Mac OS X Tiger was the fifth major release of Mac OS X, Apple Inc.'s desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Released on April 29, 2005, Tiger introduced numerous enhancements and features that significantly improved the user experience and system capabilities.
Development of Tiger began in earnest following the release of Mac OS X Panther. The focus was on enhancing performance, usability, and introducing new technologies. Apple's CEO at the time, Steve Jobs, unveiled Tiger at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco on January 11, 2005. The operating system was released to manufacturing in late April 2005, with the retail version hitting stores soon after.
Tiger was met with positive reviews from critics and users alike. It was praised for its innovative features like Spotlight, which significantly improved search functionality on Macs. The introduction of Dashboard and Automator also received accolades for their potential to streamline user interactions and productivity.
The introduction of features like Spotlight and Dashboard set new standards for desktop operating systems, influencing future versions of Mac OS X and even competitors' operating systems. Tiger's emphasis on security also highlighted Apple's commitment to improving its platform's safety, a trend that continued in subsequent releases.
While Tiger has since been succeeded by several updates, including Leopard, Snow Leopard, and eventually macOS, its innovations are still evident in modern macOS versions. Tiger was the last version to run on PowerPC processors before the transition to Intel processors with Leopard.