Last Friday Apple released its latest upgrade to the Macintosh operating system (OS), version 10.5, nicknamed “Leopard”.  It’s the fifth major revision to the Mac OS since 2001 (versus the five years it took Microsoft to get their ill-conceived Vista upgrade out the door), and, by Apple’s count, includes over 300 new features.  Certainly, some of the features are “under the hood”, and not all features are a big deal to all users.  However, in my 23 years of Mac use, Leopard stands as the best-looking, most powerful, fastest, and most “convenient” Mac operating system to date.  It’s certainly worth the $129 cost and the nearly two-year wait since Mac OS 10.4 “Tiger” (long by Apple standards).

We’re going to spend a few weeks getting to know Leopard.  Not intimately, as time and space won’t allow that here.  No, that task is up to you.  I can tell you one thing – whether you’re a seasoned MacHead or a “newbie” refugee from Windows tyranny – you’re gonna like this big kitty.

Let’s begin at the beginning.  Installation.  Unlike adding a new application to your computer, an operating system upgrade is a much more extensive modification to the guts of your computer.  Therefore, its best to back up your important data before your make the leap.  ‘Nuff said about that.

There are three ways to “Leopardize” your Mac.  The first is what’s called a “clean install”.  If you’ve backed up your important data and have the means to reinstall all the third-party applications you’ve been using, a clean install is a good way to make a clean start.  You won’t have to worry about parts of the old system lingering around to get in the way (although this is less of a problem on Macs than on Windows).  Just remember that the clean install method erases everything on your hard drive.

The second installation method is called “Upgrade”.  The installer simply overwrites the old system files with new versions, as well as installing new versions of existing system applications and any brand new applications.  Upgrading leaves all of your system and personal files exactly where they were.  I have used this method in the past and it’s safe and effective.

The third method (the one I recommend) is called “Archive and Install”.  As the name suggests, the smart Leopard installer protects all your personal data while installing a clean, new version of the operating system.  It then puts your personal data files (including preferences, email boxes, bookmarks, etc.) where they should be within the new system structure.  Old applications and system files are placed in a “Previous System” folder.  You can go through at your leisure and see whether the installer didn’t recognize any of your third-party data or preference files and move them where they need to be manually.  Or, you can just trash the Previous System folder and move on.

I chose the Archive and Install method to upgrade my MacBook Pro, which took about one hour.  After restarting and booting into Leopard for the first time, I decided to be a bit daring and trash the Previous System folder.  I then began checking out the functionality of my “core” applications.  I started Mail, and after a very brief wait for Mail to convert my existing email, found it purring right along.  Adobe’s Photoshop and GoLive programs worked without a hitch, as well as Quicken and all the members of the Microsoft Office suite.

Glitches?  For some reason, I had to re-enter my Aperture serial number.  That’s it.  Not bad for thousands of files and hundreds of gigabytes.

Next time: the new Leopard Finder - more than just a pretty face.  Meow.