Apple has released OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 that again aims to improve - or in cases simply enable - Wi-Fi on Macs that have suffered connectivity issues since October.
The second update to Yosemite, 10.10.2's release Tuesday followed a string of a half-dozen previews that were seeded to developers between November 20 and January 21.
At the top of the list of changes and improvements touted by Apple for Yosemite 10.10.2 was "Resolves an issue that may cause Wi-Fi to disconnect," the same phrasing noted Monday by 9to5Mac.com.
Yesterday, Computerworld pointed out that the shortening intervals between betas hinted at the update's imminent release.
Other parts of the Yosemite update, said Apple, boosted Web page loading times, closed privacy holes in Spotlight and Apple's email client, improved the performance of the VoiceOver screen reader, and added the ability to browse iCloud Drive -- Apple's Dropbox-like feature of its iCloud storage service -- in Time Machine, OS X's built-in backup tool.
10.10.2 also included several fixes that Apple characterized as "enterprise content," several of them related to properly displaying information retrieved from a Microsoft Exchange email server.
But the promised Wi-Fi fix will undoubtedly get the most attention: A massive thread on Apple's support forum, which kicked off just a day after Yosemite's October 2014 debut, has been the home of complaints about the OS refusing to connect to a wireless network, or if it does, suddenly dropping the connection.
As of Tuesday, that thread contained nearly 2,200 messages and had been viewed more than 688,000 times, both huge numbers for the Cupertino, Calif. company's support discussion forums.
Inside the first two hours after Yosemite 10.10.2's appearance no one had confirmed that the update fixed their Wi-Fi troubles, although one was hopeful and another reported a disaster.
"10.10.2 was just released. That's probably the best chance we have to resolve this issue," wrote someone identified as wombat2k.
Not so fast, said ausappleuser, who had posted numerous messages to the thread previously. "I've just installed it. Prior, my Wi-Fi issues were intermittent, now they're permanent," ausappleuser said. "I'm typing this from another computer because 10.10.2 has destroyed my MacBook's Wi-Fi connection. So thanks, Apple. Well tested? Who's working in Apple nowadays? A bunch of 15-year-olds?"
Apple pegged the 10.10.2 update as build "14C109;" and as usual, served different-sized updates to individuals. One Computerworld staffer logged in the update at 554MB while another said it was 443MB.
OS X 10.10.2 can be downloaded from the Mac App Store; a Yosemite-powered Mac owner can retrieve the update by selecting "App Store" from the Apple menu, then clicking on the "Updates" icon at the top right of the store's window.
Along with Yosemite 10.10.2, Apple refreshed Safari to version 8.0.3, and issued a security patch-only update for OS X Mavericks, Yosemite's 2013 predecessor.
Apple also released iOS 8.1.3, which Apple said reduced the on-device storage required for a software update, one of the biggest beefs about iOS 8 and a likely contributor to the mobile operating system's sluggish start last year.
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.