Mac OS X 10.6.2 (Snow Leopard) Available for Download

In what was an expected move on behalf of the company headquartered in Cupertino, California, the Mac OS X 10.6.2 incremental update for Snow Leopard has been released to the public. Available as a free download via the Mac OS X “built-in” Software Updater, Apple’s Downloads section, as well as Softpedia, the update is 99% percent packed with fixes, including security. Both Client and Server versions are available for download.

According to Apple,  “the 10.6.2 [Client] Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, the security of your Mac [...]”.

The company does away with the full details at first glance. However, those looking to see the full list of changes are provided with a link to Support article HT3874, which not only includes the full 10.6.2 changelog, but also instructions on how to properly apply the software update.

One of our forthcoming reports today will be looking at the entire set of changes delivered inside Mac OS X 10.6.2. For now, a list of general fixes (available below) will do. Apple claims to have included general operating system fixes for the following issues present in Mac OS X 10.6.1.

- an issue that caused data to be deleted when using a guest account
- an issue that might cause your system to logout unexpectedly
- Spotlight search results not showing Exchange contacts
- the reliability of menu extras
- an issue in Dictionary when using Hebrew as the primary language
- shutter-click sound effect when taking a screenshot
- an issue with the four-finger swipe gesture
- an issue adding images to contacts in Address Book
- an issue in Front Row that could cause sluggish or slow frame rates while watching videos
- creation of mobile accounts for Active Directory users
- reliability and duration of VPN connections
- general reliability improvements for iWork, iLife, Aperture, Final Cut Studio, MobileMe, and iDisk
- overall improvements to VoiceOver performance
- this update addresses video playback and performance issues for iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009) and iMac (27-inch, Late 2009) computers that may occur in some situations while AirPort is turned on

As for the Server version of Apple’s operating system, “the 10.6.2 update is recommended for all servers currently running Snow Leopard Server version 10.6 and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your server,” the company says. Specific fixes for a number of areas are also disclosed on the Mac maker’s web site.

In tandem with Mac OS X 10.6.2, Apple also dropped Security Update 2009-006 for Mac users. In the usual Apple manner, the 40+ security holes addressed in the update are also included in Mac OS X 10.6.2. Use the links below to update your software now. Users are strongly encouraged to report any observations they may want to make in the comments.

Download Mac OS X 10.6.2 Client (Free)

Download Mac OS X 10.6.2 Server (Free)

Download Security Update 2009-006 (Free)