Mac OS X Snow Leopard means superior results faster, with new features and enhancements that help you build Web sites and Internet applications. It provides a combination of visual layout tools, application development features, and code editing support, enabling developers and designers at every skill level to create visually appealing, standards-based sites and applications quickly and easily.
If you’re already familiar with Mac OS X Leopard, you can access and download Mac OS X Snow Leopard New Features to help make your transition to the new version simple and smooth. The Mac OS X Snow Leopard New Features as well as other Mac OS X Leopard to Mac OS X Snow Leopard transition helpers are available on the Web at www.perspection.com.
If you’re searching for what’s new in Mac OS X Snow Leopard, just look for the icon: New!. The new icon appears in the table of contents and throughout this book so you can quickly and easily identify a new or improved feature in Mac OS X Snow Leopard. The following is a brief description of each new feature and it’s location in this book.
Faster Shutdown and Wake Up (p. 24). Snow Leopard is up to 75 percent faster when shutting down, twice as fast when waking up from sleep and 55 percent faster joining wireless networks.
Date in Menu Bar (p. 105). You can display the date alongside the time in the menu bar.
Text Substitution (p. 108-109). You can create symbol and text substitution that automatically change as you type. For example, you can type (c) to insert ©.
More Synchronization Options (p. 142). You can now synchronize contacts through MobileMe, Yahoo!, and Google.
New Fonts (p. 153). Snow Leopard includes more fonts: Terminal, Chalkduster (Heiti J, K, SC, and TC), and Hiragino Sans GB.
Chinese Handwriting Input (p. 169). You can use the Multi-Touch trackpad to draw Chinese characters.
Updated Thesaurus (p. 174). Snow Leopard includes the Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, second edition.
Bidirectional Text (p. 177). You can use a split-cursor to work with languages written right to left, such as Hebrew and Arabic, along with languages written left to right.
Automatic Updates for Printer Drivers (p. 197). When you plug in a new printer, Snow Leopard downloads the appropriate driver. Periodically, Snow Leopard checks to make sure it has the lastest driver using Software Update as needed.
AirPort Menu Signal Strength (p. 224). The AirPort item in the menu bar includes signal strength for all visible wireless networks.
Improved File Sharing (p. 404-405). When your computer goes to sleep, you can continue to share its files with other computers and devices.
Redesigned Services Menu (p. 436, 495). The Services menu is context based for the selected application and customizable. You can also create automated services using Automator.
HFS+ Read Support in Book Camp (p. 472). Boot Camp allows you to access the files on your Mac OS X partition from Windows.
Faster Time Machine Backup (p. 478). The initial backup time when using time Capsule is up to 50 percent faster.
Starting Points for Automator (p. 495). You can create workflows using new templates: Workflow, Applications, Services, Folder Actions, Print Plugin, iCal Alarm, and Image Capture Plugin.
Smaller Installation (p. 514). Snow Leopard takes up less hard disk space (up to 6 GB) than Leopard.
Faster Installer (p. 516). Snow Leopard includes the Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, second edition.
Digital Asset Exchange Support. Collada Digital Asset Exchange (.dae) files support 3D models, which you can zoom and rotate in a 3D scene and play viewpoint animations. You can also use Quick Look to display them.
Split Pane Terminal. In Terminal, you can use a split window for different terminal sessions so you can compare information.
Enhanced Icon View (p. 11, 30). You can thumb through a multipage document, such as a PDF, or watch a QuickTime movie in Icon view.
Larger Icon Sizes (p. 12). In Icon view, you can use a slider to adjust the size of the icon previews up to 512 by 512 pixels.
Remove Sidebar Headers (p. 16). If you remove all the items under a header, such as Devices, in the side, the header disappears. When you add an item back to the sidebar, the header appears.
Restore Deleted Items (p. 48-49). If you put an item in the Trash, then change your mind, you can restore it to its original location by using the Put Back command.
Show/Hide Sidebar (p. 86). You can show or hide the sidebar in a Finder window.
Activate Expose from the Dock (p. 14, 18, 20). You can click and hold an application icon in the Dock to start Expose. Press the tab key to move to the next application.
Scroll Through Stacks (p. 19). In Grid view, you can scroll through stacks from the Dock.
Navigate Folders in Stacks (p. 19). In Grid view, you can open a folder in a stack to view the files inside. When you’re done, you can use the return path icon to return to the previous folder location.
Assign Applications to Spaces (p. 21, 93). You can spread out your work in different spaces by assigning an application to a space from its icon in the Dock.
View Options (p. 62). You can adjust view options for Spotlight results just like the Finder.
Sort Search Results (p. 62). You can sort search results by name, date modified, dated created, size, kind, and label. Use the Action menu and Keep Arranged By submenu to select a sort field.
Change Search Locations (p. 64, 78). You can change the default search locations for Spotlight to the current folder or most recent search location.
Set Time Delay for Screen Locking (p. 22). When you require a password to wake up from a sleep, you can add a time delay before the password is required.
