Mac OS X 10.4.9 Update Released

Looks like we’ve gotten one step closer to Leopard with the release of Mac OS X 10.4.9 today. Plenty of updates, fixes, some new features, and performance tweaks are included. While it’s unlikely there will be any problems with the update, some prudent users often wait a day after a release to insure a trouble free update, figuring that if there should be any trouble it will exposed by the second day. Whether you install it today, tomorrow, or next week, it’ll be waiting for you in Software Update. Read on for more info directly from Apple:

What’s included?

The following improvements apply to both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs unless otherwise noted:

.Mac

• Improves automatic iDisk syncing for customers whose .Mac username contains a period (.).
• Improves overall .Mac Sync performance.
• Addresses an issue with automatic and periodic syncing as set in the .Mac System Preferences panel.
• Reduces .Mac Sync timeouts when syncing large data sets.
• Prevents large amounts of Address Book data from being changed without authorization.
• Addresses an issue which could result in properly unregistering a computer.
• Addresses issues related to syncing a large number of changes to .Mac
• Prevents third-party syncing applications from presenting an extraneous initial sync alert.

Bluetooth

• Addresses a wake-from-sleep issue for Kensington PilotMouse Mini Bluetooth devices when used with a MacBook.
• Resolves issues in which Bluetooth-based devices might not respond after sleep on some computers.

iChat, iCal, and iSync

• Resolves an issue in which iCal reminders may appear off to the side of the screen.
• Resolves an issues in which some events added to particular dates may not display correctly.
• Event notes are now synced between iCal and Nokia N70 phones.
• Adds iSync support for more devices.
• Includes iChat support for USB Video Class webcams.

Networking and modem

• Addresses a permissions issue when copying a file with extended attributes from an AFP share of an Xsan volume, via the Finder.
• Resolves an issue when using kerberos authentication with Active Directory if the user is a member of many groups.
• Resolves performance issues with Intel-based iMacs that could occur when determining high-speed network switches.
• Improves reliability when faxing in France or Belgium via an external Apple USB Modem.
• Adds support for WPA2 encryption in Network Diagnostics.
• Addresses an issue with automatic AirPort connections that use different authentication methods.
• Addresses an issue in which Network Preferences may unexpectedly quit after disconnecting a network-aware USB device while Network Preferences is open.
• Addresses an issue with iMac’s maintaining manual duplex settings.
• Internal Apple modem drivers now offer the same robustness as external Apple modem drivers.
• External USB modems now report DLE-d for busy tone detection.
• Adds modem support for Russia.
• Fax receiving now works when the country code is set to France.
• Resolves an issue with dialing a modem in pulse mode to an ISP.
  
• Resolves an issue in the Open dialog when browsing AFP volumes within applications using Rosetta.
• Resolves a printing issue that could occur with applications using Rosetta, while logged in as Active Directory User that has an SMB home directory.

Printing

• Resolves a printing issue with applications using Rosetta while logged in as an Active Directory User with SMB home directory.
• Resolves an issue in which temporary files might use excessive disk space when printing to some third-party printers.

Aperture

For information on the benefits this update includes for Aperture, see this article.

Third-party

• Resolves issues for these third-party applications that use Rosetta: LEGO StarWars, Adobe InDesign, H&R Block TaxCut, Big Business’ Big Business 5.1.0.
• Resolves an issue in which Adobe Arno Pro Italics fonts might not install in Font Book.
• Resolves an issue for Microsoft Word in which OpenType Fonts may not display correctly; this update also addresses OpenType font issues using Word 2004.

 Other

• Improves the reliability of OpenGL-accelerated graphics in Blizzard’s World of Warcraft.
• Improves the reliability of OpenGL-based applications on Mac Pro computer with Nvidia graphics cards.
• Includes updated security certificates.
• Includes the Daylight Savings Time Update (released February 15, 2007) which contains the latest worldwide time zone and Daylight Saving Time (DST) rules as of January 8, 2007.
• Resolves a toggling issue when zooming using the Command-Alt-8 key combination (Universal Access).
• Resolves an issue in which some USB printers may stop printing in Classic.
• Addresses an issue in Classic in which an iMac G5’s built-in iSight camera might stop responding.
• Improves validation of disk images.
• Includes improved support for USB devices in Classic.
• Improves support for files with ".ac3", ".m2v", and ".m4v" filename extensions.
• Improves performance when transferring from a P2 USB reader in the Finder.
• Resolves an issue in which DVD player might not play a track that’s longer than 3 hours.
• Addresses a display issue that could occur in X11.app running in 256-color mode on an Intel-based Mac.
• Addresses EAP-FAST in PAC mode issue in a TLS session.
• Addresses an issue in which incorrect encoding could be used for the files created by the “New Text File” Automator action on Intel-based Macs.
• Includes recent Apple security updates.

Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple’s recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.

For detailed information on this Update, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n304821.
For detailed information on Security Updates, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n61798.

Source: Apple: About the Mac OS X 10.4.9 update