NVIDIA delivers comprehensive OpenCL support under Snow Leopard

September 4, 2009 · Filed Under Software News, Utilities and Operating Systems · Comment 

All NVIDIA CUDA-Enabled GPUs Shipped by Apple Supported under New Operating System

Apple’s new Snow Leopard operating system (OS) is the first OS to integrate OpenCL, a cross-platform open standard that makes it possible for developers to tap into the vast gigaflops of computing power currently in the graphics processing unit (GPU) and use them for any application.

OpenCL on the NVIDIA CUDA(TM) architecture enables applications to use the CPU and the GPU together as co-processors. NVIDIA’s integration of the CUDA architecture across its brands and segments enables it to offer Apple users a broad selection of 10 GPU models officially supported by Snow Leopard. These are: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, GeForce 9600M GT, GeForce 8600M GT, GeForce GT 120, GeForce GT 130, GeForce GTX 285, GeForce 8800 GT, GeForce 8800 GS, NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800, and Quadro FX 5600.

“NVIDIA chairs the OpenCL working group and is the only company to have OpenCL drivers for the GPU in the hands of thousands of Snow Leopard, Windows and Linux developers today,” said Sanford Russell, general manager of CUDA at NVIDIA. “We’re excited to see Snow Leopard ship, signaling the arrival GPU Computing for all Apple users.”

NVIDIA has a range of documentation and tools available for OpenCL including a detailed programming guide, a Best Practices guide with tips and tricks for tuning performance, SDK code samples and a soon-to-be-released Visual Profiler for performance optimization. In addition to working closely with Apple to integrate support for OpenCL into Snow Leopard, NVIDIA has also released OpenCL conformant drivers for Windows and Linux.

For more information, visit www.nvidia.com/opencl and for more information on Apple’s Snow Leopard OS, go to www.apple.com/macosx

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Snow Leopard right at home with Deep Freeze Mac 4.5

August 29, 2009 · Filed Under Software News, Utilities and Operating Systems · Comment 

Faronics is excited to announce the immediate availability of Deep Freeze Mac 4.5. This coincides with the release of Apple’s latest operating system, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. The concurrent launch of Deep Freeze Mac 4.5 demonstrates Faronics’ commitment to delivering bulletproof workstation protection while reducing computer support costs.

Deep Freeze Mac offers the most robust Mac protection available and eliminates the need for IT professionals to perform rebuilds, re-image, or troubleshoot computers. IT administrators are able to map user accounts individually or by user type to an unprotected partition or a Thawspace to retain user documents, pictures, movies, bookmarks and other data between protected sessions.

IT administrators of large Mac deployments are already familiar with Deep Freeze Mac’s ability to protect a workstation’s operating system and software without restricting user access. Mac users who are protected by Deep Freeze’s patented technology are able to enjoy a clean and consistent Mac session–each and every time. IT administrators love that Mac environments are easier to manage and expensive computer assets are kept running at 100% capacity.

“The Macintosh market is a key part of our business strategy because a significant percentage of our customers in media, retail, healthcare, hospitality and education have mixed Mac/Windows or Mac-only environments,” said Brent Smithurst, Vice President of Technical Operations for Faronics. “We supported Leopard immediately when it shipped and I’m proud we are able to do the same with Snow Leopard support.”

A free, fully functional 30-day evaluation version of Deep Freeze Mac can be downloaded at www.faronics.com. Deep Freeze Mac offers a wide range of enterprise capabilities via its seamless integration with Apple Remote Desktop.

Source: Faronics

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Apple unveils Mac OS X Snow Leopard

June 10, 2009 · Filed Under Software News, Utilities and Operating Systems · Comment 

Apple(R)  unveiled Mac OS(R) X Snow Leopard(TM), an even more powerful and refined version of the world’s most advanced operating system and the foundation for future Mac(R) innovation.

Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies, out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange and new accessibility features. Snow Leopard will ship as an upgrade for Mac OS X Leopard users in September 2009 for $29.

“We’ve built on the success of Leopard and created an even better experience for our users from installation to shutdown,” said Bertrand Serlet, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Apple engineers have made hundreds of improvements so with Snow Leopard your system is going to feel faster, more responsive and even more reliable than before.”

