Also supports Logic Pro, Main Stage

After months of development, Apple has released Mac OS X 10.6.3, a major update of Snow Leopard. A central focus of the code is on graphics, as it improves compatibility with OpenGL-based renderers, as well as the reliability and compatibility of QuickTime X. It also fixes color issues in Mail and iMovie, related to backgrounds and HD video, and trouble with "glowing, stuck or dark" pixels when viewing video from an iSight camera on a present-era iMac.

Other areas addressed are said to include printer and USB input reliability, recurring iCal events when synced to an Exchange server, and copying files to a Windows-based file server. Rosetta apps should now properly load files with "#" or "&" in their names, and Bonjour's wake-on-demand function has likewise been smoothed out. Logic Pro 9 and Main Stage 2 have been given better performance in 64-bit mode. A complete list of changes can be found on Apple's support site.

The second major emphasis is on security, as the update fixes dozens of security holes in components including AppKit, CoreAudio, Mail and several web protocols. QuickTime has received the most attention in this regard, with patches closing nine vulnerabilities. The v10.6.3 combo update measures approximately 757MB; smaller downloads, available through Software Update, depend on existing installations.

by MacNN Staff