Botmatch Asbestos Average FPS
• Before Update: 57.08
• After Update: 70.56

Considering that gain is from the botmatch tests, I'm impressed with the boost provided by this update. (Now if only the BTO 9800's fan wasn't so loud and I could get that noisy PS fan replaced...)

What's new in this version:

• It's much, much faster. Several optimizations have been made, lots of Altivec code has been added, and the entire sound subsystem has been rewritten. Performance improvements of 25% or more over the original retail version are typical, with single CPU systems achieving a more noticible gain.
• Video is no longer corrupted when using certain ATI hardware with Panther.
• CD check has been removed. You still need a valid and unique CD key, but we don't require you to have the game disc in the drive any longer.
• Fixed bug that caused certain mods (notably, ChaosUT2: Evolution) to crash the game.
• Several other mod-friendly fixes and additions.
• OpenGL fix: Selig's head now renders.
• OpenGL fix: team icons now render.
• ALAudio: Support for AL_EXT_vorbis
• ALAudio: Support for AL_ENUMERATION_EXT
• ALAudio: Can now specify a preferred audio device in your .ini file.
• Game now handles "ut2003://" and "unreal://" URLs from MacOS.
• F3 will now show personal stats (once you wipe your preference directory).
• Now built with gcc 3.3 (the official Xcode version).
• Others fixes, optimizations, and improvements.

Our game editor Bensch Blaser said he say faster single and dual cpu perfformance but that there's now a color bug under 10.2.8 - "under 10.2.8 the color bug that was present on the old build under Panther, is now present under 10.2.8. So basically while it fixed the color invertation under 10.3, it now inverted the colors in 10.2.8."
See the later news item for initial performance tests showing a good boost from this update.

" 10.3 changes from SendMail to PostFix. When I upgraded the CreateSystemUser script was not run. (mentioned yesterday) In addition to messing up printing, the mail system was messed up due to the nonexistence of user postfix and group postdrop.

I had manually created the user postfix and group postdrop after studying the postfix config file and looking at owner/group values for the files that postfix was supposed to own.
I have since undone my creation of postfix and postdrop and recreated the system users via the CreateSystemUser script and all seems well.

If you want to enable smtp style mailing you will also need to uncomment the line that enables the smtp service in the master.cf file ( in /etc/postfix).

In order to get Entourage to be able to send mail via my smtp server I had to specify 127.0.0.1 ( localhost ) as my smtp server in the Entourage account configuration file.
--Jerry "

I've used Entourage (part of office X) in 10.3 for my .Mac and other email accounts without any mods to the account info.

" Just a note, there is a Panther FAQ article about 3rd party video cards that says you need to install the latest driver (but there isn't (an 8500 card) one for versions of OS X newer than 10.2.4). (ATI's 9800 1.1 installer also includes 8500 extensions if I remember correctly from all the repair permissions corrections under 10.2.8 but it was not tested with 10.3-Mike)
The Panther FAQ worries me:
(from http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25582 )
"...If your video card's ROM (or firmware) is older than March 2003, Mac OS X 10.3 will not load the ROM driver during start up. Instead, it will try to load a newer software driver file if one is present... "

(Update see the tip (NVRAM tweak) in Thursday's news page for a fix for this problem that restored resolutions for a 3dfx card owner (no 3D/OpenGL drivers for 3dfx cards in OS X though) and reportedly may help older ATI card owners also.)
This probably explains why there's so many problem reports with older ATI and 3dfx cards. I've received reports from older ATI and 3dfx card owners about Console/Verbose/single user screens that note the "too old" error message with these cards, and they are (at best) limited to 640x480 mode with 256colors.
I've left a message with an ATI contact to see if a 10.3 update is in the works that will have basic support for older card models. (There's also an update needed for the ATI control panel for the 9800 Pro retail card I believe.)

As mentioned before here - there's also a problem with Geforce4MX (and at least one Geforce2MX owner report) with 10.3 at least in older G4 towers (pre-quicksilver at least). Since there is no retail nvidia card drivers (only Apple shipped Mac Nvidia cards and they include drivers in their OS X releases - Nvidia does not provide support for these at their site) - hopefully a future update from Apple will solve these problems. (There were also problems with at least the 32MB Geforce4MX card model in older G4 towers in OS 9.x - fixed by the Nvidia 3.5 drivers, but they are not publicly available as a download from Apple's site that I have seen.) The last firmware update for the Geforce line was about a year ago (Nov. 2002) - the firmware update to add support for the Cinema HD display, which is still linked in the FAQ's video cards section, or direct at this apple kbase doc. (I suspect that many of the later 32MB Geforce4MX cards already have that firmware or later however - but it can't hurt to check.)

