• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Official Mac OS X Snow Leopard thread of Shipping 8/28!!

Status
Not open for further replies.
K

Killthee

helped a brotha out on multiple separate occasions!
scola said:
man seeing all these little things has me thinking about not installing until a patch :(

I got my disc on Friday but was simply to busy to do anything with it this weekend.
Click to expand...
Just do a backup before install. If you experience too many issues that bug you, roll back to Leopard and wait for 10.6.1.
 
T

teiresias

Member
So I'm a bit confused as to the nature of Snow Leopard.

Is the OS itself 64-bit or not? On some mac forums I was reading it seems you have to explicitly tell it to install the 64-bit version, but I didn't get any kind of option for that (that I could see). Other stuff says not even to worry about it because the 64-bit build is slower anyway and you can still run the 64-bit apps in the 32-bit install anyway.

I'm really confused. I haven't had any issues with my install so far aside from getting my printer working.
 
S

scorcho

testicles on a cold fall morning
apple's defaulting with the 32 bit kernel on the vast majority of Intel macs, but unlike Windows the 32-bit version has no problem running 64-bit applications (check activity monitor), and can reportedly handle RAM up to 32gigs. you can switch to the 64 bit kernel by editing your com.apple.boot.plist file (forgot the command, though).

i've yet to see any definitive benchmark that shows a speed difference between booting 64 and 32 bit.
 
L

layzie1989

Member
If you hold the 6 and 4 keys during a reboot it will boot the OS into 64 bit mode. I think it is a bit faster. The 32 bit mode can run both 32 and 64 bit versions of applications but i think it might default to the 32 bit version (Not sure at all about that one)...

Basically you have it, but you have to activate it by holding those keys
 
M

mrkgoo

Member
You can hold '6' and '4' down during startup to boot into the 64-bit kernel, if you wish.

It's strange that they made it an Easter Egg, but whatever - I don't think it will affect me in day-to-day use.

On that note, boot times and shutdown times are largely irrelevant for me as I never turn my computer off.
 
M

mattiewheels

And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
after using the hack to get rid of the title-bar in quicktime x movies.....i've realized that there's no way to CLOSE an individual movie without it. close is the only option that's greyed out. is that normal? cause it doesn't really make much sense that i can't command-w to get rid of a window...
 
L

LCfiner

Member
scorcho said:
apple's defaulting with the 32 bit kernel on the vast majority of Intel macs, but unlike Windows the 32-bit version has no problem running 64-bit applications (check activity monitor), and can reportedly handle RAM up to 32gigs. you can switch to the 64 bit kernel by editing your com.apple.boot.plist file (forgot the command, though).

i've yet to see any definitive benchmark that shows a speed difference between booting 64 and 32 bit.
Click to expand...


I just saw these benchmarks today. some pro photography apps see around 3-5% improvement in 64 bit kernel SL over 32 bit kernel SL.

one app had around 18% improvement.

but folks like myself using iPhoto and other basic apps won’t see a speed difference with the 64 bit kernel.
 
I

infiniteloop

Member
mattiewheels said:
after using the hack to get rid of the title-bar in quicktime x movies.....i've realized that there's no way to CLOSE an individual movie without it. close is the only option that's greyed out. is that normal? cause it doesn't really make much sense that i can't command-w to get rid of a window...
Click to expand...

yeah, i noticed that, had to put it back.
 
V

Valkyr Junkie

Member
Before upgrading I had assigned a "move to" automator script I had created to move folders, and I can't figure out how to assign it back to the right-click function in the finder. The script was saved, just not carried over as active. Anyone what I need to set to make it appear as an option like that? Thanks.
 
S

Sean

Banned
Valkyr Junkie said:
Before upgrading I had assigned a "move to" automator script I had created to move folders, and I can't figure out how to assign it back to the right-click function in the finder. The script was saved, just not carried over as active. Anyone what I need to set to make it appear as an option like that? Thanks.
Click to expand...

