Mac enthusiasts hit computer stores in the US early Saturday to test drive the new Mac OS X.
The groups of early gawkers were small and sporadic, but dedicated and very excited. "The cult is out today," joked John Houston, store manager at one store.
OS X is the first complete overhaul of Apple's operating system since it was first released in 1984. Although CD recording and other features such as DVD playback aren't yet ready for it, Mac enthusiasts casing the stores Saturday did not seem to mind in the least.
"I just got a new G4 machine so I'm going to install it on that," said Allen Caldwell, an electrician who checked out OS X Saturday morning at CompuWare. "I just need to wait for my next paycheck."
The night before, the store hosted an evening launch party and sold about 150 copies, said a sales associate. The highlight of the party: an appearance by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who "just stood around and talked to people," said salesman Tom Perry.
One customer said he had already used the developers' release, but wanted to buy the official version nonetheless. "It's pretty exciting for Unix people and Mac people."
The new OS is based on Unix, the same technology at the centre of many server operating systems, and adds a new graphical interface. In addition, a feature called Internet Updater will automatically send bug fixes and new features to customers, who can choose to accept or reject the updates.
Consumers who buy the new OS, which retails for US$129, will get a free copy of Mac OS 9.1, which is included on a separate CD. By using Mac OS 9.1, they will be able to run older Mac applications and burn CDs. To record CDs, however, they will need to shut down a computer running Mac OS X and restart it in the older OS.
Its biggest advantage may be standard features found on other mature operating systems such as Unix and Windows 2000, including: the ability to easily run multiple programs at the same time, improved use of memory, and greater crash resistance. Apple plans to begin shipping the software on new computers this summer.