BTW - Apple notes that 10.3 supports builtin-USB systems, but a reader that owns some of the "student" packaged B&W G3s that shipped with an ATI RagePro chip based "Xclaim VR" card has seen this same problem (card too old message). Standard B&W G3s shipped with the OEM Rage128 card, but I had forgotten about those student models (a friend bought one a few years ago). Technically this means they may have to supply some sort of driver for the Ragepro series cards I guess. (ATI of course really develops all the drivers for their chipsets.)
Tim Seufert replied to this posting saying there should be a RagePro driver in 10.3 (since the Lombard PB G3 and iMac 233-333 models are supported and the use the RageProLT/RagePro chip. (iMac rev A's use the RageII chip). As a FYI - there's a page here since 10.1.5 on RagePro Driver Loading Tips that helped in the past (last updated for 10.2.8).

Update: The reader that reported the slave drive problem just wrote (unlike his posting) - the model is reported as the infamous "DVR-106RD" model - which according to past reports/links here is an Acer OEM model and will not be supported natively like the standard DVR-106D (aka DVR-A06) models are. And since there's no patchburn support for 10.3 yet and no proven mods for panther to add full burn support for unsupported drives, I suggested he return the drive. This is the 4th reader at least in the last month to get burned by this - buying from a discount PC parts dealer. And since most of them do not provide any mac guarantees or support - if you return it you're looking at a restocking fee plus shipping (assuming they even allow returns after the drive has been installed).
(UPDATE - one owner of the "RD" model drive said he used a PC to flash it with the standard pioneer DVR-106/A06 firmware and the drive is now reported as a "DVR-106D" (standard) model, which is natively supported in 10.2.8 and 10.3. See the Nov. 3rd news page for details on how to do this.)

While on the subject of 10.3 and optical drive burn support - as mentioned before here Panther does not use the individual 'brand' device-plugin files that 10.2.x and 10.1.x did - so if your drive isn't natively supported (i.e. many 3rd party drives required modified plugins in the past) - it won't be supported for burning with iApps in 10.3. The past article here on Panther burn support mods posted in late June doesn't work with later builds as noted earlier this month and there's no 10.3 compatible Patchburn utility (yet at least).
FYI: There was a tip posted at macbidouille last week (and a similar post at macoshints now based on emails today) on adding panther burn support for unsupported drives, but it wasn't fully functional (i.e. no iTunes burn support, and one reader reported errors w/Finder burning) according to reader reports this weekend. Although it's possible there was some user error (or specific drive issue) when they tried that modification, what we're looking for is full support including the ability to select the drive for iTunes burning for instance. (Note: the author of that tip wrote to say it does work for disc copy and Finder burning but not iTunes. He did not mention any errors burning in the finder that a reader did that tried it.)
Replacing the entire frameworks from an earlier panther build which one reader noted earlier this month (added to the linked article here back then) isn't a practical option for most 10.3 users.
If anyone knows of a working mod method that you've tested and works with iTunes (and iDVD if a DVD burner) for the 10.3 public release, let me know the details. Thanks.

" I FIXED IT! And Quartz Extreme appears to still be enabled (at least according to the 5-second Desktop Picture change test mentioned in the Panther help files).
I went into the /System/Library/Extension/AppleNDRV/ directory and backed up the 2 bundles that start with "ATI" - I then deleted the 2 bundles and restarted my computer.

(he later wrote).
The culprit was the directory named "ATIRuntimeDriver.bundle" - after removing this file, the Radeon 8500's 1600x1200 DVI signal is clean again.
Regards,
Kent Kanja (MiM)
(here are his previous notes on the problem)
Anyway, using Jaguar, I had no problems with 1600x1200 DVI - but using Panther, 1600x1200 DVI doesn't work at any color depths. I do use a non-standard setup, and any of a number of things could be my problem, so I'm wondering if any other Radeon 8500 retail users are having problems with 1600x1200 DVI.
Here is the symptom:
The gray and white Apple logo screen appears (at 1600x1200 DVI, nice and clean) Once the welcome screen appears, I get a "bad signal" from the Radeon 8500 card (my monitor is filled with static, and the monitor's on-screen menu says the resolution is some weird value slightly off of 1600x1200).
The exact same resolution works just fine using 10.2.6 (and 10.2.8). Also, it is ONLY 1600x1200 DVI that seems to have problems, all lower DVI resolutions work and all the VGA resolutions I have tried work fine too (even 1600x1200 VGA). "