They got rid of the contextual menu item for that, what you'll need to do is recreate it as a Service. Here are the settings you'll probably need:

b71e8


Then it should show up in the "Action" toolbar icon in the Finder. I think, anyway.
 
S

scorcho

testicles on a cold fall morning
LCfiner said:
I just saw these benchmarks today. some pro photography apps see around 3-5% improvement in 64 bit kernel SL over 32 bit kernel SL.

one app had around 18% improvement.

but folks like myself using iPhoto and other basic apps won’t see a speed difference with the 64 bit kernel.
Click to expand...
mm. potentially tasty. now I just gotta wait for ATI or Apple to fix their 48x0 drivers >__<
 
V

Valkyr Junkie

Member
Sean said:
They got rid of the contextual menu item for that, what you'll need to do is recreate it as a Service. Here are the settings you'll probably need:

http://qkpic.com/b71e8[IMG]

Then it should show up in the "Action" toolbar icon in the Finder. I think, anyway.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, I was able to get it working as a service. Unfortunately, now when "Move Finder Items" comes up, it overlaps all other windows including the folder selection window that comes up when you select "Other..."

I'll play with it some more.
Click to expand...
 
Burger

Burger

Member
Alfarif said:
Here is where I'm the opposite. My Logitech bluetooth mouse connects much much faster after sleep. In fact, half the time, under Leopard, I would be able to open up everything I needed using the trackpad of my Macbook before the stupid mouse kicked in and let me actually select things. Now it's about 3 to 5 seconds and I'm ready to go.
Click to expand...

I don't have a trackpad on my iMac. Monday I had to plug in a usb mouse to navigate to the bluetooth setup shit. What a pain in the arse.
 
S

sc0la

Unconfirmed Member
Killthee said:
Just do a backup before install. If you experience too many issues that bug you, roll back to Leopard and wait for 10.6.1.
Click to expand...
will a time machine backup allow me to do this roll back? would I have to make sure time machine doesn't continue backups after the install?
 
C

civilstrife

Member
Big newb question here:

How do I take advantage of the fact that the new OS is 64bit? Do I have to toggle it in some menu? Can my 2009 Macbook 15 inch pro support it? What improvements does it bring?
 
Burger

Burger

Member
civilstrife said:
Big newb question here:

How do I take advantage of the fact that the new OS is 64bit? Do I have to toggle it in some menu? Can my 2009 Macbook 15 inch pro support it? What improvements does it bring?
Click to expand...

You don't have to do anything, just install Snow Leopard. Your 2009 Mac can handle it just fine.
 
L

LCfiner

Member
civilstrife said:
Big newb question here:

How do I take advantage of the fact that the new OS is 64bit? Do I have to toggle it in some menu? Can my 2009 Macbook 15 inch pro support it? What improvements does it bring?
Click to expand...

you don’t need to do anything. yes, your new Macbook Pro will support it. 64 bit apps will run side by side with older 32 bit apps. you don’t need to do anything.

64 bit, by itself, won’t make everything faster. But it allows apps to access huge amounts of memory and, in some cases, there are subtle speed improvements.

In most cases, the speed improvements people are seeing in SL are due to the other changes Apple added like improved multithreading.
 
K

Killthee

helped a brotha out on multiple separate occasions!
scola said:
will a time machine backup allow me to do this roll back? would I have to make sure time machine doesn't continue backups after the install?
Click to expand...
I'm not 100% sure, but TM should be able to perform this type of roll back. As for whether or not you should continue doing backups after the install, I don't think it'll give you any issues as long as your TM drive has enough free space (TM deletes the oldest backups when the drive becomes full, so don't accidentally delete your last Leopard snapshot).

IMG_0201.jpg


If I were you and I was truly worried about being able to roll back to Leopard I would also create a DMG backup of my system drive using Disk Utility just to be 100% sure I could roll back.
 
