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Apple’s new operating system (OS) for the Macintosh, OS 8.5.1, has been released and offers much faster networking capability, powerful new search features and other features. However, to run at optimal speed and to avoid system crashes, the new OS needs to have a "clean install," which means removing and reinstalling most other applications.

"If you work on the Internet a lot, or transfer a lot of large files between servers, then the OS 8.5 will be a real benefit," says Graham McDermid of the Lab's Mac and PC Support Group. "However, like many new versions of software, it will put an additional burden on your computer."

The new OS is compatible only with Power Macintosh models, and even then should probably only be installed on newer versions. McDermid said it's an ideal match with any of the new G3 machines.

The new OS allows users to copy files over networks faster than Windows NT and also lets you automate various tasks using AppleScript — and run them five times faster than before.

One of the best features is Sherlock, a powerful new searching tool. In addition to the regular search functions, Sherlock also lets users search all the files in their system by content, not just title. Sherlock calls up all the files containing the key words and ranks them by amount of key word usage. Sherlock also provides direct Internet search capability employing multiple search engines without having to switch to a browser.

The appearance of many files and folders is enhanced and settings made by using the control panels and menu bars have been combined.

However, there is a cost to these benefits. The installation needs to be clean, McDermid said, and the easiest way to do this is to re-install the software you already have. "Putting OS 8.5 on a computer is a new installation, not just an update," he said. Because Apple sometimes changes various extensions, leaving old extensions and preferences on your computer to run under the new OS could make the whole system unstable. Having a technician from the Mac and PC Support Group come out to do the clean installation would take about two hours, charged at an hourly rate. To learn more, or to arrange an installation, call the computer support Help Desk at 4357 (H-E-L-P).

For more information about OS 8.5X, visit the web site: http://www.apple.com/macos/