Apple Releases OS X Leopard 10.5.3 Update

Cupertino (CA) - Apple has released a hefty 420 MB update for its current operating system. Leopard 10.5.3 delivers a myriad of improvements, patches as well as general stability and reliability enhancements.

After months of development and many test seeds released to the developers, Apple finally felt confident enough to release a long-awaited software update for the OS X Leopard operating system. The major OS upgrade updates Leopard to version 10.5.3 and is categorized as recommended for all users. It is available through OS X’s built-in Software Update mechanism but Apple offers a standalone combo update available here (536 MB) as well.

According to Apple, the update "includes general operating system improvements that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac," fixing 70 issues related to the operating system and built-in applications. Patched system applications include Address Book, AirPort, Automator, iCal, iChat, Mail, Parental Controls, a new multiple desktop feature called Spaces, the backup solution Time Machine and Voice Over.

An update for Time Machine addresses compatibility issues with Apple’s Time Capsule backup device. Airport’s 802.1X networking is also improved while the videoconferencing application iChat is promised to be more reliable during screen-sharing sessions, with group chats now properly indexed for fast Spotlight searching.

The update also solves compatibility issues with Aperture 2, Apple’s workflow application for photographers. Apple says that the reliability of .Mac syncing, the Achilles heel of all previous OS X versions, is improved ; several flaws within the Mail application were patched through ten updates addressing performance issues, a stability issue when dragging large attachments to a mail message and reliability issues when changes are made to a mailbox while being offline.