While frequent new versions of Mac OS X ensure regular enhancements to the operating system, the other side of the coin is that developers must ensure that their applications not only take advantage of the new capabilities of the OS, but continue to perform reliably. This becomes more of an issue as applications increase in complexity, with mission-critical products, such as Adobe's Creative Suite, being on the front lines.

Accordingly, Adobe has released a FAQ that addresses Leopard compatibility issues, with the good news being that most of the CS3 products should run happily with Leopard. The exceptions are Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional and the professional video applications, including Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, After Effects CS3 Professional, Encore CS3, and Soundbooth CS3. Updates for the video apps are expected in December, with Acrobat 8 Professional and Adobe Reader 8 to follow in January, 2008.

The bad news is reserved for those using CS2 products, who are told that they may experience "a variety of installation, stability, and reliability issues for which there is no resolution." With no updates for CS2 applications available, those moving to Leopard will have little choice but to also upgrade to CS3-level applications.