Mac OS X is the world's most advanced operating system. Built on a rock-solid UNIX foundation and designed to be simple and intuitive, it's what makes the Mac innovative, highly secure, compatible, and easy to use. Quite simply there is nothing else like it.  In ways big and small, Mac OS X Snow Leopard makes your Mac faster, more reliable, and easier to use. Click to enlarge. | Mac OS X. It's what makes a Mac a Mac.
Power of UNIX. Simplicity of the Mac.
Mac OS X is both easy to use and incredibly powerful. Everything--from the desktop you see when you start up your Mac to the applications you use every day--is designed with simplicity and elegance in mind. So whether you're browsing the web, checking your email, or video chatting with a friend on another continent, getting things done is at once easy to learn, simple to perform, and fun to do. Of course, making amazing things simple takes seriously advanced technologies, and Mac OS X is loaded with them. Not only is it built on a rock-solid, time-tested UNIX foundation that provides unparalleled stability, it also delivers incredible performance, stunning graphics, and industry-leading support for Internet standards. Perfect integration of hardware and software.
Since the software on every Mac is created by the same company that makes the Mac itself, you get an integrated system in which everything works together perfectly. The advanced technologies in the operating system take full advantage of the 64-bit, multicore processors and GPUs to deliver the greatest possible performance. The built-in iSight camera works seamlessly with the iChat software so you can start a video chat with a click. Your Mac notebook includes a Multi-Touch trackpad that supports pinching, swiping, and other gestures. And the OS communicates with the hardware to deliver incredible battery life by spinning down the hard drive when it's inactive, by intelligently deciding whether the CPU or GPU is best for a task, and by automatically dimming the screen in low-light conditions. Elegant interface and stunning graphics.
The most striking feature of a Mac is its elegant user interface, made possible by graphics technologies that are built to leverage the advanced graphics processor in your Mac. These technologies provide the power for things like multiway chatting, real-time reflections, and smooth animations. Fonts on the screen look beautiful and extremely readable. A soft drop shadow makes it clear at a glance which window is active and which ones are in the background. You can preview just about any type of file using Quick Look, and because the previews are high resolution, you can actually read the text. Built-in support for the PDF format means you can view or create PDFs from almost any application in the system. Highly secure by design.
Mac OS X doesn't get PC viruses. And with virtually no effort on your part, Mac OS X protects itself from other malicious applications. It was built for the Internet in the Internet age, offering a variety of sophisticated technologies that help keep you safe from online threats. Because every Mac ships with a secure configuration, you don't have to worry about understanding complex settings. Even better, it won't slow you down with constant security alerts and sweeps. And Apple responds quickly to online threats and automatically delivers security updates directly to your Mac. Built for compatibility.
The versatility and power of Mac OS X make it compatible in almost any environment, including Windows networks. It works with virtually all of today's digital cameras, printers, and other peripherals without the need to manually download separate drivers. It opens popular file types such as JPG, MP3, and Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. In addition, Mac OS X includes built-in support for the industry-standard PDF format, so you can read and create PDFs from almost any application in the system--perfect for sharing work with colleagues whether they use a Mac or a PC. If you want to run Windows on your Mac, you can do that, too. And Mac OS X Snow Leopard is the only operating system with built-in support for the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server, so you can use your Mac at home and at work and have all your messages, meetings, and contacts in one place. Innovation for everyone.
Mac OS X comes standard with a wide range of assistive technologies that help people with disabilities experience what the Mac has to offer--including many features you won't find in other operating systems at any price. For example, the built-in VoiceOver screen-reading technology makes it possible for those who are blind or have low vision to control their computer using key commands or gestures on a Multi-Touch trackpad. Mac OS X also offers out-of-the-box support for over 40 braille displays, including Bluetooth displays, and many other accessibility features, such as dynamic full-screen magnification, playback of closed captions, and a scalable screen. Reliable to the core.
The core of Mac OS X is built on the same ultrareliable UNIX foundation that powers industrial-strength servers, helping to ensure that your computing experience remains free from system crashes and compromised performance. Even upgrading your Mac to the next version of Mac OS X is reliable and easy. It checks your applications to make sure they're compatible and sets aside any programs known to be incompatible. If a power outage interrupts your installation, it can start again without losing any data. Best of all, upgrading doesn't require reformatting your drive; you can keep all your compatible applications, files, and settings. And if something goes wrong when you're using your Mac, Time Machine is there to keep automatic backups of everything on your drive. Fully featured, fully loaded.
Mac OS X comes in a single, full-featured version that includes a large collection of beautifully designed applications. They not only let you surf the web, conduct video and text chats, manage your contacts, and accomplish other day-to-day tasks--they also work together to make you more productive and let you have more fun.  The Finder makes working with your files and documents as easy as browsing your iTunes library. Click to enlarge. | Dock + Finder
The Dock in Mac OS X provides fast, one-click access to frequently used applications, folders, files, and even downloads from the Internet. The Finder makes working with your files and documents as easy as browsing your iTunes library. What is the Dock?
