Mac OS X 10.3.8 Out, Security Update Released

Richard_at_work writes "Get it while its hot, or -- if you are less brave -- wait and see if there are any issues. From the download page, the two top points of this update are 'improved OpenGL technology and updated ATI and NVIDIA graphics drivers' and 'improved file sharing and directory services for mixed Mac and PC networks'. More information."

Comments

Early adopter and cautious observer

[wazzzup]

I'm an early adopter because I initiate the download and install as soon as it came up in Software Update.

I'm a cautious observer because by the time I'm done dowloading this 28MB behemoth on my dialup connection it will have been well tested.

Snappier, for sure!

[patrick42]

Is it just me, or does everything feel a bit snappier now! Amazing! Best update ever!

Re:Snappier, for sure!

[ChuckleBug]

(Why do people have to be told?)

I didn't. After the upgrade, I noticed I get jokes much more quickly! My comebacks are snappier, too!

Earlier Adopter

[FoolTDW]

Had some bluetooth problems (mouse and keyboard) on first reboot, but another reboot fixed that. Everything else seems fine. iBook G4

This may fix an annoying problem...

[vocaro]

Upgraded successfully on my G4 PowerBook. No problems so far.

Of particular interest to me is this item in the list of enhancements:

Addresses an issue in which a PowerBook G4 computer would, on rare occasion, wake from sleep with a black screen and not respond to any keyboard, mouse, or trackpad input.

I've been experiencing this problem on and off ever since I switched to the Mac last April, and it bugs the heck out of me. I'll unplug my laptop from my Cinema Display, take it home, flip open the lid, and nothing happens. The computer powers on -- I can hear the fan and hard drive spinning -- and the screen is lit, but it's all black. It ignores keyboard and mouse input, and I'm forced to do a hard reboot, losing any unsaved data. (It wasn't happening all the time, but at least every three weeks or so.)

I talked to an Apple "Genius" at an Apple Store about this wake-from-sleep problem, and he said I shouldn't let the PowerBook go to sleep. Instead, I should shut down the computer completely before unplugging it, then power it back up when I got home. Ah, what genius! Patient: "Doctor, it hurts when I move my arm like this." Doctor: "Then don't move your arm like that." Seriously, the sleep feature is vital for most laptop users, and I can't believe the solution is not to use it.

Eventually, I discovered that if I click the Apple menu and select Sleep to do a manual sleep (as opposed to just unplugging the laptop from its display), then the frequency of the problem goes down, but it still happens. Hopefully this update will squash the bug once and for all.

Connecting to Samba a lot faster

[Nice2Cats]

I have no idea if this is actually in the list of features, but one thing that is seriously faster on my little iBook is connecting to my Linux Samba server -- like, wham! It is just there, while before it seem to take some time before OS X made up its mind if it really wanted to reach out and touch another computer.

So far, no (new) problems. Life is good.

Re:here we go

[WMD_88]

Apple recommends you have FW HDs unplugged during and after reinstall. It's right on the page...

Re:Disk Utility

[the pickle]

As always, that advice is a load of horse hockey.

p

Be careful

[commodoresloat]

I installed it via Software Update during a dinner party and my kitchen caught fire. The dinner guests just grinned nervously as the blaze spread to the dining room and consumed them.

Other than that, it seems to be running fine.

WoW

[nuggetman]

gotta love the fact this is actually a feature of the OS update:

Improves the performance of Blizzard World of Warcraft's "Full Screen Glow" video feature.