Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is an operating system developed and sold by Apple between 2007 and 2009, accompanying Apple’s personal computers. It was officially released on October 26, 2007, priced at $129 for a single license or $199 for a family pack, and was also preinstalled on newly sold computers.
Apple unveiled Mac OS X Leopard as the sixth major release of its advanced operating system. With its release in October, Leopard introduced a plethora of new features, totaling over 300. Some of the key highlights included:
- Desktop and Dock Enhancements: Leopard introduced a revamped Desktop and Dock featuring Stacks, a convenient way to organize files, and an updated Finder with Cover Flow for easy file browsing and sharing across multiple Macs.
- Quick Look: A feature allowing rapid previewing of most files without launching an application.
- Time Machine: A groundbreaking backup and restore utility enabling effortless protection of files and the entire system by allowing users to travel back in time to retrieve lost data.
- Spaces: A powerful feature facilitating the creation of application groups for seamless switching between tasks.
- Enhanced iChat and Mail: Improved communication tools for creative interactions among users.
Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO at the time, hailed Leopard as the best release of Mac OS X, surpassing its predecessor, Tiger, and further solidifying Mac OS X’s reputation as the most advanced and innovative operating system.
Leopard’s redesigned Dock featured Stacks, offering users a convenient solution to manage desktop clutter caused by downloads from browsers and emails. The Finder was overhauled, integrating Cover Flow for intuitive file and application browsing. Additionally, the Sidebar simplified file organization and provided easy access to shared Macs and PCs on a network. Subscribers to .Mac could utilize the “Back to My Mac” feature to remotely access files over the Internet.
| Introduced | June 11, 2007 – 16 years ago |
| Released | October 26, 2007 – 16 years ago |
| Time of Support | 21 months (1 year) |
| Original Price | $129 for a Single User $199 for Many Users (Family Pack) |
| System Requirements | Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867 MHz or faster) processor 512 MB RAM 9 GB of hard disk space |
| Distribution | DVD-ROM |
| Order Number | MB021Z/A (Single User) MB022Z/A (Family Pack) |
Time Machine revolutionized data protection by allowing users to travel back in time to retrieve deleted files, applications, and media. It automatically backed up Mac data and facilitated easy restoration in case of loss.
Leopard also introduced technologies taking advantage of the latest processor hardware, including full native 64-bit support, multi-core optimization, and Core Animation for creating animated user experiences.
Additional features of Leopard included:
- Leopard Mail: Offering extensive customization options and more than 30 stationery designs for personalized emails.
- iChat with iChat Theater: Allowing users to present photos, videos, and files during video conferences.
- iCal: Introducing powerful group calendaring features.
- Web Clip: Enabling the extraction of content from web pages to the Dashboard as live widgets.
Boot Camp facilitated the native running of Windows on Intel-based Macs, while new development tools such as Xcode 3 and DashCode enhanced application development.
The software received its final update, version 10.5.8, on August 5, 2009, before being succeeded by Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
As of today, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is 16 years old, yet its impact on the evolution of operating systems remains significant.
Versions of the Mac OS X Leopard
| Versions | Build | Release Date |
| Mac OS X 10.5 | 9A681 | October 26, 2007 – 16 years ago |
| Mac OS X 10.5.1 | 9B18 | November 15, 2007 – 16 years ago |
| Mac OS X 10.5.2 | 9C31 | February 11, 2008 – 16 years ago |
| Mac OS X 10.5.3 | 9D34 | May 28, 2008 – 15 years ago |
| Mac OS X 10.5.4 | 9E17 | June 30, 2008 – 15 years ago |
| Mac OS X 10.5.5 | 9F33 | September 15, 2008 – 15 years ago |
| Mac OS X 10.5.6 | 9G55 | December 15, 2008 – 15 years ago |
| Mac OS X 10.5.7 | 9J61 | May 12, 2009 – 15 years ago |
| Mac OS X 10.5.8 | 9L30 9L31a | August 5, 2009 – 14 years ago |
Further Reading and References
- Apple Unveils Near Final Mac OS X Leopard – Apple Newsroom
- Apple to Ship Mac OS X Leopard on October 26 – Apple Newsroom
- Mac OS X Leopard – Wikipedia
- Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard – Low End Mac
- Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard – 512 Pixels
- Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard review – CNET
- Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: the Ars Technica review – Ars Technica
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