With Mac OS 10.5 "Leopard's" formal announcement, many readers have been reading through Leopard's list of over 300 new features and their associated technical requirements. With the list being quite extensive, we will attempt to analyze some of the less talked about points here.
Under The Hood Leopard has seen many enhancements that many users may not be immediately aware of. AutoFS claims to multi-thread the practice of mounting and dismounting network filesystems, which should virtually eliminate the spinning beach ball network users may have become familiar with. Leopard will also include various security enhancements aimed at tracking applications (including potential malware), including application signing similar to what Microsoft has done in Windows.
System Requirements Leopard is the first release of the Mac OS to exclude all G3 class machines, and it also will exclude many G4 class machines as well. In order to run Leopard, a user must have a G4 (867Mhz+), any G5, or any Intel processor. Also, while most features of Leopard appear to be universal, some will require more advanced system requirements or an Intel system. Below is a comparison chart comparing Tiger's system requirements vs. Leopard's.
Requirement
Mac OS 10.4 "Tiger"
Mac OS 10.5 "Leopard"
Processor
G3, G4, G5, Intel
G4 (867+), G5, Intel
RAM
256 MB
512 MB
Disk Space
3 GB
9 GB
Miscellaneous
Built-in Firewire required
Photobooth backdrop effects require Intel Core Duo or faster, Boot Camp requires Intel Mac, Front Row requires built-in IR, DVD Player requires 1.6 GHz processor for improved de-interlacing
If you plan on buying Leopard at a retail store on the night of the 26th, be sure to check our new Leopard Meetup forum to meet other MacRumors members.
Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind.
Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe.
Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more.
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date.
Keep reading...
Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others.
During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features.
Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition.
The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
