|
select a category:
|
|
|
 |
|
About OS X:
|
|
select a category:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Darwin Operating System
Beneath the appealing, easy-to-use interface is a rock-solid foundation. Mac OS X is an industrial-strength, standards-based modern operating system engineered for stability, scalability and reliability - plus phenomenal performance on the Internet.
Mac OS X is more than just a pretty interface. This groundbreaking operating system delivers the performance and stability needed for 21st Century computing. From the core kernel and an advanced I/O subsystem, to protected memory and preemptive multitasking, to speedy file and network operations, Mac OS X keeps you running day in and day out.
Open Secret
The core of the new operating system - called Darwin - evolved out of a joint effort undertaken by Apple engineers and the best and the brightest programmers in the open source software community. In 1999 Apple became the first major computer company to make open source development a key part of its ongoing software strategy. The effort paid off big time: Darwin delivers the reliability and performance you'd expect from a modern operating system, ensuring users and developers the benefit of a high-quality, interoperable system built on open standards.
Darwin's DNA
At the core of Darwin is a key component called the kernel, the pivotal component in the operating system that handles most of the interaction between the operating system and the hardware. The system's kernel is based on Mach 3.0 from Carnegie-Mellon University and FreeBSD 3.2 (derived from the University of California at Berkeley's BSD 4.4-Lite), the most highly regarded core technologies from two of the most widely acclaimed OS projects of the modern era.
Protected Memory
This is a good thing, because when applications are isolated in their own memory space, they can't interfere with each other if one goes bad. So if something goes down, you don't need to restart your computer. Darwin simply shuts down the offending application and its memory space, letting you continue working or playing without interruption.
Preemptive Multitasking
You need an operating system that can handle several different tasks at once - giving priority to your primary application, but still crunching away at other jobs in the background. Darwin makes this possible with preemptive multitasking. It watches over your computer's processor, sets processor priorities according to the importance of the task, makes sure activity levels are at maximum, and ensures that every task gets the resources it needs.
Previously, a complex task like rendering a transition in iMovie or compressing video - tasks that can take several minutes or even hours - would fully consume the processor until complete. But with Mac OS X preemptive multitasking, the system remains responsive, so you can still respond to an urgent email, work in another application, or check something on the web while the task continues to be processed in the background.
Don't Forget Virtual Memory
Darwin features a super-efficient virtual memory manager to handle memory allocation for you. So you no longer have to worry about how much memory an application like Photoshop needs to open a humongous image file. When an application needs memory, the virtual memory manager allocates precisely the amount needed by the application. Automatically.
Symmetric Multiprocessing
Darwin offers built-in support for dual processor Power Mac G4 computers. It automatically takes advantage of both processors by allocating application threads to separate processors. It might use one processor to run a complex image transformation and the other to create a new MP3 file. All applications benefit from the higher performance a second processor offers - application developers needn't do anything special to take advantage of the additional processor's power. But multithreaded applications, those that take special advantage of preemptive multitasking, can almost double the performance of processor-intensive tasks. So complex image transformations, video compression, or MP3 encoding operations can run almost twice as fast using Mac OS X on a dual processor Power Mac G4.
Faster, Standards Based Networking
Darwin incorporates the industry-standard BSD networking stack, the backbone of the vast majority of TCP/IP implementations on the Internet today. We provide built-in support for PPP, letting you easily access remote networks. We've also included full support for AppleTalk, to ensure smooth interoperability with existing Macintosh networks. We also took the famous Apache web server - which runs over half the websites on the Internet - and made it friendly enough to use on your desktop for personal file sharing.
Advanced Device Support
Mac OS X can quickly move large chunks of data to and from things like storage devices, printers and digital video cameras thanks to a turbocharged I/O subsystem. This I/O subsystem also provides a concurrent capability for applications - meaning that multiple applications can access multiple devices simultaneously with minimal interference. We've implemented this the Macintosh way, with plug-and-play ease of use: External hard drives, digital cameras, and other devices appear right in the Finder for easy navigation.
File Friendly
Mac OS X reads HFS Plus format files from its Macintosh heritage, as well as the ISO 9660 CD-ROM format. Additionally, Mac OS X extends support to UFS, a flat disk system similar to the standard volume format of most UNIX operating systems, and the POSIX file system semantics, which makes it easier for developers to bring server applications to the new operating system. Over a network, Mac OS X supports multiple file server protocols: AFP client (Apple File Protocol, the principal file-sharing protocol in Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 9), NFS client (Network File System, the dominant file-sharing protocol in the UNIX world), and WebDAV (an emerging Internet standard for accessing and sharing files over the web). Support can be extended further with third party products if desired.
|
|
|
|
|