The Dock at the bottom of the screen gives you quick access to your most frequently used applications, files, and folders. With its visually appealing, high-resolution icons, the Dock practically begs to be clicked. When you do, your applications spring to life instantly, and a bright signal tells you which applications are open. You can also use Exposé from the Dock to instantly see all the open windows for an application. You can set the Dock to remain at the bottom of the screen, framing your desktop picture and always visible. Or you can set it to tuck itself away, ready to return when you move the pointer to the bottom of the screen.  The sidebar in the Finder window is your starting point when browsing your Mac. |  The Dock at the bottom of the screen gives you quick access to your most frequently used applications and files. Click to enlarge. |  Mac OS X helps you navigate everything on your Mac visually with an innovation called Cover Flow. Click to enlarge. | What's in your Dock.
The Dock comes loaded with icons for many of the applications included with your Mac--Dashboard, Mail, iCal, iPhoto, and so on. But as you'd expect, it's easy to customize. To add a new application or folder, just grab it from the Finder and move it onto the Dock. The Dock expands to make room for the new item, and if you have a lot of items, the icons scale to fit on your desktop. Removing and rearranging items is just as simple: Click and drag. Stacks for your stuff
A stack is a Dock item that gives you fast, direct access to folders and files. When you click a stack, the files within spring from the Dock in a fan or a grid, depending on the number of items (or the preference you set). Mac OS X starts you off with premade stacks for downloads, applications, and documents. The Downloads stack automatically captures files you download from Safari, Mail, and iChat. The Applications stack gives you fast access to all your applications. And the Documents stack is a great place to keep things like presentations, spreadsheets, and word processing files. The files in each stack can appear as large icons that preview their contents, so it's easy to find the right one before you click. Stacks are scrollable, so you can easily view all items, and you can navigate through folders in a stack to see all the files inside the stack. Create as many stacks as you wish simply by dragging folders to the right side of your Dock. All-new: Exposé in the Dock.
With Exposé now integrated into the Dock, you can view the open windows of a particular application with a click. Just click and hold any application icon in the Dock, and Exposé tiles the open windows of that application while causing the windows of other applications to fade away. The clutter cleared, you can easily find the document you need. A click makes it the active window, and pressing the Space bar gives you a full-screen preview of the window. That's not all you can do with Exposé in the Dock. When you drag a file onto a Dock icon, all the application's open windows pop up, so you can place the file in the right window--perfect if you want to attach a document to an email message. Introducing the Finder.
The Finder is like home base for your Mac. Represented by the blue icon with the smiling face, it's one of the first things you see when you start working on your Mac. It lets you organize and access practically everything on your Mac, including applications, files, folders, discs, and shared drives on your network. You can also see rich, high-quality previews of the contents of your files. The Finder takes full advantage of the advanced technologies in Mac OS X--such as 64-bit support and Grand Central Dispatch--so it responds more quickly to your actions. Meet the sidebar.
The sidebar in the Finder window is your starting point when browsing your Mac. If you've used iTunes, you'll feel right at home. Like iTunes, the sidebar is organized into categories to make it easy to locate your stuff--frequently accessed folders, CDs and DVDs, computers on your local network, and so on. With a few clicks, you're on your way to finding what you need. The sidebar also features a handy Search For section. It uses Spotlight search to let you quickly find files you've modified today, yesterday, or in the past week, or find all images, movies, or documents. Just click one of the folders and you'll see an up-to-the-minute list of files. And just like the Dock, you can customize the sidebar with your own search folders. Instant networking.
Any Mac or PC on your home network automatically appears in the sidebar, allowing you to easily share files between them and even use Spotlight search and Cover Flow to search the other computers. And when you click a connected Mac, you can use screen sharing, which lets you see and control another Mac as if you were sitting in front of it--useful, for example, when you want to show someone how to use an application or feature. See your files in Cover Flow.
Mac OS X helps you navigate everything on your Mac visually with an innovation called Cover Flow. Using Cover Flow, you can flip through your documents as easily as you flip through music in iTunes or bookmarks in Safari 4. Each file is displayed as a large preview of its first page, so you can actually see the contents of a document before opening it. Three more ways to view.
You can also see your files in list view, which lets you easily sort them in different ways, including by file name, date modified, or file type. You can see them in column view, which lets you navigate through multiple folders quickly. And you can see them as large icons, up to 512 by 512 pixels in size. Icon view lets you thumb through a multipage document or watch a QuickTime movie right in the Finder, an easy way to find and view your stuff.  Exposé unshuffles overlapping windows on your desktop into an organized thumbnail view, so you can quickly locate and switch to any window or get to any file on the desktop. Click to enlarge. | Exposé
Instantly view all open windows in stunning style with a single keystroke. Exposé unshuffles overlapping windows on your desktop into an organized thumbnail view, so you can quickly locate and switch to any window or get to any file on the desktop. From chaos to order.
