CNET reviews Apple’s Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: ‘Excellent’

“Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is Apple’s first major operating system upgrade since Tiger more than two years ago. The changes include more than 300 new features which, while not earth-shattering, further streamline the experience of using a Mac,” Elsa Wenzel reports for CNET Reviews.

“Should you pay for Leopard? If you’re happy with the way Tiger works, then maybe not. If you need Bootcamp, however, then you must have Leopard. And if you’re considering the purchase of a new computer, Leopard makes Macs more enticing than Tiger did. Plus, Leopard makes it far easier to find documents and applications than Windows Vista. Leopard’s interface niceties made the daily mechanics of using the computer more pleasurable. Mundane chores, such as finding files and backing up data, become a visual treat,” Wenzel reports.

“The grace of Leopard’s interface enhancements makes productivity more pleasurable with a Mac, as more than 300 functional and fun features top off this update,” Wenzel reports.

CNET Reviews give’s Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard a score of 8 out of 10, “Excellent.”

Full review here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Island Girl” for the heads up.]

35 Comments

  1. It would be a 10 out of 10 if Time Machine could backup to a NAS or something other than a HFS+. Geeze, can’t even backup to Airport Extreme………And iPhone notes/memos……

    Apple messed up there. Two point deducted.

  2. But does it randomly reboot for no reason like Windows Vista? Does it inexplicably start reversing all text inputs like Widows Vista? Does it fail to connect to my wireless network intermittently like Windows Vista? Does it contain basic english grammar mistakes in its dialog boxes (“Do this for the next 1 conflicts?”) like Windows Vista? Until Apple can match these features, I’ll stick with MS.

  3. If you really look at thaose so-called user ratings, you’ll see that for the most part, the most current ones are 9 and 10 out of 10s. Now, how many of those people actually have a shipping copy is up in the air.

    If you drill down through all of the customers opinions (they are definately NOT reviews), you’ll find a lnumber of 1 and 2s. They are mostly from obvious Doze fanbois and most pathetically of all, opinions on early BETA versions of Leopard.

    CNET is still a POS website, even with a decent but not great 8 of 10 review.

  4. Installed here-no problems to report.

    There are some very neat minor things included, ie. playback of media files in the cover flow view in finder.

    They still included safari?
    Wow, did not even notice since I use firefox.

  5. Installed 10.5. Wonderful. There is one tip that I learned from Apple Wireless Support.

    I use a closed Network but using the weaker encryption WEP Methods because my Sony PSP will not work with WPA2.

    The new OS does not support WEP with a Closed Network. According to the Apple Care Rep. The new OS gets confused. Anyway, he urged me to get rid of WEP as it can be hacked within a minute. So, I upgrade the Encryption and voila. Works beautifully.

  6. Honestly, I’ve never seen CNET give Apple anything higher than an 8.0.

    I don’t know how they come up with their ratings. They’ll say something is the best out there and then slap it with a 7.5.

    In my view, if you review something and it’s better than anything else that has ever been on the market, it should warrant something higher than an 8.0.

  7. Hey Josh from cnet – it’s Mac OS X as in Oh, Ess, Ten

    NOT

    Oh Ess Ex

    That’s the last time I bother with a cnet review of anything Apple if the dufus does not even know the name of the OS he’s testing.
    For pity’s sake OSX has been out for 7 years.

  8. I’ve had Leopard for about a day now and I will say this. Its DAMN easy to install, everything works (except xcode- need to install new version with Leopard), everything was preserved and it is a seriously SWEET os. It rules! Apple continues to maintain its usability and engineering excellence.

  9. I hope all these windows loosers don’t come around to mac os. why? ’cause those Asshoe will bring virus infestive asses with them to our God given’s Leopard… Stay over to your ms crapshits vista over there. don’t come here to our mac os x. WE DON’T WANT YOU!!! GET IT…!

  10. Honestly, I’ve found that I use bootcamp to run Vista more and more, and I barely use OSX (Tiger) anymore. The fancy icons and slick interface really don’t do much for me…I do a lot of digial media work , and when I found out Cakewalk’s Sonar 7 had native 64 bit support I had to check it out, and im glad I did. It rocks. Not to mention the whole new facet Ive discovered with PC gaming.

    Im selling my MacPro, using $2k of the money to build a monster overclocked quadcore PC, and using the other $2k to fund closing costs on a house…If Apple didn’t lock down its software and overcharge for its hardware , they might have kept a customer:

    http://tinyurl.com/2wehvu

    I’ve always tried to be practical with my money and my time…I get less done on a Mac, because the tools just aren’t there to do what I need a computer to do. So basically I’m wasting my money on a pretty box that I can’t upgrade. Sorry Apple…

  11. Do you know how pathetic you sound?
    Do you think we believe that you have ever owned a MacPro?

    You are a sad little win fanyboy who hangs out on Mac forums and is miffed he can’t run leopard on his cobbled together-witches brew PC. (I am doubting your hombrew even has a Xeon Procs)
    Enjoy Vista

  12. ILovedMac: what a tool.

    UHHOHHOHHAHAHHAHAHAHHEHAHH

    Pathetic but we know it hurts a lot on windows world these days. We feel your pain. Now get lost!

    PS
    $2k to funds closing costs on a house? ROFLMAO, where do you live, in a wooden shaft? Indeed, just a tool.

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