Apple released the highly anticipated 10.5.3 update for Mac OS X on Wednesday. The OS update addressed issues with Finder and AirPort performance along with other applications including iCal, Mail and Time Machine.
The long list of issues the update addressed includes:
General
- Fixes a font issue that could result in Helvetica Narrow being used in applications instead of Helvetica.
- Addresses an issue with stuttering video and audio playback in certain USB devices.
- Resolves stability issues with Word of the Day, iTunes Artwork, and Slideshow screen savers.
- Fixes an issue in which certain attached hard drives may not show up in the Finder.
- Addresses an issue with .Mac syncing of Dashboard widgets over multiple Macs that use different screen resolutions.
- Includes additional RAW image support for several cameras.
- Improves the accuracy of the Software Update progress bar indicator.
- Addresses an issue in which Finder may not be available if the computer name is blank in Sharing preferences.
- Improves Active Directory binding and login.
- Eliminates a delay when logging in as an Active Directory user in a .local domain.
- Improves Spotlight searches on a AFP file server volumes.
- Clients can now change their password at the login window when bound to a Mac OS X 10.4 Open Directory server.
- Improves Safari reliability when connecting to the Internet through a Microsoft ISA proxy.
Address Book
- Addresses reliability issues when searching for contacts using built-in search.
- Resolves issues with mapping addresses that contain an ampersand character (&).
AirPort
- Improves 802.1X behavior and reliability.
- Improves reliability when using Time Capsule.
- Automator
- Addresses an issue in which some actions may not work with the "Show When Run" option enabled.
- Resolves an issue in which the "New iCal Event" action may not work.
- Resolves an issue that prevents workflows from being saved in the Finderis contextual menu.
- Fixes reliability issues for Automator scripts that search for files by date.
- Resolves an issue that prevents workflows from being saved in the Finderis contextual menu.
- Addresses an issue in which Automator workflows as Finder plugins do not work when the workflow begins with the "Get Selected Finder Items" action.
- Fixes an issue in which the "Copy Files" action does not reliably work when added from Automatoris warning dialog.
iCal
- Addresses potential privacy issues by allowing events to be marked as private.
- Resolves an issue in which the inspector does not show capacity and availability info for conference rooms within a building.
- Addresses an issue in which the current day could appear in the left-most column of the weekly view.
- Addresses reliability issues with meeting alarms, invitations and attachments.
- Resolves issues with reliability when restoring from iCal backups.
- Fixes accuracy issues with auto-completion, availability data and location names.
- Resolves an issue in which iCal may send cancellation notices for events in the past after a calendar is deleted.
- Fixes reliability issues with iCal syncing.
iChat
- Addresses reliability issues with screen sharing.
- Resolves an issue in which saved chat transcripts may reported as "still in use" after opening and closing them in iChat.
- Resolves an issue with group chats not being indexed in Spotlight.
- Only the last 250 messages of an active chat are saved. Fixed to save unlimited number of lines.
- Addresses issues with echo cancellation that may occur on portable Macs.
- Resolves an issue in which Mail may prevent idle sleep when set to automatically check for new messages every minute.
- Addresses stability issues that may be encountered when dragging large attachments into an email message.
- Fixes an issue that could occur if two compose windows are open when dragging a file to the Mail icon in the Dock.
- Addresses reliability issues when changes are made to a mailbox while offline.
- Resolves wrapping issues that may be found with consecutive spaces in plain text.
- Fixes issues with certain web pages appearing garbled when emailed from Safari.
- Fixes an issue in which the Sent, Drafts, and Outbox mailboxes incorrectly list the "cc" recipients in the "To" column.
- Addresses reliability issues with attachments added to plain text notes.
- Fixes reliability issues with authenticated RSS feeds.
- Resolves an issue in which attaching an alias to an email message may not send the actual file.
Parental Controls
- Addresses reliability issues with application logging and time limits.
- Resolves an issue in which Parental Controls may prevent forced sleep.?
- Addresses performance issues with web content filters.
- Fixes an issue with managed accounts in which iChat transcripts may not be created.
- Addresses issues with 4-byte files and whitelist.
Spaces
- Resolves an issue in which switching to a different space and returning back to the original space may reorder the application windows with a different active window.
- Resolves an issue in which activating an application from the Dock switches to a different space, even if there is a window for that application in the current space.
- Fixes an issue in which Command-Tab may incorrectly switch to a new space.
- Addresses reliability issues with Spaces when syncing preferences over .Mac.
Time Machine
- Includes fixes for Time Machine compatibility with Time Capsule.
- Resolves certain issues when backing up a portable Mac that is on battery power.
- Addresses compatibility issues with Aperture 2.
- Addresses reliability issues when performing a full restore from a Time Machine backup.
- Fixes an issue in which certain function keys may be disabled after using Time Machine.
- Fixes a possible alert message that incorrectly states a backup volume does not have enough space.
- Updates Time Machine to reliably restore attachments and messages in Mail.
VoiceOver
- Includes Braille Update 1.0 which enables GW Micro, HandyTech, HIMS, Nippon, and Papenmeier Refreshable Braille displays.
- Addresses an issue with Braille dot 7 and 8 underlining.
- Fixes an issue in which HTML page anchors may be ignored by the VoiceOver cursor.
- Fixes an issue that prevented Hot Spots from being used in text areas.
- Resolves an issue with spell checking in which VoiceOver may only announce the first misspelled word if there are multiple words spelled incorrectly.
Like any update, itis a good idea to back up important information before applying the Leopard update, and be sure to disconnect any peripheral devices -- including external hard drives -- ahead of time.
The Mac OS X 10.5.3 update is available via Appleis Software Update application and will eventually be available as a stand-alone installer at the Apple Support Web site.