Jaguar To Be Released Early, For US$129. Steve Jobs: "Jaguar Is Light Years Ahead Of Windows XP."

by , 12:15 PM EDT, July 17th, 2002

Jaguar is almost here. The code name for the Mac OS X 10.2, Jaguar will be used in Apple's official marketing for the new OS. The company is using both the name, as well as Jaguar markings on the "X" in Mac OS X. This will be true on both the box and the CD. Apple says that the new OS will be released early, on August 24th, and that the release will in fact be a pay-upgrade. The company will be charging US$129 for the update. The features of the new OS largely match those that were shown at WWDC 2002.

Of particular interest in the company's press release is the very strong wording from Steve Jobs concerning OS X vs. Windows XP. "Jaguar is light years ahead of Windows XP. There's never been a better time to switch to Mac," is the exact wording, as you can see below. From Apple:

Apple® today introduced Mac® OS X version 10.2 'Jaguar," the next major release of Mac OS X featuring more than 150 amazing new features and applications. "Jaguar" includes a new Mail application designed to eliminate junk mail, iChat AIM-compatible instant messenger, a system-wide Address Book, Inkwell™ handwriting recognition, QuickTime® 6 with MPEG-4, improved Universal Access, an enhanced Finder™, Sherlock® 3 with Internet Services and Rendezvous™, Apple's revolutionary home networking technology. Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar" will be publicly available August 24 for a suggested retail price of $129 (US).

"Jaguar is light years ahead of Windows XP. There's never been a better time to switch to Mac," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "With Unix at its core, and the most advanced object-oriented environment ever, Mac OS X is delivering more software innovation than our industry has seen in a decade."

“Jaguar” key features include:

• enhanced Mail, with a breakthrough junk mail filter that gets smarter by studying the contents of messages as it's used, not just filtering e-mails based on keywords;
• iChat, Apple's new AIM-compatible instant messaging application that allows users to instantly chat with their AOL and Mac.com buddies through a fun and easy-to-use interface;
• a new Address Book that allows users to enter information just once and access it from other applications, a brand new interface with a quick way to search through contact information, smart editing, support for vCards, Bluetooth and advanced syncing with Apple's new iSync;
• Inkwell, advanced handwriting recognition technology that is fully integrated into the text system so that all applications can take full advantage of it with an input tablet;
• QuickTime 6 with support for MPEG-4, the new worldwide standard for creating and viewing the highest-quality audio and video content over the Internet and on wireless devices such as mobile phones and PDAs;
• Universal Access with the ability to magnify the screen to see it larger, have highlighted text read aloud and use special keyboard commands such as mouse keys, sticky keys and slow keys;
• an enhanced Finder, featuring a new quick file search from the toolbar for a better view of files and a faster way to locate them, and the return of spring-loaded folders;
• Sherlock 3, Apple's all-new Internet Services tool that displays a personalized view of the information users access the most such as stock quotes, maps and restaurants;
• Rendezvous, Apple's revolutionary home networking technology that enables users to quickly and easily link computers and devices instantly without any configuration via Ethernet, AirPort®, FireWire®, USB or Bluetooth;
• Quartz™ Extreme, which accelerates graphics performance by using the power of the Mac's built-in graphics engine to make the desktop more responsive and deliver seamlessly blended 2D, 3D and QuickTime content directly onto the desktop;
• increased compatibility with Windows networks with SMB browsing and sharing as well as built-in PPTP VPN security, making it easier to share files, work with Windows documents and connect to a Windows network; and
• a rock-solid UNIX-based foundation with significant enhancements including FreeBSD 4.4-and GCC 3.1-based developer tools, making Mac OS X the ultimate platform for UNIX users.

Jaguar will be a pay-upgrade, with a cost of US$129. During the keynote, Steve Jobs said that those who buy a new Mac between now and the time that Jaguar is released on August 24th will be eligible for a US$19.95 update through the Up-to-Date program.

The Mac Observer Spin:

Apple is not pulling any punches when it comes to Microsoft, who is itself going after Apple with a gusto this week. The comments attributed to Steve Jobs are a major insult to Microsoft's flagship OS, and though we agree with the comments, we are surprised to see such strong wording coming from Mr. Jobs. We like it.

There will be some in the Mac community who are tense at having to pay for Jaguar. In our opinion, this update is worth it. Mac OS X 10.1 is a complete OS, and Jaguar will add a host of new features and other improvements. While we wish that Apple would make Jaguar available to owners of Mac OS X 10.1 at a discount, say US$69, we are comfortable with the idea that Jaguar is *worth* the US$129 price we are being asked to pay. If you disagree, let Apple know.