Yes, I know you're excited but...
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 10:47AM 
Now as you know, I'm as big a fan of Apple and OSX as most of the readers of my blog, but I just want to try and set expectations a bit with the upcoming launch of Snow Leopard on Friday.
Leopard is a stellar operating system and Snow Leopard will make it even more stellar, but it's a bit like an iceberg, in that most of the changes are below the waterline. We'll all benefit significantly from these new changes over time as more and more developers re-engineer their applications to take advantage of the new core features.
But it's going to take time.
The cosmetic changes you'll see on Friday will be relatively low key but the intention always was evolutionary not revolutionary.
So what I'm saying is don't expect to be initially blown away on Friday when you boot into Snow Leopard, it will all seem very familiar. However, As you explore, you'll discover lots of really neat but very subtle changes throughout the OS, some not very obvious, some you'd probably not realise unless you had them pointed out to you.
Over the next few weeks, I'll do a couple of ScreenCastsOnline shows covering Snow Leopard, starting this week with a run through of the installation options and possibly some of the more obvious features. I'll follow up next week with a look at some of the subtle changes in Snow Leopard and how to get the most of it.
Just don't expect to have your socks blown off on Friday, Snow Leopard will remove them gently and carefully over the next few weeks!
Reader Comments (8)
"Just don’t expect to have your socks blown off on Friday, Snow Leopard will remove them gently and carefully over the next few weeks!"
You smooth talking velvet tongued romantic. Mrs Don is a very luck lady.
Roll on friday...
Hi Don, see you found Fusion Wordpress theme too ! I have recently changed http://ukmac.net over to it...
The topic for the screencasts edition this week couldn't be more perfect! Pre-ordered my copy so hopefully I'll get it during or after the weekend. I'll bet Apple contacted you and they choose the release date of Friday so people would have the chance to watch your show :P
What's exciting about Snow Leopard for me probably won't excite to many people outside of the business user community. For example: Improved Microsoft Exchange support in Mail, added Exchange support in iCal and Address Book.
Also Expose in the Dock is wonderful and one of my favourite enhancements.
Paul
:)
I just want it to more efficiently use the processors in my new Mac Pro. That's it. Nothing more. If it would, say, be able to make Compressor render faster without the hit-and-miss "boy I hope it picks up the extra processors" clusters getting in the way!
That's what I want to be able to test. Snow Leopard with Final Cut Studio 3. I think it's close enough. How do they work together, Don? Better?
Having installed what appears to be the GM already, I think you're right to dampen expectations Don.
I understand that many of the most important changes of this OS are under the hood but they should have real world manifestations.
Re-writing Finder in 64 bit is a wasted opportunities when many of the bugs and limitations of Finder remain. If looks and works exactly the same to the end user then the underlying technology is irrelevant.
Rightly or wrongly there is likely to be a sizable outcry at the mediocrity of this new release. Most users will get no further than the lack of UI changes before launching into attack mode.
Luckily I get Snow Leopard for £8 under the Up to Date programme - I don't actually feel it offers good value for the full retail price even with it being as low as £25.
No expectations no disappointments.
Wow the fusion theme is popular, I didnt know that you used this theme as well.