Review by Michael A. Brown

Jaguar took OS X to the next level. Sure it was a familiar level, but it was a more stable operating environment, and provided several needed enhancements. Now, Panther takes a giant step forward in the evolution of the Mac platform.nAn all new, easier to use finder. Upgrades to several of the popular iApps which Apple has been nurturing. Plus, iChatAV instant messaging software which will work seemlessly with the iSight camera. File Vault - 128-bit file encryption. Fast user switching, to make it easier for families who have individual user sets on a single machine. Font Book - to load and keep track of font families. Expos, which will tile all of the windows you have open with the click of a hot key. And, it’s all Unix based for faster and easier integration with Windows networks.nOn top of all that, it’ll work more efficiently on the G5 Macs, and make the G4’s work even faster than before.nIf I see one problem, it’s that this major upgrade comes along too soon after Jaguar. There should be a scaled upgrade platform so that those of us who bought Jaguar last year could get a deal on Panther this year.