Mac OS X 10.1.2 Update

is available via the Software Update preference panel in an early holidays gift from Apple. According to the ReadMe file, "The 10.1.2 update delivers improvements and new functionality, as well as expanded peripheral support for Mac OS X. Enhancements include:

- Updated and new USB and FireWire device support, including FireWire-based digital cameras

- PC Card storage devices, including media readers

- IrDA modem support for FireWire-based PowerBook models

- Audio, Display, and Speech improvements

- Networking and Printing improvements

- AirPort v2.0

- Apache web server v1.3.22

- AppleScript v1.8"

We installed the 10.1.2 Update (a 30+MB download via the Software Update preference panel) on an iBook (Dual USB), Power Mac G4 533 DP, G4 Cube (X and X Server), iMac 350 SL [Dana Baggett] and iMac 400 DV SE with no problems. All were up to date as of the time of the 10.1.2 installation. The new build is 5P48.

We had problems with the Mac OS X partition of our PowerBook G4 500 Titanium. We got an error just as the download finished. We repeated it five times but no luck. 10.1.2 installed fine on our iPod which we use as a back up disk and our VST external slim FireWire disk hooked up to our TiBook so we bit the bullet and wiped our X partition and reinstalled 10.1 and all the updates. It took several hours with all the restarts and optimizations. We discovered that there is a "combined" 10.1.2 update (35+ MB) that includes both 10.1.1 and 10.1.2 allowing us to skip one step but it still takes way to long. We hope that Apple will produce a combined updater CD. We'd gladly pay $19.95 for it.

Mail has a new build. It goes from 475 to 480. We haven't used it much yet, of course, but we hope it corrects some of Mail's quirks.

Window resizing seems a bit quicker on out TiBook than with 10.1 or 10.1.1 but it may just be the fresh installation.

Look for more information later as we get a chance to use the latest Mac OS X update.