by David Leishman, Senior Editor, Macworld.com (dleishman@macworld.com)

Apple on Friday released Mac OS X 10.3, also known as Panther. The company claims that Panther offers more than 150 new features, highlighted by Exposé, which the New York Times' David Pogue describes as "the biggest graphical breakthrough that operating systems have achieved in years." Other changes are perhaps less eye-catching, but offer improvements in security, system responsiveness, navigation, file management, and the ubiquitous "more."

Many developers have already announced that their products are Panther-compatible, and others are rushing to ensure that they're up-to-date with the new OS. Be sure to check the developer's websites for compatibility announcements regarding the products you use.

Take a Peek at Panther http://click.macworld.email-publisher.com/maabBeEaa1DGObV2CGpb/

Panther by the Numbers http://click.macworld.email-publisher.com/maabBeEaa1DGPbV2CGpb/

Panther: A look at the new Mac OS http://click.macworld.email-publisher.com/maabBeEaa1DGQbV2CGpb/

Panther software updates galore http://click.macworld.email-publisher.com/maabBeEaa1DGRbV2CGpb/

But wait, there's more! Apple on Friday also released Panther Server, aimed at IT professionals, and Xcode, the newest version of the company's OS development tools. Server features updated integration with open source tools and open standards, and Xcode includes many new technologies intended to help developers be more productive by allowing them to save time and build better applications.

Panther Server: 'Open source made easy' http://click.macworld.email-publisher.com/maabBeEaa1DGSbV2CGpb/

Xcode: The future of Mac development tools http://click.macworld.email-publisher.com/maabBeEaa1DGTbV2CGpb/