Mac OS X Tiger explained

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
Version Of:macOS
Developer:Apple Inc.
Source Model:Closed, with open source components
License:Commercial proprietary software[1]
Kernel Type:Hybrid (XNU)
Updatemodel:Apple Software Update
Supported Platforms:IA-32, x86-64, PowerPC
Release Version:10.4.11
Ga Date:[2]
Preceded By:Mac OS X 10.3 Panther
Succeeded By:Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Tagline:Tiger unleashed.
Support Status:Historical, unsupported as of September 4, 2009. Safari support ended November 2010 and iTunes support terminated as well.[3]

Mac OS X Tiger (version 10.4) is the 5th major release of macOS, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Mac computers. Tiger was released to the public on April 29, 2005 for US$129.95 as the successor to Mac OS X 10.3 Panther. Included features were a fast searching system called Spotlight, a new version of the Safari web browser, Dashboard, a new 'Unified' theme, and improved support for 64-bit addressing on Power Mac G5s. Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger also had a number of additional features that Microsoft had spent several years struggling to add to Windows with acceptable performance, such as fast file search and improved graphics processing.[4]

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger was included with all new Macs, and was also available as an upgrade for existing Mac OS X users, or users of supported pre-Mac OS X systems. The server edition, Mac OS X Server 10.4, was also available for some Macintosh product lines. Six weeks after the official release, Apple had delivered 2 million copies of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, representing 16% of all Mac OS X users. Apple claimed that Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger was the most successful Apple OS release in the company's history.[5] At the WWDC on June 11, 2007, Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs, announced that out of the 22 million Mac OS X users, more than 67% were using Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.[6]

Apple announced a transition to Intel x86 processors during Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger's lifetime, making it the first Apple operating system to work on Apple–Intel architecture machines. The original Apple TV, released in March of 2007, shipped with a customized version of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger branded "Apple TV OS" that replaced the usual GUI with an updated version of Front Row.[7]

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger was succeeded by Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard on October 26, 2007, after 30 months, making Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger the longest-running version of Mac OS X.[8] The last security update released for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger users was the 2009-005 update.[9] [10] The latest supported version of QuickTime is 7.6.4. The latest version of iTunes that can run on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger is 9.2.1.[11] Safari 4.1.3 is the final version for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.[12]

Despite not having received security updates since 2009, Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger remains popular with Power Mac users and retrocomputing enthusiasts due to its wide software and hardware compatibility, as it is the last Mac OS X version to support the Classic Environment – a Mac OS 9 compatibility layer – and PowerPC G3 processors.[13]

System requirements

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger was initially available in a PowerPC edition, with an Intel edition released beginning at Mac OS X 10.4.4 Tiger. There is no universal version of the client operating system, although Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Server was made available on a universal DVD from version Mac OS X 10.4.7 Tiger. While Apple shipped the PowerPC edition bundled with PowerPC-based Macs and also sold it as a separate retail box, the only way to obtain the Intel version was to buy an Intel-based Mac bundled with it. However, it was possible to buy the 'restore' DVDs containing the Intel version through unofficial channels such as eBay, and officially through Apple if one could provide proof of purchase of the appropriate Intel Mac. These grey-colored 'restore' DVDs supplied with new Macs, are designed to only restore on the model of Mac that they are intended for. However, they can be modified to work on any Intel Mac. The retail PowerPC-only DVD can be used on any PowerPC-based Mac supported by Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.

The system requirements of the PowerPC edition are:[14]

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger removed support for older New World ROM Macs such as the original iMacs and iBooks that were supported in Mac OS X 10.3 Panther; however it is possible to install Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger on these Macs using third-party software (such as XPostFacto) that overrides the checks made at the beginning of the installation process. Likewise, machines such as beige Power Mac G3s and 'Wall Street' PowerBook G3s that were dropped by Mac OS X Panther can also be made to run both Mac OS X Panther and Mac OS X Tiger in this way. Also, Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger can be installed on unsupported New World ROM Macs by installing it on a supported Mac, then swapping hard drives. Old World ROM Macs require the use of XPostFacto to install Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.

Mac OS X Tiger was the last version of Mac OS X to support the PowerPC G3 family of processors.

