APPLE has released a new version of Mac OS X, v10.5 Leopard into the Malaysian market. Targeted at new and existing Mac users, the Mac OS X Leopard is packed with hundreds of new features, and brings forth an even more user-friendly computing environment.

Apple’s manager for OS X product marketing, Asia-Pacific Justin Zhang claims that Leopard is the best version ever of OS X with more than 300 new features.

He highlights several key features, which include the new desktop with Stacks, Finder, Quick Look and Spaces, as well as the enhanced Time Machine and Safari 3 browser. Other updated features are Mail, iChat and Boot Camp.

The new desktop is aesthetically pleasing, at the same time designed to increase interactivity. It offers the redesigned 3-D Dock with Stacks, which organises files for easy, one-click access.

Files within Stacks, which fans out on the desktop upon a click, can be previewed quickly.

Meanwhile, the Download Stack conveniently gathers everything a user plucks from the Internet so that the desktop remain clutter-free.

The Finder contains several new features which include Cover Flow and a new sidebar to allow swift searching, browsing and copying of any content from any PC or Mac on a local network.

Quick Look lets users check the inside of a file without having to open or launch it using the required application.

Space is an organiser tool that lets users open multiple files and applications and group the relevant ones within a space area. Users can switch between one space area and another quickly to multi-task efficiently.

Zhang points out that Time Machine, a tool made for backup and restoration of applications and files, is now even easier to set up. Leopard can also restore an entire system from the Time Machine data on an external drive.

On another note, Zhang says Safari 3 is the fastest browser on Mac. He adds that users will also be empowered to turn any Web page into a widget so that they can access it without opening the browser, yet still get the live view of the Web site.

Leopard also delivers more features to enhance communications. Via Mail, users can create professional and graphical layout within an e-mail and incorporate hyperlinks, active notes, calendar and to-do entries.

Using the Data Detector, users will also be able to gather items such as phone numbers, home addresses and other details for their contact database.

With iChat, communicating users can share photos, presentations, videos and other data. There are also backdrops and effects to refresh chatting experience.

Requiring a minimum of 512 megabytes of RAM and designed for Mac machines with an Intel, PowerPC G5 or G4, Leopard has a good infrastructure underneath, says Zhang.

Built on Unix, it is also a full 64-bit platform with backward compatibility to run both 64-bit and 32-bit applications, he adds.

Readily available from Apple Authorised Resellers, Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard has a suggested retail price of RM509 for a single-user licence, and RM799 for the Family pack (single-residence, five-user licence).

The Mac OS Up-To-Date upgrade package is available to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Mac system from an Apple authorised reseller on or after Oct 1 for a shipping and handling fee of RM39.

Meanwhile, Apple has also released the server version of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, which has a suggested retail price of RM1,899 for a 10-client edition and RM3,899 for an unlimited-client edition.