Techsurvivors

Archives => 2009 => Topic started by: Frances144 on January 22, 2009, 08:23:48 AM

Title: Leopard, Tiger, Panther, Puma, Lion, Pussycat.....
Post by: Frances144 on January 22, 2009, 08:23:48 AM
All this screen sharing stuff has started me thinking on a slightly different tangent.

Lots of folk have been trying to help me solve my screen sharing conundrum but consistently ask me if I am running Leopard, Tiger, Minx, whatever.

I can see why Apple think it is cool and trendy to call every new OS by a different genus from the feline family but then you forget which is which.  When you look at "About This Mac", it tells you what OS you are running but it doesn't mention any feline ever again so I have forgotten who is who!

I think the iBook is running OS X.4.11 (is that Tiger) and the iMac is running Leopard but, as there is nowhere to look on either machine, apart from "About This Mac", it is extremely unhelpful of Apple to keep running with this naming the OS's for promotional purposes.

Just my thoughts!
Title: Leopard, Tiger, Panther, Puma, Lion, Pussycat.....
Post by: gunug on January 22, 2009, 10:00:27 AM
A lot of this is simply shorthand that applies mostly to the cult of those who are in the know!  Don't know what to tell you except that I have trouble keeping all of this in my head and this is my business!   toothgrin.gif
Title: Leopard, Tiger, Panther, Puma, Lion, Pussycat.....
Post by: RNKIII on January 22, 2009, 10:09:27 AM
OS 10.3.x = Panther;  OS 10.4.x = Tiger; OS10.5.x = Leopard; OS 10.6 = Snow Leopard (not released as yet)   The 'names' were/are marketing and developmental 'nicknames' that 'stuck'.

I don't believe that there is ANY on-board reference to the 'name'  and only the "About this Mac" reference to the software level.

Like gunug said... 'Even the professionals have a hard time keeping it straight".


Bob K.   rnkiii
Title: Leopard, Tiger, Panther, Puma, Lion, Pussycat.....
Post by: Texas Mac Man on January 22, 2009, 10:49:29 AM
Going back to the beginning of OS X. Cheetah = 10.0 , Puma = 10.1, Jaguar = 10.2
Title: Leopard, Tiger, Panther, Puma, Lion, Pussycat.....
Post by: Frances144 on January 22, 2009, 11:12:00 AM
Ruddy cats!

I much prefer dogs.  Now they could have named the OS's after terriers - Patterdale, Jack Russell, West Highland, etc!
Title: Leopard, Tiger, Panther, Puma, Lion, Pussycat.....
Post by: Xairbusdriver on January 22, 2009, 09:20:14 PM
Actually, many help pages, especially Apple help pages mention both Tiger and Leopard and include the numbers 10.4 or 10.5. Most software will specify only the OS number, even down to a specific version of that "animal" (10.4.6 or higher, etc.). Personally, I find it easier to remember a name than a number, especially when they start getting to the double-decimal point, but that is usually not necessary. Most people seldom use more than two versions of OS X and even then usually only one version on a machine. Very few would still be using anything less than 10.3, I would think. And I'm not aware of any new software that still mentions capabilities of running on that. I often name my drive after the 'cat' it contains, but there are other ways. Of course, MS had many different names through the years for its OSs, most had "Windows" in them. And the use of a year is incredibly short-sighted in software, IMHO. Who wants to use last years app! smile.gif Of course, the 2004 version may not even have shipped until the end of 2005...But Apple sometimes goes a little overboard with names. It seems they now simply reduce the number of computer models so they can have fewer names rather than make more specifically named models with certain basic features. Yet they are still somewhat customizable and seem to meet just about any need around...

Anyway, maybe you could stick a 'Post-it" note on each computer with its 'animal' name printed on it...laugh.gif

Oh yeah, as long as I'm venting...I still don't understand the need for OS X 10. anything. "X" is "10!" The way it's used should be read/pronounced "OS TEN TEN point whatever!!!" rant.gif Either drop the "X" or the "10" it doesn't change the version number one whit!