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Once More, With Feeling (3/23/00)
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Is it just us, or has the rumor mill been saying Mac OS 9.01 (or 9.02, or 9.03, or 9.04) is "just around the corner" for almost as long as we've been hearing about the Apple-branded Palm device? In fact, some of us have been waiting for a bug-fix update to Mac OS 9 from the very minute that operating system first shipped. But constant delays keep all of us Mac OS 9 users chugging along on a "dot zero" release-- at least, all of us who aren't lucky enough to be using one of Apple's newest Macs. Apparently the speed-bumped iBooks and G4 systems shipped with various updated versions of Mac OS 9; some have 9.02, some have 9.03. But given the fact that Apple's preparing Mac OS 9.04 for release, apparently those lesser updates missed a few bugs. Like, say, the disk-eating "Preserve memory contents" bug, perhaps?
But don't worry, because all sources are currently saying, "this time, for sure!" (Okay, yeah, we heard that about Pismo six or eight times, but we've got a good feeling about this one.) Mac OS Rumors currently reports that Mac OS 9.04 has officially hit "Golden Master" status, and should be available as a free download by Monday. Why should you believe the rumors this time? We'll tell you why: because some people have already downloaded the long-awaited update. Yes, someone at Apple evidently jumped the gun somewhere, because some readers are reporting to MacInTouch that Mac OS 9's Software Update control panel automatically downloaded and installed 9.04 on their systems. Christmas comes early this year to a lucky few...
If you're experiencing acute déjà vu right about now, we can't say we're surprised. Apple is just continuing a long-standing precedent of accidentally making software updates available before the "official" ship date. Last May, Mac OS 8.6 showed up unannounced on one of Apple's FTP servers days before the official release, and then disappeared just as quietly once word got out. And there was also that incident when QuickTime 4.1 arrived three weeks too early on one of Apple Europe's servers. The uncharitable among you might chalk these incidents up to incompetence, but we prefer to think of it as an unannounced "early access" program, intended to reward the vigilant. Keep watching the skies, and maybe someday you'll get Mac OS 9.1 a week before the rest of us.
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SceneLink (2174)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 3/23/00 episode: March 23, 2000: Mac OS 9.04 is so close we can taste it-- and some lucky devils already have it, thanks to continued slip-ups on Apple's part. Meanwhile, the Apple Store expands its software selection to include a bevy of third-party titles, and the U.S. Army heaves a sigh of relief, as its Mac web server holds strong against attacks by Brazilian hackers...
Other scenes from that episode: 2175: What, No Office 98®? (3/23/00) Let's face it-- while the Apple Store is certainly no slouch, it's also not what we'd call a screaming sales success, either. There's one big reason to buy from the Apple Store-- build-to-order-- and a bunch of reasons why online shoppers might rather e-shop at MacMall or OutPost.com instead... 2176: Barbarians At The Gate (3/23/00) A week ago, we closed with a St. Patrick's Day cliffhanger, as the U.S. Army prepared itself for an announced hack attack by a Brazilian faction of cyber-vandals calling themselves the "Crime-Boy's." For those of you who need to catch up, here's the Soap Opera Digest version: last year, the Army's web site was hacked, so the folks in charge replaced their notoriously leaky Windows NT web server with a much more secure Mac running WebSTAR...
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