In all cases, successive versions of Mac OS and Mac OS X have incorporated "under the hood" changes such as improved performance and stability, bug fixes, and in later releases, increased PowerPC nativity. In addition, the major releases included more obvious changes as described below:

Mac OS 7 Mac OS 8 Mac OS 9 Mac OS X
Mac OS 7.0.x
Mac OS 7.1.x
Mac OS 7.5.x
Mac OS 7.6.x Mac OS 8.0
Mac OS 8.1
Mac OS 8.5.x
Mac OS 8.6.x Mac OS 9.0.x
Mac OS 9.1
Mac OS 9.2.x Mac OS X 10.0.x "Cheetah"
Mac OS X 10.1.x "Puma"
Mac OS X 10.2.x "Jaguar"
Mac OS X 10.3.x "Panther"
Mac OS X 10.4.x "Tiger"

••Mac OS 7.0.x (several releases) (1991)

32-bit addressing for access to more than 8 megabytes of RAM

Support for virtual memory on those computers that can use it

Apple Events, a language used by applications to communicate with each other

The MultiFinder, renamed the Finder, improved and simplified

A Find utility incorporated into the Finder for locating files

Ability to create aliases of items

Ability to use File Sharing to share information between computers on a network

Introduction of Balloon Help

Introduction of Drag and Drop

••Mac OS 7.1.x (several releases) (1992-1994)

Introduction of WorldScript for improved multilingual support

Fonts stored in their own Fonts folder rather than within the System Folder

Introduction of Thread Manager for improved multitasking
Mac OS 7.5.x (several releases) (1994-1996)

32-bit addressing always turned on

Some user interface improvements such as a menu bar clock, WindowShade, hierarchical Apple menus, and Finder windows that become accented when a file is dragged over them

The AppleScript scripting language for automating tasks

Improved Find File capability

Apple Guide for improved help

PC Exchange, which greatly simplifies working with DOS formatted disks

Macintosh Easy Open to help open files for which the original application is not available

Introduction of Open Transport (7.5.2)

Comments in Info windows not removed when the desktop is rebuilt (7.5.3)

••Mac OS 7.6.x (two releases) (Spring 1997)

Requires a 32-bit clean 68030 processor or better

Support for MacTCP removed

Many references to "Macintosh" changed to "Mac OS" in response to the availability of Macintosh compatible clones

••Mac OS 8.0 (Fall 1997)

Requires a 68040 or PowerPC processor

Numerous user interface improvements, including a revamped appearance, pop-up menus, custom folder views, desktop pictures, spring-loaded folders, contextual menus, sticky menus, and reorganized Finder menus; many of the control panels are reorganized, simplified, or incorporated into the Finder or System Folder

Finder now multithreaded, allowing it to perform more than one task at once (e.g., emptying the trash while moving a file)

Internet setup assistant for simplifying the task of setting up an Internet connection

••Mac OS 8.1 (Spring 1998)

Includes support for the Macintosh Extended File Format (HFS+), which increases the minimum and maximum file sizes

Support for DVD-ROM drives

Support for Windows 95 long filenames

••Mac OS 8.5.x (two releases) (Fall 1998)

Requires a PowerPC processor

Introduces Sherlock, a powerful volume and Internet searching utility that replaces Find File

AppleScript rewritten to be PowerPC native, greatly improving performance

Ability to anti-alias all text on the screen

Built-in application switcher and "tear off" Application menu

HTML-based help system

Interface enhancements such as smart scrolling, resizable Finder columns, 32-bit icons, icon tags, themes, and URL "aliases"

••Mac OS 8.6 (Spring 1999)

Built-in nanokernel that improves performance and reduces CPU power usage

Newer computers (e.g., iMac, "blue and white" Power Macintosh G3/G4, "bronze" PowerBook G3, iBook) have the capability to boot off the network if an appropriate server is present.

Game Sprockets included with the operating system (formerly a separate install)

Improvements to Sherlock, LaserWriter 8, DVD-RAM, FireWire, Speech Recognition, and other components

••Mac OS 9.0.x (two releases) (Fall 1999)

Support for multiple users, storing individual preferences for each and with several levels of access

Improved security with the Keychain (stores passwords), voiceprint authentication, and encrypted file transfers

File sharing via TCP/IP with another Mac OS computer without the need for AppleShare IP

Sherlock, dubbed Sherlock 2, updated for performance and capability

Ability to automatically download software updates from the Internet and install them

Support for Carbon and Carbonized applications

••Mac OS 9.1 (Spring 2001)

Several changes for improved compatibility with Mac OS X, including a slightly reorganized folder structure, OS X-aware Startup Disk control panel

USB printer sharing over TCP/IP

Apple File Security increased to 128-bit encryption

Finder shortcuts to empty the trash, add to favorites, and show folder view options

••Mac OS 9.2.x (three releases) (Fall 2001)

Improved performance in the Classic environment of Mac OS X
Mac OS X 10.0.x "Cheetah" (four releases and numerous updates) (Spring 2001)

Completely new operating system based on technologies acquired from NeXT, Inc.; features include protected memory, preemptive multitasking, multithreading, and symmetric multiprocessing

Aqua, a new graphical user interface

Darwin, the operating system's Unix foundation; built on the Mach microkernel

Quartz, the PDF-based engine for rendering two-dimensional entities such as icons and windows

Carbon, Cocoa, and Java, the three types of native graphical applications for Mac OS X

••Mac OS X 10.1.x "Puma" (five releases and numerous updates) (Fall 2001)

Improved performance, stability, and functionality

Reintroduced missing OS 9 features: DVD playback, CD burning, AppleShare over AppleTalk, keyboard shortcuts for display brightness and sound volume

The ability to connect to WebDAV and Windows file servers

••Mac OS X 10.2.x "Jaguar" (eight releases and numerous updates) (Summer 2002)

Improved performance, stability, and functionality

Quartz Extreme, which uses your video card to improve performance of window moves, resizes, and the like; Quartz Extreme is not supported on older computers.

Reintroduced missing OS 9 features: universal access, spring-loaded folders, USB printer sharing, AirPort and Airport Extreme software base station

Built-in support for connecting to VPN servers via PPTP

Rendezvous, for accessing resources via TCP/IP without configuration

Inkwell, handwriting recognition using a graphics tablet

Sherlock enhanced and refocused as an online tool

Find utility integrated into the Finder


••Mac OS X 10.3.x "Panther" (five releases and numerous updates) (Fall 2003)

Improved performance, stability, and functionality

Reintroduced missing OS 9 feature: labels

Exposé, to easily navigate through a cluttered desktop by displaying open windows as selectable thumbnails

Fast user switching, which allows for multiple accounts to be logged in at the same time

FileVault, which encrypts the entire contents of home folders

Built-in support for connecting to VPN servers via IPsec

Font Book, for improved font management

Improved support and integration for sending and receiving faxes


••Mac OS X 10.4.x "Tiger" (Spring 2005)

Unix-based architecture, for increased stability and security

Spotlight, to instantly locate anything (e.g., images, email messages, applications) on your computer

Dashboard, a readily accessible collection of mini-programs called "Widgets" that provide information about weather, stocks, and more

Safari RSS, a new version of the popular web browser that includes a built-in RSS reader

iChat AV, with the added ability to hold multi-party audio and video conferences

Automator, to automate repetitive computing tasks without programming knowledge

Mail, with integrated Spotlight searching and Smart Folders to help you manage your email


••Mac OS X 10.5.x "Leopard" (Autumn 2007)

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