If you like to work with many applications and documents at the same time, you probably spend time each day poking through your open windows just to uncover the one you need at the moment. Wouldn't it be great if all you had to do was press one key to snap all of that window chaos into order? That's exactly what Exposé does. With one keystroke, Exposé instantly tiles all your open windows, scales them down, and neatly arranges them, so you can see what's in every single one. And you definitely can see every one, because Exposé preserves the visual quality of the window in its reduced size. To see a full-screen preview, just press the Space bar. That's not all. Move from one tiled window to the next and you'll see its title displayed at the bottom of the window. When you find the window you need, just click it. Magically, every window returns to full size, and the window you clicked--whether it's a folder, a PDF, a QuickTime movie, or a Word document--becomes the active window. Return to your desktop.
There's one more feature in Exposé. Press one key to push all the windows aside, giving you instant access to your desktop. Once you grab what you need, another keypress brings all the windows back. Want to open a document? Check to see if the CD or DVD you're burning in the background is ready? Or quickly locate and drag a file into an email as an enclosure? Exposé makes it easy. All-new: Exposé in the Dock.
Exposé not only tiles all your open windows, it also lets you view the open windows of a particular application. For example, say you're a Keynote maestro and often have up to a dozen documents open at the same time. Exposé makes finding the one you need incredibly easy. Just click and hold the Keynote icon in the Dock, and Exposé tiles your Keynote windows while causing the windows of other applications to fade away. The clutter cleared, you can easily find the document you need. A click makes it the active window, and pressing the Space bar gives you a full-screen preview of the window. Prefer keyboard shortcuts? You can tile application windows with a keystroke, too. And that's not all you can do with Exposé in the Dock. When you drag a file onto a Dock icon, all the application's open windows pop up, so you can place the file in the right window--perfect if you want to attach a document to an email message.  Instantly preview the contents of your documents without ever opening them. | Quick Look
Instantly preview the contents of your documents without ever opening them. Flip through multipage PDFs, watch full-screen video, view photo slideshows, and more. With a single click. Opening files is so last year.
Quick Look is the innovative technology that gives you a sneak peek of entire files--even multiple-page documents and video--without opening them. All you have to do is select a file in the Finder and press the Space bar. An elegant transparent window appears, showing you the contents of the file instantly. It's great when you're looking for something specific but don't have time to open lots of files to find it. See everything.
Quick Look works with nearly every file on your system, including images, text files, PDF documents, movies, Keynote presentations, Mail attachments, and Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. To see a file in Quick Look, you simply tap the Space bar or click the Quick Look icon in the Finder window. You can view the file in full screen, and you can open the application that created it with a double-click. Best of all, Quick Look works even if you don't have the application that created it--perfect when a colleague sends you a document that you couldn't otherwise open. A Quick Look back in time.
You can use Quick Look to your advantage when you're searching for files to restore in Time Machine. Once you locate the file you're looking for, use Quick Look to verify its contents before restoring it to the desktop. View attachments, no detachment.
Quick Look also works in the Mail and iChat applications in Mac OS X. Say you receive a message with a bunch of attachments. Instead of downloading and opening each one, you can use Quick Look to see them with a click. It's great for viewing PDFs, Microsoft Office documents, and other files. You can even view attached photos as a slideshow and add them to your iPhoto library with ease.  With Spotlight, you can find anything on your computer as quickly as you type: files, email, contacts, images, calendar events, and applications. Click to enlarge. |  In addition to the Finder, Spotlight search technology is built into other applications in Mac OS X: Mail, Address Book, iCal, System Preferences, Preview, even Safari. | Spotlight
With Spotlight, you can find anything on your computer as quickly as you type: files, email, contacts, images, calendar events, and applications. And because it's built into the core of Mac OS X, search results update instantly whenever files change. Stop looking, start finding.
Spotlight is the lightning-fast search technology built into Mac OS X that makes it easy to find what you're looking for, even if you don't know where to look. Conveniently available in the Mac OS X menu bar, the Spotlight search field gives you instant results as you start typing, encompassing not only files, folders, and documents but also messages in Mail, contacts in Address Book, iCal calendars, items in System Preferences, applications, and even dictionary definitions. Spotlight searches aren't confined to your computer--you can also search other computers on the network. The need for speed.
Built into the core of Mac OS X, Spotlight delivers results so quickly because it indexes files on your computer in the background, so you never experience lag times or slowdowns. And when you make a change, such as adding a new file, email, or contact, Spotlight updates its index automatically, so search results are always up-to-the-moment accurate. Searching with smarts.
When you search with Spotlight, you're actually accessing a comprehensive, constantly updated index that sees all the metadata inside supported files--the "what, when, and who" of every piece of information saved on your Mac--including the kind of content, the author, edit history, format, size, and many more details. Most document types, including Microsoft Word documents, Adobe Photoshop images, and email, already contain rich metadata. And because Spotlight indexes content as well, your search results include what appears inside a file or document, not just its title. When you click the document, you are immediately taken to that spot in the document with the search terms highlighted. Smartly organized.
