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| Mac OS X v10.1 “Puma” | |
| (Part of the Mac OS X family) | |
| Screenshot | |
 Screenshot of Mac OS X v10.1 |
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| Developer | |
| Apple Computer | |
| Release information | |
| Release date: | September 25, 2001 info |
| Current version: | 10.1.5, June 6, 2002 info |
| Source model: | Closed source (with open source components) |
| License: | APSL and Apple EULA |
| Kernel type: | Hybrid kernel |
| Support status | |
| Unsupported | |
Mac OS X version 10.1, code named Puma, is the first update of Apple Computer’s Mac OS X operating system. It superseded Mac OS X v10.0 and preceded Mac OS X v10.2. Version 10.1 was released on September 25, 2001 as a 'free update' to version 10.0. Starting with version 10.1.2, Apple made OS X the default operating system on new Macs. [1] The operating system was handed out for no charge by Apple employees after Steve Jobs' keynote speech at the Seybold publishing conference in San Francisco. It was subsequently distributed to Macintosh users on October 25, 2001 at Apple Stores and other retail stores that carried Apple products. The operating system was better received than Mac OS X 10.0, although critics claimed that the operating system was still lacking features and was plagued with bugs.
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System Requirements
- Supported Computers — Power Mac G3, G4, G4 Cube, iMac, PowerBook, or iBook
- RAM required — 128 megabytes (unofficially 96 megabytes minimum)
- Hard Drive Space — 1.5 gigabytes
Features
Apple introduced many features that were missing from the last version, as well as improving overall system performance. This system release brought some major new features to the Mac OS X platform:
- Performance enhancements — Mac OS X 10.1 introduced large performance increases throughout the system.
- Easier CD and DVD burning — better support in Finder as well as iTunes
- DVD playback support — DVDs can be played in Apple DVD Player
- More printer support (200 printers supported out of the box) — One of the main complaints of Mac OS X 10.0 users was the lack of printer drivers, and Apple attempted to remedy the situation by including more drivers, although many critics complained that there were still not enough drivers.
- Faster 3D (OpenGL performs 20% faster) — The OpenGL drivers, and handling were vastly improved in this version of Mac OS X, which created a large performance gap for 3D elements in the interface, and 3D applications.
- Improved AppleScript — The scripting interface now allows scripting to be done to many more system components, such as the Printer Center, and Terminal, thus improving the customizability of the interface. As well, Apple introduced AppleScript Studio, which allows a user to create full AppleScript applications in a simple graphical interface.
- ColorSync 4.0, the color management system and API.
- Image Capture, for acquiring images from digital cameras and scanners.
Criticisms
Although Mac OS X 10.1 was a much better operating system than its predecessor, it still received its share of criticism.
- System performance — Although system performance in Mac OS X 10.1 was greatly improved, it was still deemed 'not enough' for many to adopt Mac OS X as their main operating system.
- Minor upgrade — While Mac OS X 10.1 made some significant headway, many users criticized the step between Mac OS X 10.0 and Mac OS X 10.1 as not large enough. The user interface was said to have barely changed at all, and significant bugs still existed, some that caused entire system crashes.
Mac OS X 10.1 as a main operating system
Critics claimed that Mac OS X was still not ready for prime time, and as such could not be used as a main operating system under normal conditions. They believed that Apple’s use of Mac OS 9 as the default booting operating system on new computers illustrated their point. Apple switched to using Mac OS X as the default with the 10.1.2 release.
Version history
- September 25, 2001 – Mac OS X v10.1 (build 5G64)
- November 13, 2001 – Mac OS X v10.1.1 (build 5M28)
- December 20, 2001 – Mac OS X v10.1.2 (build 5P48)
- February 19, 2002 – Mac OS X v10.1.3 (build 5Q45)
- April 17, 2002 – Mac OS X v10.1.4 (build 5Q125)
- June 6, 2002 – Mac OS X v10.1.5 (build 5S60)
References
- John Siracusa (2005). Mac OS X 10.1. Retrieved October 31, 2005.
- Amazon.com, Inc. (2005). Product Description: Mac OS X 10.1. Retrieved October 31, 2005.
External links
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|---|---|
| Classic Mac OS (History) | System 6 · System 7 · Mac OS 8 · Mac OS 9 |
| Mac OS X (History) | Public Beta · v10.0 · v10.1 · v10.2 · v10.3 · v10.4 · v10.5 |
| Mac OS X Server | Rhapsody · Mac OS X Server 1.0 · Mac OS X Server |
| Other OS projects | A/UX · Taligent · Copland · MkLinux · Darwin |
