Mac OS 9.2 Turns Alpha

Apple will be wrapping up the further development of Mac OS 9 with a release that will hit the net sometime later this year. Rumored to go by the code-name "Moonlight," Mac OS 9.2 will mark the end of a computing era and the beginning of a new one.

The final non-Mac OS X release recently advanced from development version 8 to the alpha stage. Alpha 2 of the system update, which is individually code-named "Slurm!," packs dozens of bug fixes and system stability improvements.

For starters, the release packs updated versions of Apple's CD/DVD Driver, Date and Time control panel, Energy Saver, Keyboard, Keychain Access, Key Caps, Multi-User Startup, Print Monitor, Security Manager, Sound, Startup Disk, Time Synchronizer, and URL Access.

Moonlight will also sport software driver updates for I/O interfaces such as FireWire and USB. For PowerBooks, the package includes new versions of trackpad and PowerBook Display.

Corrected versions of AppleShare, Apple System Profiler, Authoring Support, Drive setup, and Apple CPU Pluggins will also come as part of the bug fix release. Meanwhile., new versions of OpenGL, Open Transport, and Carbon Lib will be present.

In terms of improved stability and performance, Moonlight currently boasts updated versions of both ATI's and nVIDIA's video/graphics drivers, while over a dozen updated third party CD-R and CD-RW drivers have also been added as support for new systems shipping with CD-RWs and for compatibility with iTunes.

Mac OS 9.2 is expected to be a free upgrade, downloadedable from Apple's web servers.