History

The name "Mac OS X Tiger" was reported by Mac Magazine on March 30, 2004; According to Mac Magazine, this information came from a safe source. Furthermore, Mac Magazine reported that the internal codename for Mac OS X Tiger had been "Merlot".[15]

Apple mentioned Mac OS X Tiger by name in a press release published on May 4, 2004 for its upcoming WWDC 2004 event.[16]

Apple CEO Steve Jobs first presented Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger in his keynote presentation at the WWDC on June 28, 2004. In October and December of 2004, several non-commercial developers' releases of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger leaked onto the internet via BitTorrent file sharers. Apple sued these file sharers.[17] On April 12, 2005, Apple announced Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger's official, worldwide release would be April 29. All Apple Stores around the world held Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger seminars, presentations and demos.

On June 6, 2005 at the WWDC in San Francisco, Jobs reported that nearly two million copies had been sold in Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger's first six weeks of release, making Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger the most successful operating system release in Apple's history. Jobs then disclosed that Mac OS X had been engineered from its inception to work with Intel's x86 line of processors in addition to the PowerPC, the CPU for which the operating system had always been publicly marketed. Apple concurrently announced its intent to release the first x86-based computers in June 2006, and to move the rest of its computers to x86 microprocessors by June 2007. On January 10, 2006, Apple presented its new iMac and MacBook Pro computers running on Intel Core Duo processors, and announced that the entire Apple product line would run on Intel processors by the end of 2006. Apple then released the Mac Pro and announced the new Xserve on August 8, completing the Intel transition in 210 days, roughly ten months ahead of the original schedule.

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger is the first version of Mac OS X to be supplied on a DVD rather than a CD, although the DVD could originally be exchanged for CDs for $9.95.

Reception

John Siracusa, writing for Ars technica, wrote that some features in Tiger were half-baked, such as filesystem metadata, Spotlight, and Dashboard. According to Siracusa, Spotlight in Tiger is confusing because it has two disparate interfaces which are kept separate, yet can accomplish the same task. Siracusa also wrote that some of Dashboard's UI choices were strange.[18]

New and changed features

End-user features

Apple advertised that Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger had over 150 new and improved features, including:

New applications in Tiger

Improvements

Technologies

In addition to these APIs, Tiger introduces a new window theme, often described as 'Unified'. A variation on the standard, non-brushed metal theme used since the introduction of Mac OS X, this theme integrates the title bar and the toolbar of a window. A prominent example of an application that utilizes this theme is Mail.

Tiger is also the first version of Mac OS X to include the "Zoom" screen magnifier functionality.

Tiger trademark lawsuit

Shortly before the release of Mac OS X Tiger, the computer retailer TigerDirect.com, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that Apple infringed TigerDirect.com's trademark with the Mac OS X Tiger operating system.[23]

The following is a quotation from TigerDirect.com's court memorandum:

Apple Computer's use of its infringing family of Tiger marks to expand sales of products besides its operating system software is already evident — for example, Apple Computer is offering free iPods and laptops as part of its Tiger World Premiere giveaway. In short, notwithstanding its representation to the PTO that it would only use Tiger in connection with their unique computer operating system software, Apple Computer has in recent weeks used a family of Tiger marks in connection with a substantially broader group of products and services, including the very products and services currently offered by Tiger Direct under its famous family of Tiger marks.[24]

In 2005 TigerDirect was denied a preliminary injunction that would have prevented Apple from using the mark while the case was decided.[25] Apple and TigerDirect reached a settlement in 2006, after which TigerDirect withdrew its opposition.[26]

Support for Intel processors

At Apple's 2005 Worldwide Developers Conference, CEO Steve Jobs announced that the company would begin selling Mac computers with Intel x86 processors in 2006. To allow developers to begin producing software for these Intel-based Macs, Apple made available a prototype Intel-based Mac ("Developer Transition Kit") that included a version of Mac OS X v10.4.1 compiled to run on x86 processors.

This build included Apple's Rosetta compatibility layer — a translation process that allows x86-based Macs to run software built only for PowerPC, with a moderate performance penalty. This is contrasted with the contemporary Mac OS 9 Classic mode, which used comparably larger amounts of system resources.

Soon after the Developer Transition Kits began shipping, copies of Tiger x86 were leaked onto file sharing networks. Although Apple had implemented a Trusted Computing digital rights management scheme in the transition hardware and OS in an attempt to stop people installing Tiger x86 on non-Apple PCs, the OSx86 project soon managed to remove this restriction.[27] As Apple released each update with newer safeguards to prevent its use on non-Apple hardware, unofficially modified versions were released that circumvented Apple's safeguards. However, with the release of 10.4.5, 10.4.6, and 10.4.7 the unofficially modified versions continued to use the kernel from 10.4.4 because later kernels have hardware locks and depend heavily on EFI. By late 2006, the 10.4.8 kernel had been cracked.[28]

At MacWorld San Francisco 2006, Jobs announced the immediate availability of Mac OS X v10.4.4, the first publicly available release of Tiger compiled for both PowerPC- and Intel x86-based machines. This version was the first version, other than the version provided with the Developer Transition Kits, to include Rosetta.

