Mac OS 9.1: Better, but not perfect ITworld.com 3/1/01 Larry Loeb, ITworld.com Mac OS 9.1 appeared at my doorstep this week, so I installed it. The good news is that there were no problems that occurred on the journey up from 8.6. This product is a refinement of the classic Mac OS with a few new features. Do not misconstrue me here. Refinement is a Good Thing. Minor annoyances repeated many times become unbearable. If the gears that actually run the machine are well-oiled and don't squeak, so much the better. And that's what 9.1 feels like. It's snappier in the user interface, more responsive. Nattering scare-the-newbie system alerts have been replaced by creating a small note-like window that informs about status without getting hysterical. A refinement. Since this is the last OS release before OS X comes along in March, one could assume this is what the "Classic" part of OS X will look like.

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It's not perfect. But, it's pretty good. And it seems to work well.

I was disappointed not to see one central Security control panel or the like so that the encrypting/keyring management functions could be centralized (and values pre-set in an enterprise installation). Apple File Security

Apple File Security screen

(the supplied file encrypting program) could be a function, not just a standalone application. The Apple File Verifier (the app that checks downloaded files that are digitally signed) has to be used routinely and invoked separately from the workflow to be useful. The 9.1 arrangement assumes the user will know the correct situation to invoke a security function. Sorry, but I don't trust the average user in an enterprise situation to know this sort of thing. 9.1 does.

Admittedly, the keychain administrative functions do pop up when needed, so some thought seems to have been done in this direction. I think what I really want to see is the Apple System Profiler overview and set system security parameters the way it can overview extensions. (BTW, I was very happy to see the System Profiler work correctly with USB devices this time out.)

ITools (Apple's web hosting of some services) is a neat concept,

Keychain administration function

and is seemingly well done. I really like the idea of being to transparently share up to 20MB of files ("iDisk") with other Mac users on the Internet (even if they are just down the hall.) I put the Interarchy 4.0 data stream sniffer on to an iDisk session of mine, and iDisk seemed to have minimal overhead for each transaction made. So — and this is why I was looking at the stream — allowing its routine use should not swamp your net gateways. iDisk availability may make this sort of informal, just-in-time networking valuable to an enterprise since there is no capital overhead cost associated with it. Of course, security policies about what can be placed on public servers should be enforced. But I personally have no use for the "Home Page" creators, KidSafe web reviews or the extra email account that are also included in iTools. Others will.

In short, OS 9.1 is a worthwhile upgrade for your Mac users. It can be self-installed by the user, and provides some good features for the effort. However, a review of applicable security policies should be made to ensure that the users configure their systems correctly.

Larry Loeb was a consulting editor for Mc-Graw Hill's Byte magazine and a senior editor for the launch of WebWeek. He served as editor of the Macintosh Exchange on BIX and the VARBusiness Exchange. He is the author of Secure Electronic Transactions: Introduction and Technical Reference.