To create Snow Leopard, Apple engineers focused on perfecting the world’s most advanced operating system, refining 90 percent of the more than 1,000 projects in Mac OS X. Users will notice a more responsive Finder(TM); Mail that loads messages 85 percent faster and conducts searches up to 90 percent faster;* Time Machine(R) with up to 50 percent faster initial backup;* a Dock with Expose integration; a 64-bit version of Safari(R) 4 that boosts the performance of the Nitro JavaScript engine by up to 50 percent** and is resistant to crashes caused by plug-ins. Snow Leopard also includes an all new QuickTime(R) X, with a redesigned player that allows users to easily view, record, trim and share video to YouTube, MobileMe(TM) or iTunes(R). Snow Leopard is half the size of the previous version and frees up to 6GB of drive space once installed.

For the first time, system applications including Finder, Mail, iCal(R), iChat(R) and Safari are 64-bit and Snow Leopard’s support for 64-bit processors makes use of large amounts of RAM, increases performance, and improves security while remaining compatible with 32-bit applications. Grand Central Dispatch (GCD) provides a revolutionary new way for software to take advantage of multicore processors. GCD is integrated throughout Snow Leopard, from new system-wide APIs to high-level frameworks and programming language extensions, improving responsiveness across the system. OpenCL, a C-based open standard, allows developers to tap the incredible power of the graphics processing unit for tasks that go beyond graphics.

Snow Leopard builds support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 right into Mac OS X Mail, Address Book and iCal so you can use these applications to send and receive email, create and respond to meeting invitations, and search and manage your contacts with global address lists. Exchange information works seamlessly within Snow Leopard so users can take advantage of OS X only features such as fast Spotlight(TM) searches and Quick Look previews. Snow Leopard is the only desktop operating system with out of the box support for Exchange 2007 and businesses of any size will find it easier to integrate Macs into their organization.

Every Mac includes innovative features and technologies for users with special needs, and Snow Leopard adds groundbreaking new features that make the Mac experience even more accessible to those with a vision impairment. Apple’s Multi-Touch(TM) trackpad is now integrated with the VoiceOver screen reader so users can hear and navigate different parts of a window or the desktop by moving a single finger around the trackpad as if it were the screen. Snow Leopard also introduces built-in support for wireless bluetooth braille displays and the connection of multiple braille displays simultaneously to one Mac.

Pricing & Availability

Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard will be available as an upgrade to Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard in September 2009 through the Apple Store(R) (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The Snow Leopard single user license will be available for a suggested retail price of $29 (US) and the Snow Leopard Family Pack, a single household, five-user license, will be available for a suggested price of $49 (US). For Tiger(R) users with an Intel-based Mac, the Mac Box Set includes Mac OS X Snow Leopard, iLife(R) ’09 and iWork(R) ’09 and will be available for a suggested price of $169 (US) and a Family Pack is available for a suggested price of $229 (US).

The Mac OS X Snow Leopard Up-To-Date upgrade package is available to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Mac system from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller between June 8, 2009 and the end of the program on December 26, 2009, for a product plus shipping and handling fee of $9.95 (US). Users must request their Up-To-Date upgrade within 90 days of purchase or by December 26, 2009, whichever comes first. For more information please visit www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate. Snow Leopard requires a minimum of 1GB of RAM and is designed to run on any Mac computer with an Intel processor. Full system requirements can be found at www.apple.com/macosx/techspecs.

*Testing conducted by Apple in May 2009 comparing prerelease Mac OS X Snow Leopard v10.6 with shipping Mac OS X Leopard v10.5.7 using shipping MacBook(R) 2.0 GHz systems with 2GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256MB) and shipping generation iMac(R) 2.66 GHz systems with 2GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256MB).

**Testing conducted by Apple in May 2009 comparing 64-bit Safari 4 to 32-bit Safari 4 on prerelease Mac OS X Snow Leopard v10.6. Performance will vary based on system configuration, network connection and other factors. All testing conducted on an iMac 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system running Mac OS X Snow Leopard, with 2GB of RAM. JavaScript benchmark based on the SunSpider JavaScript Performance test.

Source: Apple

Tags: , , , , , ,