Release history

VersionBuildstyle=width:128pxDatestyle=width:76pxDarwin versionNotes
style=text-align:center rowspan=210.48A428April 29, 20058.0Preinstalled on much of the new line of computers
8A432Original retail release
style=text-align:center rowspan=210.4.18B15May 16, 20058.1Improved reliability, particularly in networking; improved compatibility with software and hardware devices.[29] Also addresses a widget auto-installation issue.[30]
8B17May 19, 2005Server edition
style=text-align:center rowspan=510.4.28C46July 12, 20058.2About the Mac OS X 10.4.2 Update (Delta)
8C47Server edition
8E102October 12, 2005Exclusively for Front Row iMac G5 released on same date
8E45October 19, 2005Exclusively for PowerBook G4s released on same date
8E90Exclusively for Power Mac G5 Dual and Quad released on same date
style=text-align:center10.4.38F46October 31, 20058.3About the Mac OS X 10.4.3 Update (Delta) Updated retail release
style=text-align:center rowspan=210.4.48G32January 10, 20068.4About the Mac OS X 10.4.4 Update (Delta) PowerPC
8G1165Shipped on initial Intel-based Macs
style=text-align:center rowspan=210.4.58H14February 14, 20068.5About the Mac OS X 10.4.5 Update (delta) PowerPC
8G1454About the Mac OS X 10.4.5 Update (delta) Intel
style=text-align:center rowspan=210.4.68I127April 3, 20068.6About the Mac OS X 10.4.6 Update (delta) PowerPC; Final retail release
8I1119About the Mac OS X 10.4.6 Update (delta) Intel
style=text-align:center rowspan=410.4.78J135June 27, 20068.7About the Mac OS X 10.4.7 Update (delta) PowerPC
8J2135aAbout the Mac OS X 10.4.7 Update (delta) Intel
8K1079August 7, 2006exclusively for Mac Pro released the same date
8N5107exclusively for Apple TV (formerly codenamed iTV)[31]
style=text-align:center rowspan=210.4.88L127September 29, 20068.8About the Mac OS X 10.4.8 Update (delta) PowerPC
8L2127Update (delta) Intel and Universal Server Edition
style=text-align:center rowspan=210.4.98P135March 13, 20078.9About the Mac OS X 10.4.9 Update (delta) PowerPC
8P2137About the Mac OS X 10.4.9 Update (delta) Intel and Universal Server Edition
style=text-align:center rowspan=310.4.108R218June 20, 20078.10About the Mac OS X 10.4.10 Update (delta) PowerPC
8R2218About the Mac OS X 10.4.10 Update (delta) Intel and Universal Server Edition
8R2232
style=text-align:center rowspan=210.4.118S165November 14, 20078.11About the Mac OS X 10.4.11 Update PowerPC
8S2167About the Mac OS X 10.4.11 Update Intel and Universal Server Edition