Thanks to the speed and flexibility of Spotlight, you'll discover countless new ways to organize your files. You can save the results of a search as a Smart Folder that automatically updates as you add, change, or remove documents on your Mac. Smart Folders contain files grouped together based on search criteria instead of physical location, so the same file can appear in multiple Smart Folders without moving from its original saved location on your system. No need to duplicate, shift, or update files: Spotlight Smart Folders keep everything organized for you. It's in the Mail. (And more.)
In addition to the Finder, Spotlight search technology is built into other applications in Mac OS X: Mail, Address Book, iCal, System Preferences, Preview, even Safari. No matter which application you search, results appear immediately after you start typing a few letters. And your search is customizable. In Mail, for example, you can search in selected mailboxes or across all of them, and in individual fields (To, From, Subject) or entire messages. In Address Book, you can search the entire list or individual groups.  With its simple, elegant interface and support for the latest Internet standards, Safari gets out of your way and lets you enjoy the web. | Safari 4
Experience the web with the fast, easy-to-use web browser. With its simple, elegant interface and support for the latest Internet standards, Safari gets out of your way and lets you enjoy the web. Surf fast.
Safari 4 in Snow Leopard outraces all other browsers. On even the most demanding Web 2.0 applications, Safari delivers blazingly fast performance using the new Nitro Engine. For example, thanks to 64-bit technology in Snow Leopard, JavaScript performance in Safari 4 is up to 50 percent faster than the 32-bit version of Safari. In addition, Safari offers top-flight HTML performance--the best on any platform--loading pages up to 3 times faster than Internet Explorer 8 and almost 3 times faster than Firefox 3.5. What does all that mean for you? Less time loading pages and more time enjoying them. Distraction-free browsing.
Safari sports a clean, elegant look that keeps your focus where it belongs: on the content of the web page. The features you use most are just a click away, and an integrated Google search bar makes it easy to find what you're looking for. Crash resistant.
Safari 4 in Snow Leopard is even more resistant to crashes. It turns out that the number one cause of crashes in Mac OS X is browser plug-ins. So Apple engineers redesigned Safari to make plug-ins run separately from the browser. If a plug-in crashes on a web page, Safari keeps running. Just refresh the page and get going again. Flip through history.
Safari 4 offers a dramatic way to revisit your browsing history. Just type a word or phrase in the History Search field in Top Sites, and Safari quickly presents you with full-page previews of the websites that look exactly as they did when you last visited them. You flip through them just like in Cover Flow in iTunes or the Finder, then click to access the page you want. See your Top Sites.
The new Top Sites feature lets you enjoy a stunning, at-a-glance preview of your favorite websites without lifting a finger. Safari 4 tracks the sites you browse and ranks your favorites, presenting up to 24 thumbnails on a single page and making them accessible with just a click. You can customize the display by pinning a favorite site to a specific location in the grid. And a star in the upper right of each thumbnail indicates whether a site has new content since the last time you visited. Surf securely.
With support for the latest standards for secure access and information sharing on the web, Safari protects you whether you're browsing the Internet at home or on a public computer. Safari offers built-in antiphishing technology that detects fraudulent websites and warns you before displaying the information. It also supports EV (Extended Validation) Certificates, so you can feel confident shopping, updating account information, or paying bills online. Kid-proof the Internet.
Start your kids' web exploration off on the right foot with Safari parental controls. Using the same technology that keeps your inbox free of junk mail, a content filter in Mac OS X takes a quick peek at websites before they load and tries to determine if they're suitable for kids. If they're not, Mac OS X blocks them from view. You can override this filter by creating lists of specific websites you want--or don't want--your children to see.  Mail offers an elegant user interface that makes it easy to manage all your email from a single, ad-free inbox, even when you're not connected to the Internet. Click to enlarge. | Mail, iCal, Address Book
Three built-in applications that work as one: Mail, iCal, and Address Book bring the power of Mac OS X to your email, calendar, and contacts. You get elegant, easy-to-use interfaces, lightning-fast searches, and complete integration across the applications and your Mac. Mail: All your email accounts in one place.
Designed from the ground up specifically for email, Mail offers an elegant user interface that makes it easy to manage all your email from a single, ad-free inbox, even when you're not connected to the Internet. It works with most email standards--including POP3 and IMAP--and most popular email services, such as Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, and AOL Mail. If you have more than one email account, no problem. Just add all your accounts to Mail and you'll be able to access everything from one central place. Microsoft Exchange Server Support
With Snow Leopard, Mac OS X is the only operating system with built-in support for the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server. So you can use your Mac--with all the features and applications you love--at home and at work and have all your messages, meetings, and contacts in one place. Data, detected.
Mail does more than just show email. It also analyzes the contents to help you act on them. Say you get an email inviting you to dinner at Gino's Pizza tomorrow at 6 p.m. Mail not only recognizes that 6 p.m. is the time, it knows that "tomorrow" represents a date on a calendar. So you can add the invitation to your iCal calendar by clicking the date, whether it's an actual date (October 18) or a relative date (tomorrow). It also knows that Gino's is a place, so you can click the address to view a Google map of the restaurant's location. And if the message includes a phone number or email address, you can add it to Address Book with just a click. Filtering the junk.