Screen Save Shuffle (p. 103). You can shuffle through screen saver photos just as you shuffle through songs in iTunes.
Automatic Time Zone Setting (p. 104). You can automatically use Wi-Fi hotspots to set the time zone for the current location.
Language and Text Preferences (p. 106-107). The Language and Text Preferences pane replaces the International preference pane. The Text tab allows you to substitute symbols and text in applications.
Multi-Touch Gesture (p. 452). All Mac notebooks with a Multi-Touch trackpad supports three- or four-finder gestures.
Different Statuses for Multiple Chat Accounts (p. 294). If you log in to multiple account, you can have a different status for each one.
Select To or From Account (p. 300). When you have multiple accounts, you can select a To or From account to use during a conversation.
Date and Time Stamp Conversations (p. 301). You can mark your conversations with the current date and time.
Show Past Conversations (p. 301, 311). If you save your conversations, you can have iChat automatically save the last 5, 25, 100, or 250 messages.
Search for a Buddy in Spotlight (p. 302). You can search for a buddy’s IM address in Spotlight.
Quick Look Capable (p. 303). When you receive a file in iChat, you can instantly preview it with Quick Look.
High Resolution iChat Theater (p. 306). iChat can display iChat Theater content at higher resolution, up to 640 x 480.
Lower Bandwidth (p. 306). iChat requires just 300 Kbps bandwidth to deliver near DVD quality, 640 x 480 video chats.
Close Other Chats (p. 309). When you have multiple chats open at the same time, you can Control-click the active chat, and then click Close Other Chats to exit the others.
Support for Microsoft Exchange (p. 260-261). Mail provides built-in support for Microsoft Exchange 2007. You can use your Mac to work with all your messages, contacts, and calendars in one place.
Reorderable Sidebar (p. 278). You can rearrange items on the sidebar where you want them.
Flight Data Detector (p. 268). Mail includes a data detector for airline flights. Mail can identify flight numbers and then take you directly to the Dashboard Flight Tracker widget to get up-to-date flight information.
Smart Text Selection (p. 150-151). Preview uses artificial intelligence to identify the components of a PDF so it can select text more effectively.
Image Scaling (p. 150-151). The Adjust Image Size command provides higher-quality image scaling.
Multiple Documents in a Window (p. 150-151). You can open multiple PDFs in a single document window.
Import from Scanner (p. 150-151). You can scan, view, and correct your files and images in Preview. the scanner detects the placement of images and documents on the scanner.
Annotation Toolbar (p. 150-151). Provides tools to annotate a document.
Soft Proof with Profile (p. 150-151). Allows you to see what your images will look like when printed, on the Web, or on a printing press.
Contact Sheet for Images (p. 150-151). You can display multiple images in a document as a contact sheet of thumbnails.
Image Correction Histogram (p. 150-151). You can adjust images using a live RGB histogram.
Improved Player (p. 334). QuickTime Player displays movies with a new interface and high-quality video.
Visual Chapters (p. 334). QuickTime Player displays frame-based thumbnail images for each chapter marker instead of text-only.
Live HTTP Streaming (p. 334). QuickTime X uses HTTP live streaming technology to playback live video online using a Web server, such as Mac OS X Server and Apache.
Improved Color Accuracy (p. 334). QuickTime X improves color management and capabilities of ColorSync.
Accelerated Video Decoding (p. 334). QuickTime X uses GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) to decode video in order to provide a more fluid playback and free up CPU (Central Processing Unit) for other tasks.
Trim a Movie (p. 336-337). You can trim unwanted portions from the beginning or end using frame-based thumbnails to make it easier.
Capture Live Audio or Video (p. 336-337). You can capture live audio and video using your iSight camera, FireWire camcorder, or microphone.
Record your Screen (p. 336-337). You can record the steps you take on your computer screen.
Save for the Web (p. 336-337). You can save movies for use on the Web, which includes iPhone and Computer.
Share Media (p. 336-337). You can share movies in a format for use on iTunes, MobileMe, and YouTube.
Top Sites (p. 234-235). Tracks and previews your favorite sites in a thumbnail view.
Full History Search with Cover Flow (p. 236, 238). Search and browse history and bookmarks in Cover Flow.
Faster Browsing and More Resistant to Crashes. The browser displays JavaScript 50 percent faster. If a browser plug-in crashes, the content stops working, but Safari continues to run.
VoiceOver Trackpad Control (p. 122-125). You can control VoiceOver using your trackpad, which represents the active window.
Greater Braille Device Support (p. 122-125). Snow Leopard adds greater support for braille displays, which includes wireless Bluetooth devices.
Browse Web Pages with Web Spots (p. 122-125). Snow Leopard can identify important areas of a Web page, so you can jump from one important spot to another without having to view every element on the page.
Automatically Read Web Pages (p. 122-125). VoiceOver can begin reading a Web page immediately when the page is loaded.
Web Table Support (p. 120-125). VoiceOver provides full support for navigating Web tables.