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| Mac OS X 10.3 Panther [OLD VERSION] | ![Mac OS X 10.3 Panther [OLD VERSION]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416ACBDKFML._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | From: Apple
Category: Software
Buy New: $249.99
New (1) Used (5) from $99.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  77 reviews
Sales Rank: 404
Format: Cd-rom
Platform: Macintosh
Color: 1-user
Media: CD-ROM
Edition: Standard
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 3.8 x 3.2 x 0.9
MPN: 878212
Model: M9227LL/A
UPC: 718908551080
EAN: 0718908551080
Release Date: October 25, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 6-10 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
Extremely stable and elegant (except for that dock) May 10, 2005
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
First, I would like to state that I have used Macintoshes since May 1986 and would rather own an old, slow, second-hand Mac than have to grapple with any version of Windows, including XP. There's absolutely no reason for anyone who can't afford a new Mac to switch to a PC.
I have installed Panther (10.3.2) on two computers, my own B&W that now sports an Encore 1 GHz G4 processor, and my husband's 733 MHz Quicksilver, and we had no problems--not until we started downloading Apple's updates. The 10.3.9 combination update seemed to make both machines slow down. I have no idea how badly it has affected the Quicksilver (with 512 MB RAM) because I don't get to use it enough (I just get to do all the "techie" stuff on it *G*) but the slowness of the B&W (with 364 MB RAM) has become unbearable and I think I need to return to 10.3.2. Or maybe I should try more RAM first. :-(
I don't understand why some people have had trouble with OS X. Now, if I can install Panther on a machine with a bus as slow as the B&W, and a processor that isn't even supported by Apple, why are others having trouble on newer, faster machines? All I did was put the CD in the DVD or CD rewriter, hit the install button, let the machine restart from the CD, reformat the hard drive with OS X's Disk Utility, start the install and leave the installer to do its work. What could be easier?
First impressions, coming straight to Panther from OS 9, weren't entirely favourable. After all, OS 9 wasn't considered the best OS of its time for nothing! And it was so much better with Action Utilities, just as OS 7.6 (another great Mac OS) was better with Now Utilities.
My gripes:
1. I miss the ability to configure the apple menu the way I want it. I especially miss the way Action Utilities allowed me to navigate anywhere on my hard drive from this menu. Bring back a user-configurable apple menu, please, Apple! (Power-on Software confirmed that they will not be releasing an OS X version of AU.)
2. I miss the Action Utilities user-configurable short cuts--especially the ones that allowed me to open an application or switch between applications: e.g., control-p to open or switch to Photoshop, control-shift-p for PageMaker, control-q for Quicken, control-a for Acrobat. The command-tab feature (which was also part of OS 9) just isn't as fast. As for clicking on an alias in the dock, that's way too slow! It's tidier than clicking on aliases on the desktop, but that's about all. There ARE keyboard shortcuts in Panther, but they allow the user only to change the shortcuts of menu items that already have shortcuts. How about allowing us to make short cuts for ANYTHING, Apple? Please! I have no idea why this feature wasn't incorporated into the Mac OS long ago. If a third-party developer can do it, surely Apple can.
3. At first I had trouble coping with the way windows open on the desktop. It gave me a peculiar sense of claustrophobia. Yes I know: very strange! However, once I asked for column display I soon got used to this feature. It's actually very nifty if you have more than one hard disk, or several partitions.
4. I didn't like the dock at all. After several months of using Panther I still don't care for it. Action Utilities had a similar, though much plainer, feature, and I didn't like that either. I would have asked for it to be hidden all the time but for its calendar, which I found mildly useful. I can see the point of the dock for newcomers to the Macintosh environment (particularly those who are also first-time computer users) and for this reason I wouldn't want Apple to get rid of it. I know I can hide it, but what's the point? It merely makes opening a new application far too time-consuming. If Apple would only provide user-configurable short cuts to open/switch between applications, or a user-configurable apple menu--preferably both--those of us who don't like taking our fingers off the keys just to open a new application could keep the dock hidden all the time.
5. It isn't easy to work out how OS X works, as it was with OS 9 and its predecessors, which didn't have invisible files. I wish Apple would make all OS X's files visible. Why do some have to be invisible anyway?
6. Safari 1.3 quits if I hit the close window button. This happens on both my B&W and the Quicksilver. Just as well it's not working in OS 9 because at least I don't have to restart my machine.
7. Old applications work noticeably slower in Classic than when our machines are booted in OS 9. This probably has more to do with the machines than with Panther. In some cases it might also be the sheer age of the software (made for pre-Power PC processors).