Mail includes an intelligent mail filter that automatically catches messages it thinks are junk. Junk mail is placed in a special folder in Mail so it doesn't clog up your inbox. If a junk message gets through, simply click the Junk button, and from then on, similar email will be placed in the Junk folder. The more you train Mail to recognize junk mail, the better it gets. Address Book: One place for all your contacts.
Address Book gives you a flexible and convenient place to store contact information for your family, friends, and colleagues. You can import information from other applications, create distribution lists for clubs and groups, print address labels and envelopes, and more. Because Address Book is built on the industry-standard vCard format for storing contact information, your friends can send you cards that you can add to your own list by dropping them in--no typing required. Do more with your addresses.
Address Book does more than display card contents; it also lets you use them. Click an address to ask the web for a Google map showing the location. Click a URL to open the website. Click an email address to instantly send a message or start an iChat conversation. iCal: A powerful desktop calendar.
iCal makes it easy to keep track of your busy schedule. You can create as many separate calendars as you need--one for home, another for school, a third for work, and so on. You can see all your calendars in a single window or choose to see only the calendars you want. RSVP you.
With iCal, you can invite friends and family to events. iCal lets you create invitations using contact information from your Address Book, update your guest list, keep track of attendee responses, and receive the latest status information. A centralized notification box keeps all your invitations and responses in one easy-to-access location so you can manage events in iCal instead of your busy email inbox. And when you or another Mac user receives an iCal invitation in Mail, it's automatically added to iCal. Find what you need.
Thanks to Spotlight, it's easy to find information in Mail, iCal, and Address Book. Within the applications, a search sorts through everything--all fields in an email, all information on a card or appointment--so you find every possible match. If you're not using the applications, you can still find messages, contacts, and appointments by using Spotlight search in the menu bar. Start typing a search term and Spotlight returns the related items immediately. Smart Groups and Smart Mailboxes.
Spotlight technology helps you organize your mail and contacts in another big way: Smart Groups and Smart Mailboxes. You simply select the relevant criteria--say, every contact with a birthday in the next 30 days or every email sent by your boss--and your applications create a folder containing every item that meets your criteria. Best of all, the folders stay updated as new items are created. Smart Groups in Address Book appear in your Group list, and Smart Mailboxes in Mail appear just below your inboxes. Fully integrated.
Because they're Mac OS X applications, Mail, iCal, and Address Book are fully integrated with each other and with other features of your Mac. For example, Mail and iCal use the contacts in your Address Book, so you can quickly send messages or invitations to individuals and groups. Mail can access your iPhoto library, so it's easy to email pictures to your friends and family. If you receive an attachment, Mail lets you use Quick Look to view its contents without saving the attachment and opening another application. Syncing included.
Part of what makes Address Book and iCal so powerful is seamless syncing. They can sync the contact and calendar information on your Mac with your iPhone or other mobile phone, PDA, or iPod touch, so it follows you everywhere. And with a MobileMe account, your contacts and calendars stay up to date across multiple Mac computers and on the web, so you can access your information from any computer with an Internet connection.  iChat is a rich instant messaging application that works on the AIM network and makes it easy to stay in touch with friends and family using text and video, whether they're on a Mac or a PC. Click to enlarge. | iChat
Included with Mac OS X, iChat is a rich instant messaging application that works with your AIM or MobileMe account and makes it easy to stay in touch with friends and family using text and video, whether they're on a Mac or a PC. IM me.
A powerful instant text messaging application, iChat comes with Mac OS X and is loaded with great features that make sending messages to your AIM or MobileMe buddies fast and easy. Simple text chats feel like natural conversations, with icons and thought bubbles that make it easy to see who's saying what. And you can transmit any kind of file--from a web address to a photo--by simply dragging it into your chat. Pictures display right in the message window, web links open in a browser with a click. In short, iChat is the best way to IM. Don't just type it--say it face to face.
Most Mac computers include a built-in iSight camera and mic. When you use them with iChat, you get the easiest way to have high-quality video and audio chats with your friends and family. You can chat with just one other person or make it a party by starting a multiway chat. Featuring a three-dimensional view, iChat practically puts everybody in the room with you. View their faces reflected into space, just as if they were sitting around a conference room table. And with video backdrops built into iChat, you can make it look like you're chatting from the Eiffel Tower, under the sea, or your own custom backdrop. Click to begin.
With its intuitive interface, iChat shows you when your buddies are available for a chat. Bright icons indicate their online status and whether they're capable of a video chat or just audio. To start a chat, click the camera or phone icon to send an invitation. To add more people, click the icons for the meeting attendees on your buddy list and each colleague steps into your virtual office. Show off slideshows from anywhere.
Why wait for a darkened room and a projector to present vacation photos or Keynote slides? Now you can do it all remotely, right in iChat. Put on a photo slideshow, click through a Keynote presentation, or play a movie--in full screen, accompanied by a video feed of you hosting--while your buddy looks on. Share and share alike.