S

sc0la

Unconfirmed Member
Killthee said:
I'm not 100% sure, but TM should be able to perform this type of roll back. As for whether or not you should continue doing backups after the install, I don't think it'll give you any issues as long as your TM drive has enough free space (TM deletes the oldest backups when the drive becomes full, so don't accidentally delete your last Leopard snapshot).

IMG_0201.jpg


If I were you and I was truly worried about being able to roll back to Leopard I would also create a DMG backup of my system drive using Disk Utility just to be 100% sure I could roll back.
Click to expand...
Thanks for all your help. I have plenty of space for backups on my TM drive, I just don't have an extra drive laying around to put a bootable dmg on. And I don't really want to partition my TM drive and rerun the initial backup (ewwww).

Again I really appreciate your feedback.
 
R

ravien56

Member
Hey, can anyone tell me how to do a complete reformat with SL? i already have Leopard and I put the disc in, im at the reboot screen but I have no idea what to do to completely wipe the hard drive...
 
K

Killthee

helped a brotha out on multiple separate occasions!
scola said:
Thanks for all your help. I have plenty of space for backups on my TM drive, I just don't have an extra drive laying around to put a bootable dmg on. And I don't really want to partition my TM drive and rerun the initial backup (ewwww).

Again I really appreciate your feedback.
Click to expand...
You don't have to restore the DMG to a partition right now and you don't have to repartition your TM drive to save it there (but if want to, you can do it non-destructively in Disk Utility so you keep all your backups).

If you have enough space on your TM drive save the DMG on it, but don't restore it. If down the line you decide to roll back, boot into the SL install disc, open disk utility, then mount the dmg off the TM drive, scan it for image restore, and then restore it to the system drive. If you decide to stick with SL, just delete the DMG off the TM drive.
 
L

LCfiner

Member
hey, kinda cool… The Ars review, on page 6, links to Robert Ashley’s A Life Well Wasted podcast. (new episode just went up today)

Siracusa has great taste in gaming podcasts :)
 
K

Killthee

helped a brotha out on multiple separate occasions!
ravien56 said:
Hey, can anyone tell me how to do a complete reformat with SL? i already have Leopard and I put the disc in, im at the reboot screen but I have no idea what to do to completely wipe the hard drive...
Click to expand...
Once the menu bar pops up, after the disc boots and after you select your language, click on Utilities -> Disk Utility

Then select the drive/partition you want to reformat (this will delete everything and you will lose all data on it) -> Click the erase tab -> Select any options you want/ file system (default is Mac OS Extended Journaled) -> Erase

If you want to partition it go to the partition tab after erasing the drive.

Then quit Disk Utility and continue with the installer.
 
M

mrkgoo

Member
ars said:
The one that really drove me over the edge is the fussy little dance of the filename area that occurs in the Finder (surprise!) when renaming a file on the desktop. There's just something about so many cross-fades, color changes, and text offsets occurring so rapidly and concentrated into such a small area that makes me want to scream. And whether or not I'm actually waiting for these animations to finish before I can continue to use my computer, it certainly feels that way sometimes.
Click to expand...

What is he talking about here?

Well, Snow Leopard has an extremely pleasant surprise waiting for you if you install the optional QuickTime Player 7. What you get is the old QuickTime Player—somewhat insultingly installed in the "Utilities" folder—with all of its "Pro" features permanently unlocked. Yes, the tyranny of QuickTime Pro seems to be at an end. Hallelujah!
Click to expand...

Similarly, what is he talking about here? I was under the impression you had to have QuickTime Pro paid for before (or after, I guess) if you want these features. Here he makes it sound like you get it anyway.
 
C

celebi23

Member
Wow @ the 23-page Arstechnica review :lol I just wanted to thank you guys for making my first "Official ____" topic a success! 30 pages :D
 
L

Lord Error

Insane For Sony
Argh, crap! I think I have just messed up my SL Safari by using XSlimmer on it. It doesn't recognize that it's in 32bit mode anymore, and none of the plugins work. Would it be too much for some good soul to zip up just the Safari EXE file and upload it somewhere. It's a freeware app after all, but Apple doesn't have it as a separate download for Snow Leopard yet (the Leopard Version won't install). I really don't feel like repairing/reinstalling the whole OS again just because of this.
 