The good things:
1. Panther is so stable. While OS 9 and its predecessors didn't crash anywhere near as often (or as badly) as their Windows equivalents, I haven't had Panther crash at all.
2. It's good to be able to use all my old software. Even Word 5.1 (from 1992) and Quicken 5 (1994) work in Classic.
3. There's no doubt that Panther's interface is very elegant (the dock notwithstanding).
4. TextEdit is head, shoulders and even more above Simpletext. It's virtually a word processing program. I suspect the version shipping with Tiger is even more so.
5. I love being able to get my Mac to tell me the time on the hour. I desperately needed something more able to catch my attention than a mere sound, which I soon found my brain was all too capable of stopping my ears from hearing! But it's very hard to ignore a voice.
6. Mail is fantastic, though it took me a little while to get used to after so many years of Outlook Express. The only feature I miss from OE is the name and email address of the sender and the size of the incoming email (in the Activities window).
7. The iLife suite of applications is awesome--extremely good value-for-money, especially if you are a keen photographer and want a decent application (iPhoto) for displaying photos and even fixing faults in them, are into making your own movies, transferring ones you already have on tape onto DVDs (iMovie and iDVD), creating your own music (GarageBand), downloading music from the iTunes store (or anywhere else) or even just turning your own CDs into MP3s for your iPod (iTunes).
Should you upgrade to Panther? Well, that depends. We probably did so before we were really ready, but my husband wanted to transfer his video tapes onto DVD and I tend to be a download freak. I will download trials of almost anything (that's how I landed up buying Action Utilities) and it's been absolutely ages since there was anything new to try in OS 9. If, however, you find you absolutely need to update many of your oft-used pieces of software, you might as well take the plunge. Mind you, now that Tiger is out you'd probably be best going straight to that.
 Hate it April 22, 2005
1 out of 35 found this review helpful
This is the worst os ive ever used you can't hold down the button like windows and its exteremly hard to use you also cant get games for it
 Tiger Instead - New Mac - New Operating System April 12, 2005
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
I guess if you needed Panther now you would buy it, but if you're not in a hurry, pre-order the Tiger Operating System (Available April 29th). It may even be cheaper than Panther, currently at $149CDN. I got Panther with my new iMac, and I like it, but Tiger has a few features I would use every day:
1. Widgets - I played with Konfabulator and loved it.
2. Spotlight - will really simplify finding old docs, emails, etc.
3. QuickTime 7 - I'm a big fan and can't wait to see the improvements.
4. TextEdit - there are some new improvements that I've been waiting for sometime, including saving documents in HTML format. Looking back and comparing it to my old machine with the Jaguar Operating System, the things that made a big impression were not necessarily to do with Pather improvements, I think it was more to dow with the new iMac itself and the prepackaged software. With Tiger, I can see there's lots for me take advantage of.
No Thanks. April 1, 2005
1 out of 12 found this review helpful
I'm a musician with a home studio built around a Windows XP machine, and was looking to add an iBook to take advantage of music programs not written for Windows. I spent some time with this and other machines in an Apple store and concluded that I'll put up with Windows--and buy about 50% more laptop for the same price--rather than being straight-jacketed by this overly designed and clunky user interface. I'm one of those creative types that's not afraid of technology and am really, really demanding of flexibility in the operating system. Windows does this so much better than OS X, at least for my needs. And not having access to two buttons is the final killer. Whether on the net, in Photoshop, or in Reason, I don't want to have to hit control to bring up a contextual menu. I'm kind of shocked, since so many people rave about this OS. Huh.
 Mac OS X 10.3 Panther March 11, 2005
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is such a good operating system. I did like the Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar and there really isn't too much changes from that to this one. I think this version beats Windows XP Professional and Home Edition. It's so easy to browse through menus. Everything is right there too and you really don't have to go deep into the system to find just one thing. I really do like Microsoft Office though. I really hate AppleWorks and I think Apple could have improved on that tough. But no problem Apple was smart enough to make a Mac version of the Office so now I have the Mac version of Microsoft Office Professional Edition on all my Apple's. The software is just plain better on 10.3 Panther than the Windows XP too. iChat AV I just love because you can have a webcam and see your friends talk to you on AOL Instant Messenger. I have to admit though I really wasn't always a fan of Mac OS. I loved Microsoft Windows 95-2000 Professional but when XP came out everyone said there was huge changes but there really wasn't. I would get this operating system for you Apple if you don't have it yet and if you have it enjoy it like I am!
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