“If anyone considers tomorrow a special day at all, it’s probably because it’s Friday, or because ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ movie opens, or because it’s Uma Thurman’s birthday,” David Pogue writes for The New York Times. “But for one particular group of 25 million computer owners, April 29 is a much bigger deal. It’s the day Apple releases Mac OS X 10.4, nicknamed Tiger – the latest version of the software suite that makes up the Macintosh operating system.”

Pogue writes, “Mac OS X has recently become interesting even to people outside the Cult of Macintosh. The more Microsoft Windows is bogged down by viruses, spyware and disruptive security updates, the more miserable life becomes – and the more the long-suffering Windows majority begins to investigate virus-free, spyware-free alternatives like Mac OS X.”

“Some of the most groundbreaking new Tiger features are barely mentioned in Apple’s marketing. For example, the new parental controls let you, the wise authority figure, specify which e-mail correspondents, chat buddies, Web sites and even programs are O.K. for your children. Older children may find the “whitelist” approach overly limiting, but the design is otherwise clean, effective and beautifully integrated,” Pogue writes. “[And Tiger's new 'Spotlight' search technology] changes everything. Tiger is the classiest version of Mac OS X ever and, by many measures, the most secure, stable and satisfying consumer operating system prowling the earth… if you’re a Windows refugee or someone who’s never owned a computer, you’ll find this Tiger remarkably tame and approachable. Who knows? Maybe April 29 will mean something to you after all.”

Full article here.

Advertisement: Pre-order Mac OS X Tiger today for delivery on April 29th and get access to an exclusive online seminar. Free shipping. Just $129.