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR MAC OS X Single Use License. apple.com. Apple Inc. 19 March 2015. August 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160804181729/http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/macosx104.pdf. live.
  2. Apple Unleashes "Tiger" Friday at 6:00 p.m.. April 28, 2005. Apple Inc.. January 11, 2018. January 3, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180103133533/https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2005/04/28Apple-Unleashes-Tiger-Friday-at-6-00-p-m/. live.
  3. Web site: Apple signals end to OS X Snow Leopard support. Gregg Keizer. December 17, 2013. Computerworld. The company did the same for OS X Tiger, officially known as OS X 10.4, which was retired from support in September 2009, more than four years after its introduction.. June 23, 2014. April 7, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407021432/http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9244852/Apple_signals_end_to_OS_X_Snow_Leopard_support. live.
  4. Web site: Microsoft's Vista Had Major Mac Envy, Company E-Mails Reveal. Gregg Keizer. Information Week. January 29, 2007. August 9, 2017. August 10, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170810091318/http://www.informationweek.com/microsofts-vista-had-major-mac-envy-company-e-mails-reveal/d/d-id/1051287. live.
  5. Web site: WWDC 2005 Keynote Live Update. Peter. Cohen. Jason. Snell. Macworld. June 5, 2005. December 28, 2021. December 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211228201625/https://www.macworld.com/article/175877/liveupdate-8.html. live.
  6. Web site: WWDC 2007 Keynote. Apple Inc.. June 11, 2007. June 13, 2007. June 14, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070614073658/http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/d7625zs/event/. live.
  7. Web site: Apple TV OS successfully booted on Macs. March 27, 2007. MacNN. April 15, 2007. April 1, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070401202852/http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/03/27/apple.tv.on.macs/. live.
  8. News: Knight. Dan. Leopard Delayed to October. And the Bad Thing Is?. LowEnd Mac. Cobweb Publishing, Inc.. April 13, 2007. December 9, 2007. January 16, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080116071231/http://lowendmac.com/musings/07/0413.html. live.
  9. Web site: Security Update 2009-005 (Tiger PPC). Apple Inc.. September 10, 2009. October 1, 2023.
  10. Web site: Security Update 2009-005 (Tiger Intel). Apple Inc.. September 10, 2009. October 1, 2023.
  11. Web site: iTunes 10. Apple Inc.. September 1, 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100905004703/http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1103. September 5, 2010. mdy-all.
  12. Web site: Apple security updates (2010). Apple Inc.. August 18, 2023 . October 1, 2023.
  13. Web site: 6 Years With Tiger. Low End Mac. April 29, 2011. January 26, 2012. May 10, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120510165842/http://lowendmac.com/musings/11mm/tiger-legacy.html. live.
  14. Web site: Mac OS X Tiger: System requirements. Apple. Apple. October 18, 2009. January 5, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100105064815/http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1514. dead.
  15. Web site: Mac OS X 10.4 terá codinome "Tiger", voltando à série de felinos . pt . March 30, 2004 . https://web.archive.org/web/20040405080255if_/http://www.macmagazine.com.br/noticias/arquivo/002650.php . April 5, 2004 . dead.
  16. Steve Jobs to Kick off Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference 2004 with Preview of Mac OS X "Tiger" . Apple.
  17. News: Apple sues 'Tiger' file sharers. BBC News. BBC. December 22, 2004. December 9, 2007. London. October 3, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161003144913/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4117465.stm. live.
  18. Web site: Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger . April 28, 2005 .
  19. Web site: Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. 17. John Siracusa. April 28, 2005. June 11, 2006. May 26, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070526071907/http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/macosx-10-4.ars/17. live.
  20. Web site: Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. 4. John Siracusa. April 28, 2005. ArsTechnica.com. February 25, 2007.
  21. Web site: Developing 64-bit applications. Apple. March 6, 2006. Apple Developer Connection. March 5, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070925075950/https://developer.apple.com/macosx/64bit.html. September 25, 2007.
  22. Web site: Resolution Independent UI. Apple Developer Connection. July 10, 2006. December 26, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081226013325/http://developer.apple.com/releasenotes/GraphicsImaging/RN-ResolutionIndependentUI/. live.
  23. Web site: Apple sued over "Tiger," injunction sought. AppleInsider Staff. April 28, 2005. AppleInsider. July 10, 2006. April 10, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070410055620/http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/05/04/28/apple_sued_over_tiger_injunction_sought.html. live.
  24. Web site: Some points for TigerDirect. lawyerguy. April 28, 2005. Slashdot. July 10, 2006. September 19, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220919180611/https://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=147715&cid=12377926. live.
  25. Web site: Court sides with Apple over "Tiger" trademark dispute. Kasper Jade. May 13, 2005. AppleInsider. August 10, 2006. September 27, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070927000250/http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/05/05/13/court_sides_with_apple_over_tiger_trademark_dispute.html. live.
  26. Web site: Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, proceeding 91163437. May 8, 2006. January 27, 2015. February 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170203095925/http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=91163437&pty=OPP&eno=13. live.
  27. Mac Hacks Allow OS X on PCs. Mark Baard. Wired. August 12, 2005. Wired News. July 10, 2006. July 27, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100727173936/http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2005/08/68501. live.
  28. Web site: Mac OS X 10.4.8 runs on any PC.... Tony Smith. October 25, 2006. The Register. March 21, 2020. March 21, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200321175058/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/25/osx_generic_intel/. live.
  29. Web site: Mac OS X Update 10.4.1 .
  30. Web site: Mac OS X 10.4.1: Release Notes, difference between Software Update/Download versions .
  31. Web site: Apple TV OS 10.4.7 - AwkwardTV. Wiki.awkwardtv.org. June 21, 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110722045459/http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/index.php?title=Apple_TV_OS_10.4.7. July 22, 2011. mdy-all.