" Just though you'd like to know that Ken Bereskin, Apple's Mac OS X product manager, has a new weblog with comments on Panther.
http://bereskin.typepad.com/panther_weblog/
Patrick "

" The folks over at iPodHacks.com have taken it upon themselves to carve an iPod into a jack-o-lantern and take some shots of it all lit up at night. Crazy. Pretty cool halloween images tho. Offering several resolutions of wallpaper. FYI.
Paul "

• Other brand (fastmac) G4/550 in PowerBook G3 2000 (rated 10)
• Powerlogix G3/800 in B&W G3 (rated 6)
  (noted freezes at boot w/9.2.2 - not seen in my review of this upgrade earlier this year.)
• Powerlogix G3/900 in Beige G3 (rated 5)
  (problems noted - would not boot)
• Sonnet G4/800 in 8500/180 (rated 10)
• XLR8 CarrierZIF w/G4 350MHz ZIF in 7300/200 (rated 10)
  (My reviews of G4 and G3 upgrades w/apps/game tests, install info, etc. are linked here. OC/CPU module articles are on the Systems page.)

(Warning - Overclocking may not be reliable and could lead to hardware failure or corrupted data.) You can find the full reports by searching the database selecting the indicated Mac model and upgrade card brand/type. If you've upgraded the CPU on your Mac, please post an entry in the database. Search the database for entries from most every upgradable Mac model *before* you buy. (Searchable by mac model/upgrade brand). For detailed reviews with performance tests and install tips, see the CPU Upgrades page.)

CDRW Drives:
• IDE Liteon LTR-52327S (52x32x52x) in G4 no AGP (OS X 10.3)
  (noted not bootable from CD)
  (Illustrated CD drive install guide here covers G4 towers up to the Digital Audio Model, Beige G3 MT, B&W G3 and 8600/9600 Macs)
  
  Combo DVD-CDR Drives:
• Expansion Bay Matshita UJDA710 (didn't note speed) in PowerBook G3 2000 (OS X 10.3) (No burn support in 10.3, which can't use modified plugins from 10.2.x, and no patchburn for 10.3 to date)
• IDE Samsung SM-352B (52x24x52x + 16x DVD-ROM) in B&W G3 (OS X)
  (using modified burn support plugin from FAQ)
• IDE Samsung SM-352B (52x24x52x + 16x DVD-ROM) in Dual G4 DDR (OS X 10.3) (no burn support in 10.3)
  
  DVD+R/RW + DVD-R/RW Drives:
• IDE Pioneer DVR-106D in G4/AGP (OS X 10.3)
  (noted fully supported in 10.3)
• IDE Pioneer DVR-106RD in Dual G4 DDR (OS X 10.3)
  (The -106RD model is an Acer oem model and not supported)
• IDE Pioneer DVR-106D in G4/AGP (OS X server)
  (native burn support in 10.2.8, but 10.2.6 and earlier reqd modified burn support plugins or patchburn from the FAQ)
  
  DVD-R Drives:
• IDE Pioneer DVR-104 in 7300 using IDE PCI card (OS X)
  (using promise chip based temp ATA/100 (non-raid) card which has better ATAPI drive support than the acard models typically)
  
  Hard Drives:
• IDE (OEM) Western Digital WD80EB 8GB in B&W G3 (OS X)
  (moved to ZIP bay, not recommended by apple although others have done this. CD bus is only ATA/3 speed however)
  (Illustrated guide to adding a 2nd HD here in B&W G3 rev2 and G4 towers up to the QuickSilver models.
  IDE articles page RAID section has an illustrated guide for adding 2 more drives in the side bays.)
  
  PenDrives:
• USB Storix Axis STXAXIS-7515 64MB used w/B&W G3 (OS X 10.3)
  (noted panther update solved problems seen in the past)

You can find full owner reports (latest shown first) by searching the database by drive/brand/interface/mac models (the latest reports are shown first in searches). For guides to installing CD/CDRW/DVD drives or Hard drives in many mac models, see the IDE Articles page. The Firewire articles page also has guides on case kits, installing drives, etc.
If you've added a IDE, SCSI, Firewire or USB hard drive, CDRW, tape drive, etc. make sure you add a report to the database. (If you post an updated entry - make sure you use the same name, etc. as you did before so I can find your past entry. Thanks.)
(Incomplete entries are deleted. Do not post questions in the database, it's for drive reports not questions on what drive to buy - for that try searching the database for reports from owners of your mac model on the drive type/brand/interface, etc. you're interested in.)

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