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Release record

macOS 10.2

Jaguar

Full article
Public release
Recorded milestones
1
Beta cycle
—
Average interval
—
Public release
Aug 23, 2002

Release notes

Overview

Editorial synthesis with inline references and a source ledger when citations are available.

Release overview

Mac OS X Jaguar 10.2 reached U.S. retail customers at 10:20 p.m. on August 23, 2002. Its retained launch record centers on Mail junk filtering, iChat, a system-wide Address Book, Inkwell, QuickTime 6, expanded accessibility and Finder behavior, Sherlock 3, Rendezvous, Quartz Extreme, Windows-network compatibility, UNIX tooling, and PowerPC-era hardware requirements.[1][2][3]

Development and release

Apple previewed Jaguar to developers on May 6 with a late-summer target, then announced the named 10.2 release on July 17 for general availability beginning August 24. The final launch notice moved U.S. retail availability to 10:20 p.m. on August 23. The local catalog contains no May preview milestone, so this bundle creates no beta event or preview article.[4][5][6]

Applications and information

Mail gained adaptive junk filtering, iChat brought AIM-compatible messaging, and Address Book centralized contacts for compatible applications. Inkwell connected handwriting input to the text system through a tablet, while Jaguar bundled QuickTime 6 with MPEG-4 support and expanded Sherlock into an Internet-services view.[7][8][9]

Accessibility and Finder

Universal Access added screen magnification, spoken highlighted text, Mouse Keys, Sticky Keys, and Slow Keys. Finder added a toolbar search and restored spring-loaded folders. These entries stay limited to the specific behaviors Apple documented rather than importing later macOS accessibility or search features.[10][11]

Networking, graphics, and UNIX

Rendezvous added automatic discovery on supported networks; Jaguar also documented SMB browsing and sharing plus built-in PPTP VPN support for Windows-oriented environments. Quartz Extreme moved eligible composition work to supported graphics processors, while FreeBSD 4.4 and GCC 3.1-based updates refreshed the UNIX and developer-tool foundation.[12][13][14]

Availability anomaly

An August 13 Power Mac announcement said two new models were available that week and described the line as shipping with Jaguar pre-installed, while the same announcement still placed Jaguar's public software availability on August 24. The retained page does not establish an earlier standalone retail release, so the audited public route remains the explicit August 23 launch-night sale.[15][16]

Separate-software boundary

QuickTime 6 had been released independently on July 15, so Jaguar is credited with bundling it rather than originating the product. The July Jaguar page also anticipated Address Book synchronization through iSync, but Apple did not release iSync Public Beta until September 30; iSync is therefore excluded from the August launch delta.[17][18][19]

Security and version boundary

Apple's archive lists a separate Security Update 2002-08-23 for Mac OS X 10.2 that carried forward fixes from the August 2 update for 10.1.5. It does not say those fixes were present on the Jaguar installation CDs, so no initial-image CVE group is inferred. The same archive later documents a September Terminal update and 10.2.2 security content; none is projected backward into 10.2.[20]

Launch impact

On August 27, Apple reported more than 100,000 Jaguar copies sold worldwide during the first weekend and more than 50,000 visitors to its 35 retail stores on Friday night. Those totals remain attributed vendor figures rather than independently audited sales or installation counts.[21]

Source ledger

References

Sources are linked to the claims they support. Publication and access dates are shown when available.

  1. Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-23T00:00:00.000Z · August 23 launch time and feature list

    Back to text ↑
  2. “Jaguar” Breaks Mac OS Record

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-27T00:00:00.000Z · August 27 availability and feature confirmation

    Back to text ↑
  3. Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-07-17T00:00:00.000Z · July final-version feature and requirement detail

    Back to text ↑
  4. Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-23T00:00:00.000Z · August 23 retail availability at 10:20 p.m.

