Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther"

Main article: Mac OS X Panther

Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther" was released on October 24, 2003. In addition to providing much improved performance, it also incorporated the most extensive update yet to the user interface. Panther included as many or more new features as Jaguar had the year before, including an updated Finder, incorporating a brushed-metal interface, Fast User Switching, Exposé (Window manager), FileVault, Safari, iChat AV (which added video-conferencing features to iChat), improved Portable Document Format (PDF) rendering and much greater Microsoft Windows interoperability.[74] Support for some early G3 computers such as "beige" Power Macs and "WallStreet" PowerBooks was discontinued.

System requirements

Since a New World ROM is required for Mac OS X v10.3 (“Panther”), certain older computers (such as beige Power Mac G3s and “Wall Street” PowerBook G3s) are unable to run Panther by default. Third-party software (such as XPostFacto) can however override checks made during the install process; otherwise, installation or upgrades from Jaguar will fail on these older machines.

The system requirements are:

• PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor (at least 233 MHz)
• Built-in USB (indicative of a New World ROM being present)
• At least 128 MB of RAM (512 MB recommended, 96 MB supported unofficially)
• At least 1.5 GB of available hard disk space
• CD drive
• Internet access requires a compatible service provider; iDisk requires a .Mac account

Video conferencing requires:

• 333 MHz or faster PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor
• broadband Internet access (100 kbit/s or faster)
• Compatible FireWire DV camera or web camera

Panther still supported the Classic environment fully for running older Mac OS 9 applications.

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