Apple released Mac OS X 10.5.2 (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=307109) on Monday, an update that addresses several common complaints regarding some new Leopard features, while also adding new features and fixing numerous bugs.
Among the major changes is an update to Stacks (http://edit-staging.macworld.com:8080/article/60965/2007/11/stacks.html), the feature of OS X's Dock that allows quick access to items within folders. In 10.5.2, users can view any folder in the Dock as either a Folder or a Stack, and view content as either a Fan, Grid, or List. Pre-Leopard versions of Mac OS X provided only a List view; previous versions of Leopard provided either a Fan or Grid view based on the number of items in a Stack.

http://www.macworld.com/article/132058/2008/02/osx.html

http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx1052comboupdate.html

I just downloaded it via Auto Software Update and the file size was 341MB.

This will hopefully end the problems I have just about every Monday! First clue that something is wrong is that I can't activate the screen saver by moving the mouse into the corner. Then, it won't allow a restart...gives all kinds of "app won't close" messages, then finally a blank screen forever.

My biggest issue with Leopard is Spaces. While a great concept, I am constantly losing windows. I'll open a window, see the menu bar for that app active, see under the WINDOW menu that 'mydoc' window is active....but for the life of me - no idea where the hell the window is.

As much as I'm a fan of the Mac OS and so much of it ease of use, one thing that continues to confuse me is how the menu bar is always docked at the top of the display. The Windows (and trust me - I'm no fan of Windows) method of having the FILE - EDIT - VIEW - TOOLS - WINDOW - HELP at the top of each apps window is so much more intuitive and handy, particularly when working with dual displays and multiple apps on each display.

I know that THAT isn't going to get changed anytime soon (as in, NEVER), but I am hoping that the Spaces issue is addressed in this Leopard update.

Now that I have that off my chest - Apple Mail is freakin' BRILLIANT! Usable, searchable, quick, helpful - everything that Outlook was not! :D

Just finished downloading and installing it, took about 20 minutes; they seem to have addressed the conflict with Photoshop CS3 which didn't allow hard values to be input into various sizing and cropping tools, a real pain in the b*** for those of us who use Photoshop a lot.

Hopefully Safari also runs better.

Glad 10.5.2 is finally out

Stacks are starting to get more useful haha (I was mainly only using the downloads stack before)

I still wish I could have like a CS3 Master Collection stack instead of like 10 icons on my dock. I want it to be on the applications side of the dock, stacks can only be created on the other side with the trash

It does seem stable though, took my macbook about 20 minutes also to upgrade

Like the new time machine icon in the top

Like the new time machine icon in the top

Just noticed that!

I wish they would make Time Machine a little more user-configurable though. Hourly backups seem like overkill to me; I'd be happy with daily.

OS-X 10.5.2 update was smooth and easy here, probably about 20 minutes although I took the time to do other chores. It seems to me the file size was 180 MB, but let's not get into the "my download's bigger than your's" discussion again.

Most of the update addresses minor problems that I'd wager most users never encountered, suggesting Leopard was released from it's cage a little prematurely. Apple was under a lot of pressure to get it out by October 31 after a long delay which was beginning to look a bit too much like it was being made in Redmond. The new options for lists in Stacks and an opaque menu bar are in response to a lot of reviewer and user comments and suggest the focus groups don't always get it right. I'll definitely use lists in Stacks (at the risk of being deemed a fogey from the '80s) but am undecided about the menu bar - transparent was fine for me and I've used some graphically intense wallpapers. At least both are options.

I never encountered any lock-ups or freezes running Leopard on my MacBook but I did get the glitch in which the power saver would cause the screen to go blank before the screen saver kicked-in. This is one of the bugs that is supposed to be fixed.

With four Spaces in use, I've not encountered any difficulty getting lost. I suppose it could be a problem if you opened excessive Spaces but the answer would be to just as many as you can remember. One thing I have done is assign certain applications to open only in a specific space, so if I'm looking for Mail, it is always in Space 1, iWork and iBank, etc, in Space 2, etc. Unlike Nuje, I think the Mac way of showing the menu only for the active application is the logical way to go. I've never used a multi-display set-up, so maybe there is an issue I haven't encountered. I don't see an issue unless more than one mouse/keyboard are connected. Is that possible?

The biggest pleasure with the update is the ease with which it installed. It took me a couple of minutes to get a connection to the download server (not surprising as all the Mac fanatics rushed to get it within minutes of the announcement coming out) but after that the download and installation and reboot was fast and flawless. I've had other experiences with other operating systems. LOL

I also installed the graphics update that is available only after 10.5.2 is installed and have no idea what it is fixing that I never knew was broken.

What bugs me about Spaces is that I'll launch a Safari page, put it on screen 2 and then go back to screen 1. When I then click on the Safari icon in the dock, it jumps to screen 2. I want these screens to be more separate in their behaviour.

Also agree completely with brgnewman regarding Stacks. When I first read about the feature, I just assumed it would work that way and I could have all CS3, Office, etc apps stacked.

The update was 341Mb on my G5, but only 181Mb on my Intel.

Mild panic attack on the G5 went it wouldn't reboot after the update. Seems the old PRAM corruption thingy again. I had to unplug it for 15 minutes before it would come back. Two thirty second unplugs wouldn't work. :(

One thing I noticed is that while verifying permissions on the volume, I get messages that ACL (access control lists) are now unexpectedly found on certain directories.

I wonder if this means that OS X server capability is coming soon to Leopard? It would be nice to have more precise control over files and directories!

One thing I noticed is that while verifying permissions on the volume, I get messages that ACL (access control lists) are now unexpectedly found on certain directories.

I am getting the same warnings. It does not look like those folders have ACLs though.

I wonder if this means that OS X server capability is coming soon to Leopard? It would be nice to have more precise control over files and directories!

10.5 has built-in support for ACLs. You can do a "Get Info" for a file or folder and add additional users and groups to the standard list of "Owner", "Group", "Everyone" to give you more control over permissions.

ACLs on Mac OS X (Client) is a long way from being Mac OS X Server. ;)

While most of the underlying technology of Mac OS X Server is installed (or can be installed) on the client version, none of the administration and configuration tools are there. And that makes all the difference in the world.

Are you sure you didn't get that backwards, 99semaj? I have a G5 and it's update was in the 180MB range. I haven't noticed any changes to stacks...guess I'll have to read up about it at apple.com

I specifically remember it, because the Intel updates have always been much larger than the PPC ones in the past. I was surprised by this one.

The only "strange" thing that I can think of is that I do have the optional X11 installation on the G5 to support OpenOffice. Maybe that triggered a bigger update?