10.5.3 is here! 10.5.3 is here!!Why do Mac users get so excited over point releases? Well, it may be because they actually improve things, and people aren’t afraid to install them.The big fixes that I’ve been waiting for: External hard drives reliably appear in Finder Automator actions work when “Show when run” is enabled Automator “new iCal event” works iCal can now mark events as private iCal’s auto-completion is more useful (it’s getting smarter and smarter) iChat echo cancellation works on Mac notebooks. There is no software fix for the crappy microphone Mail handles changes made to mailboxes while it is offline Spaces returns focus to the top level window when activating a space. I can finally use Spaces. All I need now is to be able to configure a Space so that it doesn’t show my cluttered desktop. If an application window is active in the current Space, Spaces doesn’t switch to another Space when the app icon is clicked in the Dock Time Machine works properly when backing up a notebook on battery power Time Machine no longer incorrectly warns of inadequate capacity on backup volumes VoiceOver reports multiple misspelled words, not just the first The 10.5.3 update rolls in Security Update 2008-003. I’ve learned the hard way to snatch these up the very instant they appear. Pundits will behave to expectations, jumping on the number of fixes and the horrible consequences that might ensue. But they may miss the fact that all of the 2008-003 issues in Apple’s proprietary code were fixed before they could be exploited.I learned the hard way that Apple’s disclosure of these flaws means that a race is already underway to exploit them before Mac users get the update installed. At the risk of coming off bossy, stop what you’re doing and get the update now.If getting Spaces working and closing security holes in your Mac isn’t enough motivation, Apple has sweetened the deal by issuing a fix to Garage Band’s Symphony Orchestra Jam Pack. Yes, Apple issues patches for its digital audio loops. In your face, Linux. Software Development