Apple Ships Updated 'Jaguar' Beta to Developers

Apple on Tuesday released to members of its Apple Developer Connection program Mac OS X v10.2 build 6C106, a near-complete beta of the company's forthcoming operating system update code-named Jaguar. 6C106 is the first build available outside Apple since last week's Macworld, and includes further improvements and updates over previous releases shipped to testers and developers.

iTunes 3 makes its first appearance in the new beta, showcasing smart playlists and support for audio books. iCal and iSync are not likely to be bundled with Mac OS X v10.2 however, instead slated to debut in September.

The last beta build seen by many developers was 6C35, released at the Worldwide Developers Conference in early May. Developers will notice vastly increased stability in build 6C106, along with improved performance and a refined Aqua interface.

Apple's development tools have also been updated, including a final version of the Project Builder 2.0 IDE, which first appeared in April. The new IDE adds enhanced debugging tools along with a customizable user interface. In addition, GCC 3.1 is now included as the default compiler.

With an August 24 release date quickly approaching, this seed indicates that Apple is nearing the end of Jaguar's development and testing cycle. While not considered an official "final candidate" release, build 6C106 is the first chance for many developers to test their applications for compatibility with the final release of Mac OS X v10.2.