    Back to text ↑
  5. Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-07-17T00:00:00.000Z · July 17 planned August 24 availability

    Back to text ↑
  6. Apple Previews “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-05-06T00:00:00.000Z · May 6 developer preview and late-summer plan

    Back to text ↑
  7. Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-07-17T00:00:00.000Z · Key features; Mail through Sherlock 3

    Back to text ↑
  8. Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-23T00:00:00.000Z · Launch feature list

    Back to text ↑
  9. “Jaguar” Breaks Mac OS Record

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-27T00:00:00.000Z · Post-launch feature recap

    Back to text ↑
  10. Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-07-17T00:00:00.000Z · Key features; Universal Access and Finder

    Back to text ↑
  11. Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-23T00:00:00.000Z · Launch feature list; Universal Access and Finder

    Back to text ↑
  12. Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-07-17T00:00:00.000Z · Key features; Rendezvous through UNIX foundation

    Back to text ↑
  13. Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-23T00:00:00.000Z · Quartz Extreme hardware requirements

    Back to text ↑
  14. Developers Rapidly Adopt Apple’s Rendezvous Networking Technology

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-09-10T00:00:00.000Z · Shipped 10.2 Rendezvous integration

    Back to text ↑
  15. Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-23T00:00:00.000Z · Explicit August 23 standalone retail availability

    Back to text ↑
  16. Apple Unveils Dual-Processor Power Macs Starting at $1,699

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-13T00:00:00.000Z · Power Mac availability, Jaguar preinstallation, and stated August 24 public date

    Back to text ↑
  17. Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-07-17T00:00:00.000Z · QuickTime 6 and Address Book/iSync descriptions

    Back to text ↑
  18. Apple’s QuickTime 6 Downloads Top 25 Million

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-10-15T00:00:00.000Z · Retrospective July 15 QuickTime 6 release date

    Back to text ↑
  19. Apple Releases iSync Public Beta

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-09-30T00:00:00.000Z · September 30 iSync Public Beta availability

    Back to text ↑
  20. Apple security updates (August, 2003 and earlier)

    Apple Support · Apple · 2026-07-30 · Security Update 2002-08-23, Security Update 2002-09-20, and Mac OS X 10.2.2

    Back to text ↑
  21. “Jaguar” Breaks Mac OS Record

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-27T00:00:00.000Z · First-weekend sales and store-visitor report

    Back to text ↑
  22. Apple security updates (August, 2003 and earlier)

    Apple Support · Apple · 2026-07-30 · 2002–2003 security chronology

  23. Apple Unveils Dual-Processor Power Macs Starting at $1,699

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-13T00:00:00.000Z · August 13 preinstallation chronology

  24. Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-23T00:00:00.000Z · August 23 public retail launch

  25. “Jaguar” Breaks Mac OS Record

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-08-27T00:00:00.000Z · August 27 post-launch confirmation

  26. Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-07-17T00:00:00.000Z · July 17 final-version announcement

  27. Apple Previews “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-05-06T00:00:00.000Z · May 6 developer preview

  28. Apple’s QuickTime 6 Downloads Top 25 Million

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-10-15T00:00:00.000Z · QuickTime 6 independent-release boundary

  29. Developers Rapidly Adopt Apple’s Rendezvous Networking Technology

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-09-10T00:00:00.000Z · September 10 Rendezvous confirmation

  30. Apple Releases iSync Public Beta

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2002-09-30T00:00:00.000Z · September 30 iSync boundary

Documented & observed

Changes in this version

Source-linked features, fixes, known issues, removals, and community-observed behavior recorded across this version’s appearances and verified builds.

Release changes

Changed in this release

Features, fixes, removals, and regressions first observed in this release record.

