Apple has updated Mac OS X 10.3, just ahead of the release of version 10.4 of the operating system.

That said, the new version, 10.3.9, is mainly tweaks and bug-fixes, though it does incorporate Apple's most recent security patches, so is certainly worth implementing even if you plan to upgrade to Tiger in due course.

In particular, the update fixes problems with the latest PowerBooks' scrolling trackpad. That has been bothering quite a few users since the new machines shipped earlier this year.

Other amendments centre on Safari, Mail, Stickies, Calculator and Finder. For a full list of fixes, visit Apple's Mac OS X 10.3.9 page.

The update is available via the Software Update pane in Mac OS X's System Preferences utility, though Apple has also made it available as a download via the Web. There's a 51.3MB download that patches Mac OS X 10.3.8, available here, or you can download the 117MB combo updater, which will patch any version of Panther from 10.3.0 upwards. You can find it here.

Mac OS X Server versions of the 10.3.8 to 10.3.9 updater and the combo upgrade can be found here and here, respectively. Both links list the key features of the Server update. ®

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