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The top 25 overlooked and underrated features in Leopard

Don't miss these little-known but highly useful features in Mac OS X 10.5
Ryan Faas (Computerworld) 07 April, 2008 09:30:45
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Tagged Internet-based apps

Leopard also tags downloaded applications. When you download an application from any Leopard-compliant Internet program, Leopard uses a portion of the file known as an extended attribute to tag the application as downloaded. Even if the application is downloaded in a .zip archive or a disk image file, the application remains tagged when it is decompressed.

When you first launch the downloaded program, Leopard warns you that you are opening a file from the Internet, provides details about where it's from and asks if you want to run it. This gives inexperienced Internet users a measure of security, even if they have a Web browser (or other application) set to automatically open downloaded files.

Resizable partitions

One of the big under-the-hood features that was lacking in earlier versions of Mac OS X was the ability to create and resize partitions without reformatting a hard drive. Disk Utility now offers complete support for resizing partitions as well as adding and deleting partitions without reformatting, as long as the disk has a GUID Partition Table (the default option for Intel-based Macs).

Downloadable printer drivers

The ability to download printer drivers via software update is a great feature. You no longer need to be concerned if you decided to save space when you installed Leopard by skipping printer drivers.

When you attach a new (or even old) printer, Leopard will not only identify and configure it (which Tiger largely did without help if the driver was installed), but it will also ensure that you have the most up-to-date drivers for it.

Collage and Mosaic screensavers

Leopard harnesses the Core Animation libraries code that developers can use to imbue applications with all manner of animated elements to offer two stunning new screensaver options. Both work with iPhoto albums or folders of photos that you select.

The Collage screensaver builds a 3-D collage of photos piling on top of one another, while the Mosaic screensaver creates a photo mosaic image -- the type we've all seen in poster shops where one iconic picture, such as a movie poster for the Star Wars trilogy, looks like a solid image from a distance, but when you get close you see it's really made of hundred and hundreds of still shots from the movies.

It does this constantly, creating a new image of a photo in the album, using tiny versions of the other photos in the same album. Truly, this stunning effect is one that needs to be witnessed to be fully appreciated.

Ryan Faas is a frequent contributor specializing in Mac and multiplatform network issues. You can find more information about him at RyanFaas.com.

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Choosing what to sync with .Mac. In Leopard, you can sync Safari bookmarks, iCal calendars, Address Book contacts, Dashboard widgets, Dock items, Keychains, Mail accounts and preferences, Notes, and System Preferences across multiple Macs.
Choosing what to sync with .Mac. In Leopard, you can sync Safari bookmarks, iCal calendars, Address Book contacts, Dashboard widgets, Dock items, Keychains, Mail accounts and preferences, Notes, and System Preferences across multiple Macs.
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  • Starting an iChat Theater session. Step 1: Select a document to share.
  • Step 2: Invite a buddy to a video chat.
  • Step 3: Project your file, presentation or iPhoto album to your buddy.
  • Choosing what to sync with .Mac. In Leopard, you can sync Safari bookmarks, iCal calendars, Address Book contacts, Dashboard widgets, Dock items, Keychains, Mail accounts and preferences, Notes, and System Preferences across multiple Macs.
  • Open dialog boxes now include the Finder sidebar, so any folder you frequently access in the Finder (or even folders you rarely access but often store files in) can be accessed with one click.
  • Leopard lets you save Spotlight searches to the sidebar, giving you one-click access to your frequently used searches (or, more importantly, their results).
  • Enabling the guest account lets friends log into your computer -- as well as open applications, create files and print -- without giving them access to anything you want to be private. All the actions of guests are deleted when they log out.
  • Setting up file and CD/DVD sharing. With a file-sharing account, friends and family members can access your computer's shared files remotely, but they can't log into your computer. You can also choose to share any CD or DVD you insert into your Mac.
  • A Terminal window group. If you like to work with multiple Terminal windows, you can save them as a collection (complete with window styles and sizes, titles and positions) that can be automatically restored all at once when Terminal is launched.
  • Data detectors in Mail. When you mouse over relevant data such as dates, names of contacts, addresses or phone numbers, Mail prompts you to create, view or add information to events or contacts -- all from a single click and without any copying or pasting.
  • The stunning new Mosaic screensaver combines tiny versions of all the photos from an iPhoto album or folder to create one big photomosaic image on your desktop.
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