enhancement · changed

Mouse Keys, Sticky Keys, and Slow Keys

documentedconfirmed

The operating system added keyboard-oriented alternatives for pointer movement, multi-key combinations, and delayed key acceptance. The three named modes are kept together because Apple's final product announcement presents them as one accessibility group.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; Universal Access keyboard commands
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Launch feature list; improved Universal Access

enhancement · changed

Adaptive junk-mail filtering

documentedconfirmed

Mail gained filtering intended to improve from the messages a user classified rather than relying only on fixed keyword rules. Apple's launch-night page confirms junk-mail filtering as part of the public release without providing an independent effectiveness measurement.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; enhanced Mail
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Launch feature list; Mail and junk-mail filtering
  3. [3] “Jaguar” Breaks Mac OS Record · Post-launch feature recap; Mail

compatibility · changed

Built-in PPTP VPN support

documentedconfirmed

The system included a PPTP connection path as part of Apple's Windows-network compatibility work. The entry records historical support without making a present-day security recommendation for the protocol.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Previews “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Developer preview; Windows support
  2. [2] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; built-in PPTP VPN support

enhancement · changed

Universal Access screen magnification

documentedconfirmed

The release added a built-in way to enlarge on-screen content for users who needed greater visual scale. The structured entry is limited to the capability Apple named and does not infer later zoom controls.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; Universal Access magnification
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Launch feature list; improved Universal Access

developerApi · changed

FreeBSD 4.4 foundation updates

documentedconfirmed

The release incorporated FreeBSD 4.4-based work into the operating system's UNIX layer. This is recorded as a platform-foundation change rather than a claim that Jaguar contained every component of a standalone FreeBSD distribution.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Previews “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Developer preview; UNIX tools
  2. [2] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; UNIX foundation and FreeBSD 4.4

enhancement · introduced

Quartz Extreme graphics acceleration

documentedconfirmed

Quartz Extreme used an eligible graphics processor to accelerate the desktop's 2D, 3D, and QuickTime composition. Apple's launch requirements limit support to named NVIDIA or ATI AGP hardware with at least 16 MB of video memory and recommend 32 MB for its stated optimum.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features and hardware requirements; Quartz Extreme
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Launch feature list and hardware requirements; Quartz Extreme
  3. [3] Apple Unveils Dual-Processor Power Macs Starting at $1,699 · Power Mac G4 graphics and Quartz Extreme context

enhancement · changed

Spoken highlighted text

documentedconfirmed

Selected text could be spoken as an accessibility aid. Apple's retained launch material confirms this focused text-to-speech workflow without implying the full screen-reader behavior of later macOS releases.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; Universal Access spoken text
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Launch feature list; improved Universal Access

compatibility · changed

Jaguar supported-Mac baseline

documentedconfirmed

The documented baseline covered iMac, iBook, Power Macintosh G3, Power Mac G4, Power Mac G4 Cube, and PowerBook models introduced after May 1998. Quartz Extreme imposed a separate graphics requirement beyond general OS eligibility.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Pricing & Availability; system requirements
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Pricing & Availability; system requirements
  3. [3] “Jaguar” Breaks Mac OS Record · Pricing & Availability; system requirements

compatibility · changed

Retail and Up-to-Date CD distribution

documentedconfirmed

The standalone release used physical retail and reseller distribution rather than a modern over-the-air rollout. Apple's Up-to-Date program covered qualifying Mac and Mac OS X 10.1 purchases from July 17 and supplied upgrade plus developer-tools CDs for a handling charge.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] “Jaguar” Breaks Mac OS Record · Pricing & Availability; post-launch distribution
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Pricing & Availability; retail launch and Up-to-Date media
  3. [3] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Pricing & Availability; Up-to-Date media

feature · introduced

Rendezvous zero-configuration networking

documentedconfirmed

Rendezvous reduced manual network configuration by discovering compatible resources automatically. Apple's September follow-up confirms that the shipped 10.2 integration used standard IP networking and names Ethernet and 802.11 wireless networks as examples.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; Rendezvous
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Launch feature list; Rendezvous
  3. [3] Developers Rapidly Adopt Apple’s Rendezvous Networking Technology · September 10 confirmation; integrated zero-configuration IP discovery

developerApi · changed

GCC 3.1-based developer tools

documentedconfirmed

Apple paired the operating-system release and its Up-to-Date media with refreshed developer tools using GCC 3.1. The final July version number supersedes the May preview's less specific GCC 3 wording.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Previews “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Developer preview; GCC 3
  2. [2] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · UNIX foundation and GCC 3.1; Up-to-Date package
  3. [3] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Up-to-Date package; updated Developer Tools CD

