Mac OS X 10.6.3 Still Has Issues, Testing Continues

It has been almost two weeks since Apple last seeded a Mac OS X 10.6.3 test build to developers. The latest release, Snow Leopard Build 10D571, further adds enhancements and bug fixes, but also contains one known issue, unlike previous 10.6.3 builds, which all appeared to signal an imminent release.

As usual, World of Apple is the source of the leak, with the site noting that, “A little under two weeks after Apple previously seeded a build of Mac OS X 10.6.3 the company has released a new seed labeled 10D571.” Apple developers apparently told the site that Build 10D571 “continues to deliver enhancements and bug fixes [and] unlike previous builds 10D571 comes with one known issue.” The software has been in developer testing since early January, and appears to be far from taking the form of a final release still.

Also in usual manner, the source has been able to produce the actual seed notes accompanying the build, notes that include the aforementioned known issue. The problem lies at the core of Apple’s built-in Software Update application, which doesn’t remember that a certain update has already been applied. The seed notes for Mac OS X 10.6.3 Build 10D571 have been reproduced below (courtesy of World of Apple).

Included in this update
- Compatibility issues with OpenGL-based applications;
- Performance improvements for 64-bit Logic;
- Changes to QuickTime X that increase reliability and improve compatibility and security;
- Printing reliability and compatibility with third party printers;
- Issues resolved that prevented files from copying to Windows shares;
- Issues resolved with recurring events in iCal when connected to an Exchange server;
- Issues resolved that prevented files with the “#” or “&” symbols in their names from opening in Rosetta;
- Issues addressed that caused background message colors to display incorrectly in Mail when scrolling;
- Issue resolved that caused machines using BTMM and the Bonjour Sleep Proxy to wake unexpectedly.

Known Issues
- Safari 4.0.5 will be reoffered by Software Update after upgrading to 10D571 from a previous seed.

Focus Areas
- iChat;
- Fonts;
- GraphicsDrivers;
- QuickTime.

Softpedia note
It doesn’t come as a surprise that the single known issue plaguing Mac OS X 10.6.3 is directly tied to Safari 4.0.5. The latter is a recent update issued by Apple to fans of its web browser on both Mac and Windows PC platforms. Developers likely didn’t have enough time to test the new version against OS X 10.6.3.