S

sc0la

Unconfirmed Member
Killthee said:
You don't have to restore the DMG to a partition right now and you don't have to repartition your TM drive to save it there (but if want to, you can do it non-destructively in Disk Utility so you keep all your backups).

If you have enough space on your TM drive save the DMG on it, but don't restore it. If down the line you decide to roll back, boot into the SL install disc, open disk utility, then mount the dmg off the TM drive, scan it for image restore, and then restore it to the system drive. If you decide to stick with SL, just delete the DMG off the TM drive.
Click to expand...
Heh, thanks for this. Ironically you posted while I was taking the plunge and installing SL.

A few beachballs here and there but nothing major yet. for future reference how do I make a bootable dg backup anyway, I have never tried that.

Thanks again.

Does anyone know if the HFS+ drivers for bootcamp will let me access my itnes library from the windows partition? I know they are read only drivers, I guess I could install macdrive again if I really wanted to. Not a big deal if not, I will use pandora or something when in windows.
 
L

LCfiner

Member
Pctx said:
Read this...... link
Click to expand...

that link, much like a lot of blustery posts on macrumors forums, is full of hot air and anger and virtually no understanding of what’s going on.

All Apple apps are 64 bit. a 32 bit kernel can run 64 bit apps. a 32 bit kernel can access more than 4 GB of memory.

but a 64 bit kernel can’t run important apps like VMware fusion or parallels as there are 3rd party kernel extensions that are still 32 bit only.

keeping a 32 bit kernel allows maximum compatibility with minimal, or none, performance difference.

the 64-bitness of 10.6 is not a hack.

read up on the ars technica review posted above if you actually want to know what’s going on with the 64 bit kernel and what potential benefits it will have in the future.
 
P

Pctx

Banned
LCfiner said:
that link, much like a lot of blustery posts on macrumors forums, is full of hot air and anger and virtually no understanding of what’s going on.

All Apple apps are 64 bit. a 32 bit kernel can run 64 bit apps. a 32 bit kernel can access more than 4 GB of memory.

but a 64 bit kernel can’t run important apps like VMware fusion or parallels as there are 3rd party kernel extensions that are still 32 bit only.

keeping a 32 bit kernel allows maximum compatibility with minimal, or none, performance difference.

the 64-bitness of 10.6 is not a hack.

read up on the ars technica review posted above if you actually want to know what’s going on with the 64 bit kernel and what potential benefits it will have in the future.
Click to expand...

I am reading the Ars article as I am still on the fence regarding Snow Leopard vs. Leopard which has served me quite well.

The article in which I linked, Keith Combs basically points out the difference between Windows and Mac OSX. Where Windows is 32-bit or nothing.... or 64-bit or nothing, Mac is a 32/64-bit Hybrid of which--- is it a gimmick? Is it smart marketing to have 64-bit memory extensions while still maintaining a 32-bit environment? Keith basically points out that he wanted a full 64-bit environment and that's not possible (currently) under Snow Leopard.

The argument to call the 64-bit kernel takes a bit of "hacking" around the OS to try and force things to load, but as he points out, and as you are pointing out, what's the point?

Anyways; not sure what I think about it yet.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

South Park: Snow Day | Review Thread
Analysis Review
9
2K
StueyDuck replied
INSIDE APPLE'S MASSIVE PUSH TO TRANSFORM THE MAC INTO A GAMING PARADISE
2 3 4
151
18K
RoboFu replied
  • Locked
[TNYT] Brazil Blocks X After Musk Ignores Court Orders
Social News Community 2
69
5K
ManaByte replied
  • Poll
[AP] iPhone Released 15 Years Ago Today
2
71
5K
8bitpill replied
Coming to Game Pass: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Goat Simulator Remastered, and More
News Platform 2
66
3K
Taur007 replied
Top Bottom