enhancement · changed

Return of spring-loaded folders

documentedconfirmed

Dragging over a folder could again open it temporarily for deeper navigation. The wording records Apple's description of the feature as a return, avoiding a false claim that the interaction had never existed on the Mac.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; return of spring-loaded folders
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Launch feature list; enhanced Finder

compatibility · changed

SMB browsing and file sharing

documentedconfirmed

The release made it easier for a Mac to find and exchange files with supported Windows-network resources through SMB. This claim stays at the protocol capability Apple documented and does not promise universal interoperability with every Windows configuration.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Previews “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Developer preview; Windows support
  2. [2] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; Windows support and SMB
  3. [3] “Jaguar” Breaks Mac OS Record · Post-launch statement; Windows compatibility

enhancement · changed

Bundled QuickTime 6 with MPEG-4

documentedconfirmed

Mac OS X 10.2 included QuickTime 6 and its MPEG-4 playback and creation capabilities. QuickTime 6 had already been released independently on July 15, so this record describes Jaguar's bundled media stack rather than claiming the operating system introduced QuickTime 6 globally.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; QuickTime 6 and MPEG-4
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Launch feature list; QuickTime 6
  3. [3] Apple’s QuickTime 6 Downloads Top 25 Million · October 15 retrospective; July 15 QuickTime 6 release date

feature · introduced

Inkwell handwriting recognition

documentedconfirmed

Inkwell connected handwriting recognition to the system text architecture so compatible applications could receive handwritten input through a tablet. The tablet dependency is retained rather than suggesting the feature worked without input hardware.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; Inkwell
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Launch feature list; Inkwell
  3. [3] “Jaguar” Breaks Mac OS Record · Post-launch feature recap; Inkwell

feature · introduced

System-wide Address Book

documentedconfirmed

The new contacts database centralized entries for reuse across compatible software and added searching, editing, vCard, and Bluetooth-related support. Although the July page mentioned future iSync integration, iSync itself was not included in this launch claim.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; Address Book
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Launch feature list; system-wide Address Book
  3. [3] Apple Releases iSync Public Beta · September 30 iSync Public Beta availability

enhancement · changed

Sherlock 3 Internet Services

documentedconfirmed

Sherlock shifted toward a personalized services interface for frequently consulted online information. The entry preserves the example categories in Apple's announcement without implying that every service remained continuously available.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; Sherlock 3 Internet Services
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Launch feature list; Sherlock 3
  3. [3] “Jaguar” Breaks Mac OS Record · Post-launch feature recap; Sherlock 3

feature · introduced

iChat

documentedconfirmed

The operating system added Apple's own instant-messaging client with access to compatible AOL and Mac.com buddy lists. The retained public sources confirm the client but do not imply support for every later iChat service or protocol.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] Apple Introduces “Jaguar,” the Next Major Release of Mac OS X · Key features; iChat
  2. [2] Jaguar “Unleashed” at 10:20 p.m. Tonight · Launch feature list; iChat
  3. [3] “Jaguar” Breaks Mac OS Record · Post-launch feature recap; iChat

Milestones

Release history

Every recorded channel appearance in chronological order. Open an appearance for any available build, scope, notes, and sources.

  1. Public release

    Public

    Full articleEditorially verified

    Mac OS X Jaguar 10.2 entered U.S. retail sale at 10:20 p.m. on August 23, 2002 with documented application, accessibility, Finder, networking, graphics, UNIX-tooling, distribution, and compatibility changes.

    Availability
    available
    Sources
    71 linked
    Open this appearance

Historical context

Cycle comparison

Pace, intervals, and duration compared with earlier releases on the same platform.

Historical avg for .2 releases

43 days, 6.0 milestones

Based on 2 previous macOS .2 releases

Previous .2 releases (macOS)

Previous comparable macOS releases
VersionYearCycleMilestonesAvg. Interval
macOS 26.2202536d59d
macOS 15.2202449d78d

Scroll horizontally to compare every historical field.

Official release notes