We"ve been hearing about the development of Apple"s update to their Leopard operating system, 10.5, for quite a while now and just earlier it seems it has been finally released. The update, named 10.5.7, was initially expected a little while ago, but those rumors never came into fruition. There"s no need to worry about that now however, Mac users, because you can pick it up from your nearest Software Update.
So, what"s changed in OS X 10.5.7? To be fair, not much; you can"t expect this release to bring any new features, especially with Apple"s Snow Leopard operating system under development and hopefully for a release soon. Instead, this was focused on bug fixes and improvements in certain areas. We"ve included a full list of changes from Apple"s support document:
General
* Includes latest security fixes.
* Includes additional RAW image support for several third-party cameras.
* Improves performance of video playback and cursor movements for recent Macs with NVIDIA graphics.
* Resolves an issue with Dvorak keyboard layout in Mac OS X 10.5.6.
* Improves the reliability and accuracy of Unit Converter, Stocks, Weather and Movies Dashboard widgets.
* Addresses a situation that may cause issues when logging into Gmail.
* Improves reliability when syncing contacts with Yahoo!.
* Expansion Slot Utility for Mac Pro now reports the correct PCIe slot configuration.
* Improves network performance when connected to certain Ethernet switches that have Flow Control enabled.
* Improves stability for network home directories hosted by Mac OS X Server v10.4.
* Improves Finder search results for network volumes that may not support Spotlight searching, such as Mac OS X Server v10.4, Time Capsule, and third-party AFP servers.
* Includes several improvements to Directory Service and Client Management, which are described in the About Mac OS X Server 10.5.7 Update article.
iCal
* Improves overall reliability with CalDav.
* Improves reliability when automatically syncing with MobileMe.
* Addresses reliability and sync issues with Notes.
* Addresses an issue that may cause the BCC field to populate incorrectly when redirecting a message from the Sent mailbox.
Parental Controls
* Improves consistency with Parental Controls and application restrictions.
* Addresses an issue in which time limits may not work properly with full-screen games and Fast User Switching.
Printing
* Resolves an issue that may cause certain third-party printers to print to the incorrect paper tray.
* Non-admin user accounts can now be allowed to add and remove printers by enabling Parental Controls and selecting "Can administer printers".
* Includes other printing reliability and stability improvements.
As mentioned, you can grab this update from Software Update found in the Apple menu, but otherwise, you can find the standalone installers from the links you can find at the end of this article. Go forth, Mac users; install this update pronto and be sure to let us know how it goes (and if you find any improvements) in the comments below.