Thanks to iChat screen sharing, you and your buddy can observe and control a single desktop, so you can easily collaborate with a colleague, browse the web with a friend, or pick plane seats with your spouse. Share your own desktop or your buddy's--you both have control at all times. iChat initiates an audio chat when you start a screen sharing session, so you can talk things through while you're at it. Child's play.
With iChat at home, you can enforce your "no talking to strangers" rule using parental controls that allow you to decide who your children can chat with online. Approve the buddies you trust and iChat blocks all attempts to send and receive IMs with anyone else. iChat also automatically hides or displays online status so that only buddies approved by you can see if your kids are online.  Entertainment made easy. Click to enlarge. | iTunes
iTunes plays all your digital music and video. It syncs content to your iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV. And it's an entertainment superstore that stays open 24/7. Entertainment made easy.
Forget rifling through stacks of CDs or flipping through channels. iTunes puts your entire music and video collection a mere click away, giving you an all-access pass to thousands of hours of digital entertainment. Browse. Organize. Play. All from your Mac or PC. - Browse.
View your library by artist, album, episode, year, rating--any way you want. A quick search reveals results as you type. - Organize.
Turn CDs into digital music by importing them to iTunes. Organize your entire collection with custom playlists. - Play.
Shuffle songs to mix up your groove. Listen to music from other computers on your network. Play video using onscreen controls. Everything, to go.
You have music and video in iTunes. You have photos, contacts, and calendars on your computer. You want to get it all on your iPod or iPhone. iTunes syncing does exactly that. And wireless syncing to Apple TV puts music and video from your iTunes library on the big screen. The world's #1 online music store--and more.
iTunes is an application that plays all your digital music, podcasts, and videos. It syncs content to your iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV. And it's a 24/7 entertainment superstore that lets you browse and buy over 10 million songs, rent or buy blockbuster movies, get HD episodes of your favorite TV shows, download applications for your iPhone or iPod touch, subscribe to free podcasts, and shop for audiobooks.  A brand-new version of QuickTime Player, the application used by millions to watch a wide range of video formats and files. Click to enlarge. | QuickTime X
Watch pristine-quality video in a clean, uncluttered window. Record and trim your own movies. And easily share them over the web. A beautiful new player.
Completely redesigned in Mac OS X Snow Leopard, QuickTime X debuts a brand-new version of QuickTime Player, the application used by millions to watch a wide range of video formats and files. Using the power of the Core Animation technology in Mac OS X, QuickTime Player offers a clean, uncluttered interface with controls that fade out when they're not needed. And large thumbnail images make navigating chaptered movies simpler than before. Instead of text-only chapter names, QuickTime Player displays frame-based thumbnail images for each chapter marker, so it's easy to navigate your chaptered media. Trim your media.
The new QuickTime Player lets you trim your media to the ideal length by removing unwanted portions from the beginning or end. Rather than relying on a simple timeline, it displays frame-based thumbnails that help you make the perfect edit. Share with iTunes and the web.
QuickTime Player converts your personal media files for use by iTunes and your iPhone, iPod, or Apple TV, using the optimal settings for each destination. After conversion, QuickTime Player automatically delivers the content to your iTunes library. You can also use QuickTime Player to publish your media to MobileMe or YouTube without worrying about formats or resolutions. Record with a click.
QuickTime Player makes it easy to capture live audio and video directly from your built-in iSight camera, FireWire camcorder, or microphone. Just click the Record button in QuickTime Player and start recordcapturing your audio or video to disk. You can also catch the action on your screen with screen recording--perfect for creating instructional media or when you want to show a friend how to do something. Built for high quality and smooth playback.
QuickTime X is optimized for the latest media formats--such as H.264 and AAC--through a new media architecture that delivers stutter-free playback of high-definition content on nearly all Snow Leopard-based Mac systems. QuickTime X maximizes the efficiency of modern media playback by using the graphics processor to scale and display video. It further increases efficiency by supporting GPU-accelerated video decoding of H.264 files. And QuickTime X takes advantage of the proven capabilities of ColorSync to color-manage your media for the best playback experience and for sharing to your iPhone, iPod, or Apple TV.  Take fun photo snapshots and video clips with your built-in iSight camera using Photo Booth. | Photo Booth
Take fun photo snapshots and video clips with your built-in iSight camera using Photo Booth. Send them to your friends, use one as an iChat icon, add them to your Address Book, or organize and edit them in iPhoto. Your personal photographer.
Photo Booth is a fun application that makes it easy to take photos using the built-in iSight camera in your Mac. Just look into the lens, smile, and click. Before it snaps your photo, Photo Booth flashes your display with bright white to add more light to your face. Take a single snapshot or use the burst mode to take four quick pictures. The fun begins.
Sure, you can take regular photos, but the real fun starts when you use the cool effects and backdrops in Photo Booth. Snap a photo of yourself at the Eiffel Tower or in outer space. Twist and twirl your smile with the strange Twirl effect. Add an artistic look with the Colored Pencil effect. Experiment with all the effects to transform your look. Capture video clips.
