# Can’t Wait to Catch That Leopard!

- Link: https://www.timprobst.com/2007/10/24/cant-wait-to-catch-that-leopard/
- Published: 2007-10-24T08:26:21-05:00
- Author: Tim Probst

I finally had a chance to watch the [Mac OS X Leopard Guided Tour](http://www.apple.com/macosx/guidedtour/)
over the weekend, and it looks awesome! There were many features presented in the
tour that will most likely change the way people use their Macs. Here are some of
the new features that I’m excited about.

**Stacks**

[Stacks](http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/desktop.html) is a new Dock feature
that allows users to quickly and easily view folder contents directly from the Dock.
I see this as a great way to group files that need to be accessed often. As presented
in the tour, it also makes a lot of sense to have a Stack for downloads so you can
easily get to the most recently downloaded files without cluttering your desktop.
Although it may take a little while for people to change their habits to take full
advantage of Stacks, it will be a feature that people will really appreciate.

**Quick Look**

[Quick Look](http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/quicklook.html) is a new view 
within the Finder that allows users to preview certain types of files directly in
the Finder. When you have several files in a folder that have similar names, Quick
Look will make it very easy to find the right file. My only concern about this feature
is that it may perform slowly on my poor old Power Mac G4. If the performance is
good, I look forward to using this new feature to find my files.

**Time Machine**

[Time Machine](http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/timemachine.html) is the new
backup feature built right in to the operating system. This one feature alone gives
me enough reason to upgrade to Leopard. Having a solid backup routine is so important,
and most people don’t do it because it is so confusing or time consuming to do correctly.
Time Machine takes all of the guess work out of backup by performing hourly backups
in the background. I think people will appreciate this new feature more than anything
else included in Leopard especially when they go through a drive failure. As they
say, it’s not if a drive will fail, it is when.

**Mail**

I really like the new version of [Mail](http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/mail.html).
For new users, the smart setup utility will make it incredibly easy to add new mail
accounts. For services like Gmail, Yahoo, and .Mac, all you need to know is your
email address and password to set up the account in Mail. This is a huge step forward
for the less technically inclined out there. The new Notes and To Do features will
make it easier to keep track of those types of things without having to send emails
to yourself. I do this constantly so I know I will use this feature. The new Stationary
templates also look really nice for the times when you want to add a little something
extra to emails.

One thing that concerns me is that these cool new features will not make it into
the .Mac web interface. As far as I am concerned, all features that are available
in the desktop client should also be available in the web interface. If there is
not a huge .Mac update on Friday, I will be very disappointed.

**iChat**

The new version of [iChat](http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/ichat.html) looks
fantastic! Sharing iPhoto Events and Keynote Presentations directly in iChat will
make it possible to have very interactive online video meetings. It also looks like
any file type supported by Quick Look can also be shared in iChat.

The new Backdrops will be really fun to use. Instead of showing the world my mess
of an office, I can show cool patterns or even images. I will use this feature a
lot!

Finally, Screen Sharing will make it insanely easy to collaborate with others online.
I see this as a great way to work with others on projects as well as provide technical
support to my family. I hope my Mac has enough horsepower to make all of these features
work.

Leopard looks to be a very significant update to Mac OS X that will keep Apple at
the forefront of operating system design. Thanks to Apple’s release schedule, it’s
like getting a brand new Mac every year or so. This time, though, we may actually
have to get a new Mac to take advantage of all of these cool new features. Damn 
you Apple for making me want to spend more money! 🙂