Let
me start out with the following:
Mac
OS, Mac OS X and Mac OS X Servers are three
entirely
different OSes. So, Mac OS isn't Mac OS X,
and
Mac OS X isn't Mac OS X Server. Here we go.
| Mac OS |
Mac OS
Mac
OS, once simply named "System", is the standard operating
system
for the Macintosh, which you're probably running right now. The
current
version is 9.1 and runs on any PowerMac. screenshot
| website
| Mac OS X |
Mac OS X
Mac
OS X,
codenamed Cyan/Siam and
to be released 24 March 2001, will be Apple's most
revolutionary operating system yet. The X doesn't only
stand for 10, but also for the fact it's unix-based. Mac OS
X will have pre-emptive multitasking (every program will get
as much processing power as the rest, not just the foreground),
protected memory (meaning programs
will run independently from eachother so when one crashes, the
rest will happily go on), and will run Mac OS applications, Cocoa
applications and Carbon applications. Also, a BSD is included,
which offers the ability to run any compilable unix commandline
program. The regular Mac OS can still be run in the Classic
environment,
which will run applications that were written for the classic
Mac OS seamlessly.
Mac
OS X will have a completely new interface compared to that of
the original Mac OS.
Shadows, 3D-ish effects and glowing buttons make the user feel
as if the Mac has become a living 3D artwork.
The system requirements for Mac OS X aren't certain yet, though officially they are "targeted" for G3 and G4 Macs. Rumor has it that Apple might still try and get Mac OS X to run on some of the pre-G3 PowerMacs as well, but there's no guarantee. screenshot | website
Click
here for a more detailed explanation of Mac OS X and its core.
| Mac OS X Server |
Mac
OS X Server
will be released shortly after Mac OS X. Mac OS X Server is what
you could call the Server edition of Mac OS X: An OS not meant
to be used continuously by a user working on it, but rather as
an OS dedicated to perform the tasks that a server is meant to
do, such as running a webserver, AppleShare server or WebObjects
server. Mac OS X Server will in any case run commandline programs
and Cocoa applications. Wether Carbon applications will be run
or wether Classic.app will be included I don't know, although
I have a feeling that Mac OS X Server will basically be Mac OS
X, only stripped down and built up to a robust Server OS.
| So what's the difference ? |
Mac
OS X and the regular Mac OS are not the same.
Mac
OS X and Mac OS X Server have their own version numbers
and
are OSes way superior to the regular Mac OS. While Mac OS X
and
Mac OS X Server are Apple's main focus, the regular Mac OS
will
continue to develop for those without X experience/needs, or
without
the required hardware to run any sort of Mac OS X.
Mac
OS X and Mac OS X Server are not the same either.
Mac
OS X Server is already here. It's a server OS.
Mac
OS X is the consumer version, coming somewhere 2000,
and
will be the full blown version, without the server parts.
Once,
Mac OS X was referred to as Rhapsody 2.0, where
Mac
OS X Server would be Rhapsody 1.0. After Rhapsody DR2,
they
changed to Mac OS X Server and Mac OS X. Mac OS X (Consumer)
will
be much more like the Mac OS than Mac OS X Server is, since
it's
for the consumer, not for server machines. Mac OS X will
have
a
beautiful new yet familiar interface, with the strength of UNIX
underneath.
In
other words, Mac OS 10.
| Miscellaneous |
Codenames.
Mac
OS 7.0.0: Blue
Mac
OS 7.1.0: Cube-E, Tripoli
Mac
OS 7.5.0: Capone <------- Capone
terrorizes Chicago, codename for Windows 95 :)
Mac
OS 7.5.3: Buster <-------
Gil Amelio's high school nickname
Mac
OS 7.5.5: Son of Buster
Mac
OS 7.6.0: Harmony
Mac
OS 7.6.1: Ides of Buster
Mac
OS 8.0.0: Tempo
Mac
OS 8.1.0: Bride of Buster
Mac
OS 8.5.0: Allegro
Mac
OS 8.5.1: The Ric Ford Release
Mac
OS 8.6.0: Veronica
Mac
OS 9.0.0: Sonata
Mac OS 9.0.1: Minuet
Mac
OS X/10.0 Server: Rhapsody
Mac
OS X/10.0: Cyan / Siam
Mac
OS X Sub-codenames:
Public Beta: Kodiak
Final Release: Cheetah (Speed optimized)
"Copland"
was once the codename for what Apple had planned to eventually
become
Mac OS 8. Mac OS 8 as it exists now was originally supposed to
be
named
7.7 (Tempo). Apple's plans have since changed in such a manner
that
the
codename Copland vanished, and Mac OS 8.5 now more or less is
what
Copland
was planned to become.
Timeline.
Apple's original plans for OS releases. Mac OS X Server
(Rhapsody) was
delayed
till April, and Mac OS X has been delayed till March 24, 2001.
Corrections/addendums
can be sent to sixkiller@ukonline.co.uk