Photo Booth is not just for pictures. Using your iSight camera, you can shoot video clips and send them to friends and family via email with just a few clicks. Backdrops and effects work for your videos, too.  Snow Leopard makes Time Machine up to 50 percent faster and reduces the time it takes to complete your initial backup to Time Capsule. | Time Machine
Never again worry about losing your digital files. Time Machine automatically saves up-to-date copies of everything on your Mac--photos, music, videos, documents, applications, and settings. If you ever have the need, you can easily go back in time to recover anything. Set it, then forget it.
Time Machine works with your Mac and an external hard drive. Just connect the drive and assign it to Time Machine and you're a step closer to enjoying peace of mind. Time Machine will automatically back up your entire Mac, including system files, applications, accounts, preferences, music, photos, movies, and documents. But what makes Time Machine different from other backup applications is that it not only keeps a spare copy of every file, it remembers how your system looked on a given day--so you can revisit your Mac as it appeared in the past. Every change, every hour.
Following the initial backup of your entire Mac, Time Machine automatically makes incremental backups every hour, every day, copying just the files that have changed since your last backup. And it does this all in the background so you can continue working while Time Machine is busy copying your files. Time Machine saves the hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups for everything older than a month. Go back in time.
Say you accidentally deleted a file you meant to save. Simply enter the Time Machine browser and you'll see exactly how your computer looked on the dates you're browsing. You can browse for files using Cover Flow or perform a Spotlight search to find what you need. Use the timeline to select a specific date, or let Time Machine fly through time to find your most recent changes. Before recovering a file, use Quick Look to verify the contents of the file, then click Restore to bring it back to the present. Ready when you are.
When your mobile Mac is connected to your backup drive, Time Machine works as you'd expect. When it isn't connected, Time Machine also works as you'd expect. It keeps track of which files have changed since the last backup and backs them up to your backup drive the next time you connect. On any Mac, if Time Machine is unable to perform a backup, that's duly noted in its preference pane. Migration with style.
If you're setting up a new Mac with files from an old Mac, Time Machine can help simplify the process. Just use Migration Assistant to copy portions of any Time Machine backup to a new Mac, or select "Restore System from Time Machine" in the Leopard DVD Utilities menu. Choose any date recorded in Time Machine to set up your new Mac exactly as your previous Mac was on that date.  A native version of Microsoft Office is available for Mac OS X, and it features a Mac-friendly interface that lets you create documents with Word, presentations with PowerPoint, and spreadsheets with Excel just like on a Windows PC. |  Almost any device that connects to a computer via USB, audio cable, or Bluetooth will work with a Mac. | Built for compatibility.
Mom always said, "Play nice with others." Your computer should, too. With Mac OS X, you can use Microsoft Office, connect to industry-standard printers and cameras, and even run Windows. Office on your Mac.
A native version of Microsoft Office is available for Mac OS X, and it features a Mac-friendly interface that lets you create documents with Word, presentations with PowerPoint, and spreadsheets with Excel just like on a Windows PC. And it's compatible with Microsoft Office for Windows, so you can easily share documents with friends and colleagues. Even if you don't have Office installed on your Mac, you can use Quick Look to take a peek at Office documents without having to open an application. Microsoft Exchange Server support.
With Snow Leopard, the Mac is the only computer with built-in support for the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server. So you can use your Mac--with all the features and applications you love--at home and at work and have all your messages, meetings, and contacts in one place. Industry-standard bearer.
Thanks to its support for industry standards, Mac OS X works with virtually all email providers and websites. It also lets you view the most common file types, including Office documents, PDFs, images, text files, MP3s, videos, ZIP files, and more. So if you're moving files from a PC or if your friends and colleagues send you files, you can rest assured they'll work on your Mac. And if you buy your Mac at an Apple Retail Store, an Apple Genius can transfer your files from your PC for you and even recycle your old PC. Relax. Your camera, printer, and mouse work, too.
Almost any device that connects to a computer via USB, audio cable, or Bluetooth will work with a Mac. That includes digital cameras, external hard drives, printers, keyboards, speakers, and more. You can even use a right-click mouse with a Mac. And with thousands of device drivers included with Mac OS X, you can start using these devices as soon as you plug them in--no need to download additional software. It runs Windows, too.
Have a Windows application you need to use once in a while? No problem. Every new Mac lets you install Windows XP and Vista and run them at native speeds, using a built-in utility called Boot Camp. Setup is simple and safe for your Mac files. After you've completed the installation, you can boot up your Mac using either Mac OS X or Windows. (That's why it's called Boot Camp.) Or if you want to run Windows and Mac applications at the same time--without rebooting--you can install Windows using VMware or Parallels software. Connect to PCs over a network.
