanted to use it for a main computer.

I've always felt exactly the same way about System 7 through OS 9. I had used it a fair amount in college, and never really disliked it. Nice interface, but not nearly enough power to get at the internals for me to use it as my main machine. I was a Linux person (and later FreeBSD) and you could pry that from my cold, dead fingers.

Still, I bought a PowerMac 7600 running 7.5 back in 1996. It served one specific purpose (and still does today, running OS 8.6) as the centerpiece of my home recording studio, running Digital Performer. It was always my music machine and nothing else. Everything else was done on my Unix PC. Actually starting in 2000, I began dabbling in movie editing, using this little program from Apple called iMovie. So then the Mac had exactly two functions.

I had been lusting after OS X since I first starting reading about it, with the Developer Previews. Of course, my little Mac wasn't going to run it well enough to bother, but I wanted it. Finally in 2002, we decided that we wanted to make a video of our upcoming wedding, but we wanted to do it cheap. Of course this was the perfect opportunity to sneak in my desire to try OS X, especially since I'd already become proficient with iMovie. So we got a new Power Mac G4 and a DV camera (the wedding DVD turned out great).

Now the G4 is my primary machine. Terminal is still my most used app, but the rest of it is so much nicer than anything else. The FreeBSD PC sits headless in the corner as the household firewall/router/server. It's setup nicely and I don't want to tinker with it anymore for day to day stuff (that was fun in college, but not so much anymore). We bought an iBook for the wife about a year and a half ago, and we'll never go back. Interestingly, I still keep the 7600 around for music stuff. I had planned to upgrade my Digital Performer for OS X and move all the music stuff to the G4, but the 7600 works so well that I never bothered. It worked great for writing some music for the wedding, and I actually mixed the sound for the wedding video on it because iMovie doesn't give as much control. Perfect!

And then there's work. It's a Windows world. Everyone has a PC, and Mac/Apple are practically dirty words. We use Unix workstations in my group, mostly Sun and SGI. But those are getting to be pretty overpriced in the workstation market for the performance you get. We needed some Unix laptops that could still run Microsoft Office, so I managed to justify a couple of PowerBooks. Then we needed a file server with a couple terabytes that could serve our Unix machines and PCs. Hmm, Power Mac G5 + Xserve RAID. Management wanted to know why we weren't going with a Windows server. Aside from the lower cost vs. comparable Dell or IBM solutions, I think the lack of viruses was a big selling point. Serves NFS automounts, SMB, integrates with NIS, printers, web server, runs our scientific codes faster than any big iron workstation we have. I'd like to see a Windows machine do all of that as well!

So uh, happy birthday, Mac OS X. I know my computing life is much easier and enjoyable because of it. Though now it's kind of frustrating to use anything else. :) With OS X I get to have my cake (gui interface, expose) and eat it too (command line)!

Re:Switching views

[zero_offset]

Ah yes, the "grammar is a straitjacket" argument.

Assuming you manage to graduate despite the onus of that half-literate gibberish you're spewing, you're going to make a fantastic impression on your clients some day. Poor spelling and grammar is simply a sign of laziness, particularly at the university level.

Correct spelling and grammar is an important part of "experessing" yourself well. Don't assume you're so brilliant that the rest of us have any interest in slogging through the steaming mess you've written just to glean the dubious benefits of your self-proclaimed eloquence.

Spelling and grammar are part and parcel of the content of a post. Consequently, it is reasonable to take someone to task for a failing which should have been corrected around age ten. It is also reasonable to suspect that an intellect lacking in the comparatively simple skills of spelling and grammar may prove equally lacking in the ability to produce useful or interesting insights -- let alone the ability to relate those insights to others saddled with the considerable disadvantage of such grossly incompetent communication skills.

Rather than fly into some sort of barely-comprehensible rage, consider what I've written, read and learn from it, and please do not return until you can spell at least as well as a young child.

It's a shame, too. I did find your original post interesting. I considered responding to it. But it was such a disgusting example of near-illiteracy, I decided I preferred to avoid engaging you in conversation. In a way, I was embarassed on your behalf.

