OS X 10.7.2: What it fixed and what it didn't
The latest release of OS X Lion addressed a number of bugs and problems people were having with the initial release of Lion, but it did not fully address other issues, with some of them being prominent ones.
When OS X Lion was released there were a few outstanding bugs that users noticed and emailed me about or described on the Apple Discussion boards. Initially Apple quickly released the OS X 10.7.1 update to address some of these quickly, but this was mainly to fix immediate compatibility and did not address some prominent issues that users were experiencing.
Since the 10.7.1 release in mid-August, Apple has had several months to address some of the major bugs affecting users that we have covered, so let's see what has been addressed by Apple so far:
- MacBook Pro black-screen bug (not fixed)
The issue where mid 2010 MacBook Pro systems crash to a black screen has not been addressed. My suspicion about this problem is that it is hardware-based and will not benefit much from changes to the software, but we will have to wait and see. Apple is aware of it and working on a fix. - LDAP authentication vulnerability (fixed)
A rather significant security hole was found in Lion 10.7.0 and 10.7.1 that allowed LDAP user accounts to change the passwords of other user accounts, and also log into those accounts without any passwords. Apple has addressed this issue, and now passwords can no longer be looked up or changed. - Finder Icon reorganization (fixed)
A number of people found that in Lion their icon organization and settings on the desktop and other windows in Icon view would change randomly, especially after restarting or logging out and logging back in. The problem appears to have been addressed so icons should stay in their proper locations. - Poor battery life on laptops (helped)
With initial versions of Lion, people found battery life on laptop systems was cut to about a quarter or a third of the battery life in Snow Leopard. Apple has significantly increased this for people, so even if battery life is not at its Snow Leopard value, it should be much improved. If you wish to improve your laptop's battery life, read our tips on getting the most out of your battery. - Window organization bug (not fixed)
The rare but annoying problem of windows sometimes getting jumbled together after using Mission Control or other window management features does not appear to have been addressed. - TextEdit appending .txt to files (fixed)
Apple's TextEdit program developed an annoying habit of changing file types to TXT, resulting in frustrations when editing property lists, html files, or other code files. This has been fixed in 10.7.2; the program should now properly observe and handle file-type extensions. - Wi-Fi dropout woes (mixed bag)
Wi-Fi issues seem to always follow OS updates, and for the latest bout of them with Lion the 10.7.2 update has fixed problems for some people, not changed them for others, and introduced new ones for yet others. If you are having Wi-Fi connectivity problems with your OS X system, try the suggestions in our instructions for troubleshooting Wi-Fi autoconnect problems in Lion. - Touchy HDMI output (mixed bag)
Apple has updated its graphics drivers in OS X 10.7.2, and as with the Wi-Fi problems, some people are noticing improvements to HDMI connectivity whereas others are noticing new issues like sound not working properly with HDMI.
Have you seen any bugs in Lion that Apple has fixed (or not fixed) with the latest OS X 10.7.2 update, or do you see some of the ones we've described here as persisting? If so, then let us know in the comments.
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