The Finder not only lets you browse files on your Mac, it also makes it easy to find files on other computers--both Mac and PC--on your home network. Computers that allow file sharing automatically show up in the Shared section of the Finder sidebar, allowing you to browse files and folders you have permission to view.  With virtually no effort on your part, Mac OS X protects itself--and you--from viruses, malicious applications, and other threats. | Mac OS X has you covered.
Mac OS X doesn't get PC viruses. And its built-in defenses help keep you safe from other malware without the hassle of constant alerts and sweeps. Defense against viruses and malware.
With virtually no effort on your part, Mac OS X offers a multilayered system of defenses against viruses and other malicious applications, or malware. For example, it prevents hackers from harming your programs through a technique called "sandboxing"--restricting what actions programs can perform on your Mac, what files they can access, and what other programs they can launch. Other automatic security features include Library Randomization, which prevents malicious commands from finding their targets, and Execute Disable, which protects the memory in your Mac from attacks. The 64-bit applications in Snow Leopard are even more secure from hackers and malware than the 32-bit versions. That's because 64-bit applications can use more advanced security techniques to fend off malicious code. Always on the alert.
Innocent-looking files downloaded over the Internet may contain dangerous malware in disguise. That's why files you download using Safari, Mail, and iChat are screened to determine if they contain applications. If they do, Mac OS X alerts you, then warns you the first time you open one. You decide whether to open the application or cancel the attempt. And Mac OS X can use digital signatures to verify that an application hasn't been changed since it was created. Stay up to date. Automatically.
When a potential security threat arises, Apple responds quickly by providing software updates and security enhancements that can be downloaded automatically and installed with a click. Apple works with the incident response community, including the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) and the FreeBSD Security Team, to proactively identify and quickly correct operating system vulnerabilities. In addition, Apple cooperates closely with organizations such as the Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center (CERT/CC).  Features such as Password Assistant help you lock out identity thieves who are after personal data. |  Antiphishing technology in Safari protects you from scams by detecting fraudulent websites. | Easy to customize.
With Mac OS X, it's easy to customize and use security features. Setting up secure file sharing, for example, involves a quick trip to System Preferences. FileVault lets you encrypt all the files in your Home folder with just a few clicks and a password of your choosing. The firewall comes preconfigured to block online intruders, but it's easy to make whatever changes you want. Exercise parental control.
As a parent, you want your kids to have a safe and happy experience on the computer. Mac OS X keeps Parental Control an eye out even when you can't. With a simple setup in Parental Controls preferences, you can manage, monitor, and control the time your kids spend on the Mac, the sites they visit, and the people they chat with. Don't go phishing.
Phishing is a form of fraud in which online thieves try to acquire sensitive information such as user names, passwords, and credit card details by creating fake websites that look like legitimate companies. The antiphishing technology in Safari protects you from such scams by detecting these fraudulent websites. If you visit a suspicious site, Safari disables the page and displays an alert warning you about its suspect nature. Surf safely.
Mac OS X makes it easy to stay safe online, whether you're checking your bank account, sending confidential email, or sharing files with friends and coworkers. Features such as Password Assistant help you lock out identity thieves who are after personal data, while built-in encryption technologies protect your private information and communications. Security without the hassle.
Mac OS X won't slow you down with constant Password Assistant security alerts and sweeps. Every Mac ships with a secure configuration so you don't have to worry about understanding complex settings. Just turn your Mac on and start working. When you need to be aware of something, it will let you know. And if you want to change the security configuration, just open System Preferences and make any adjustments. More Power to Your Mac.
Since 2001, the breakthrough technologies and rock-solid UNIX foundation of Mac OS X have made it not only the world's most advanced operating system but also extremely secure, compatible, and easy to use. Snow Leopard continues this innovation by incorporating new technologies that offer immediate improvements while also smartly setting it up for the future.  | 64-bit
64-bit computing used to be the province of scientists and engineers, but now this generational shift in computing gives all users the tools to apply the power of 64-bit to speed up everything from everyday applications to the most demanding scientific computations. Although Mac OS X is already 64-bit capable in many ways, Snow Leopard takes the next big step by rewriting nearly all system applications in 64-bit code and by enabling the Mac to address massive amounts of memory. Now Mac OS X is faster, more secure, and completely ready for the future. |  | Grand Central Dispatch
More cores, not faster clock speeds, drive performance increases in today's processors. Grand Central Dispatch takes full advantage by making all of Mac OS X multicore aware and optimizing it for allocating tasks across multiple cores and processors. Grand Central Dispatch also makes it much easier for developers to create programs that squeeze every last drop of power from multicore systems. |  | OpenCL
With graphics processors surpassing speeds of a trillion operations per second, they're capable of considerably more than just drawing pictures. OpenCL in Snow Leopard is a technology that makes it possible for developers to tap the vast computing power currently in the graphics processor and use it for any application. |  | QuickTime X
Snow Leopard introduces QuickTime X, a major leap forward that advances modern media and Internet standards. QuickTime X includes a brand-new player application, offers optimized support for modern codecs, and delivers more efficient media playback, making it ideal for any application that needs to play media content. | |
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A big step up