Good luck with whatever you end up doing. You're going to need it.

Mac OS X Release History

[Goo.cc]

I have a page that lists all revision of Mac OS X (client) since the public beta. I created it because I periodically save screenshots and I couldn't always remember which OS revision the screenshot was created with.

Anyway, you can access it at http://www.goo.cc/macosx.html

PCI-E != PCI-X

[Tumbleweed]

Nope. PCI-X is a much older technology, and very different from the new serial connector technology called PCI Express (abbreviated PCI-E). Macs _have_ had 64-bit 66mHz PCI for quite some time, though that's still nowhere near as sophisticated as PCI-E.

PCI-Express, however, will be replacing both AGP _and_ PCI slots, so all your peripherals will be using the same technology, albeit in different form factors (16x connector for AGP replacement, 1x or 4x connectors for most everything else). I believe it's 250MB/s (each direction?) per 'x' of connector length in PCI-E, so this will be a substantial improvement in bandwidth on PCI-E systems.

Re:They do

[undef24]

I bought it and its slow. The next week I bought a powerbook.

I've been with Apple for a while.

[alchemist68]

I've been with Apple for a while now. My first Apple computer was an Apple IIgs when I was in high school. My second Apple computer was a PowerBook 520c. My third and current Apple computer is a Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White), originally had a Motorola 400MHz G3, but upgraded to an IBM 500MHz G3 thanks to Other World Computing and the good folks at IBM. The one thing I've liked about Apple is that it consistently produces good products. Looking at the commercialization of the Windows Desktop (Icons, Icons EVERYWHERE), I admire Apple simplicity and elegance in design. Everything about Apple about coupling simplicity, elegance, and functionality. Their computers, in my experience, are also very reliable. All of my Apple computers still work. Mac OS X is quite impressive, and fast, and for my current web surfing, document writing, CD copying (for my car) and CD ripping (for my car), the 500MHz G3 is plenty fast for my needs, though I REALLY want a Dual 2.0 GHz PowerMac G5. My G3 is now 5 years old, still runs Apple's latest and greatest operating system, and it gets FASTER with every release. The Borg cannot make those claims.

Re:Powerbook rumors?

[ratlater]

MacRumors Buyers Guide is a good place to look for a general idea. They should be releasing a revision with faster processors and a few minor improvements in the next month or two.

-matt

present

[witort]

I just wish I didn't have to buy it a $129 present every year...

Re:present

[oacis]

Surprisingly,

I don't mind upgrading the Mac OS X operating system every year, simply because they really do add features that are worthwhile to the new build, not just adding a new look and feel (a la windows). When was the last time that you actually upgraded to a new windows version and it was actually faster? (Generally to upgrade to a new windows system, you really needed to buy a new computer).

You are looking at $AU 455 for an upgrade to the Windows professional, and even then you don't get everything that you do on a Mac (webserver, database, development tools). So $US 129 is cheap.

The first Mac I bought had 10.2 (in my mind previous Mac OS's were fantastic looking, but behind the times in terms of functionality - think memory management for one) and I love it! It is the only time that I have even considered the Mac OS as a serious purchaser. Not a problem spending on the upgrade - I cannot live without expose!

I use windows at work, and there are some things which it does do better, but I am happier with the Mac at home.

Too bad...

[PrintError]

Too bad, because I heard Apple's going out of business.

Again...

office depot customers bought 3 days early!

[gsfprez]

If you recall - office depot (or was it staples?) accidentally put Mac OS X 10.0 on the shelves the day it arrived in their stores - about 3 days before hand IIRC. This was the hot news on the Mac OS X websites the day this all happened.. i think smog levels went up around all the Office Depots the second the news hit.

Man...it HAS been a long time - i forget all the details - except for the one where my wife asked "Wait, did you just buy it twice? I thought you had ordered it from Apple thru your friend there?"

me: "But dude, i got it NOW!!!! Long before everyone else!!!"

Ah... i miss those days.... no sleep prior to a major OS release to be first in line at Frys....

man, i'm old now. i don't do fun things like that any more.