Mac OS X Snow Leopard updated to 10.6.1, iPod touch firmware to 3.1.1

Just a couple of weeks after its release, Apple's Mac OS X Snow Leopard operating system has received a major update, from 10.6 to 10.6.1.

Apple recommends all users running Snow Leopard to update their software. Included are fixes to system stability and security -- in particular, problems with DVD playback, the Mail application, printer compatibility and 3G USB modems.

The iPod touch has been updated even more quickly. Despite only being released on Thursday, it's just had its first firmware update. The new version is 3.1.1 and, according to an Apple spokesperson we called up just now, it "just contains bug fixes".

We've been anticipating the release of a Snow Leopard update because, frankly, we've been deeply frustrated by issues that have arisen since its installation over Leopard. We've suffered massive system crashes on a daily basis since the day we updated the OS, which, ironically, earlier this week, caused us to lose some work when covering Apple's September iPod event.

We installed 10.6.1 and, so far, haven't had the system crash like it did previously. We've also been having problems with contextual menus within Finder (they immediately disappear after appearing), but this doesn't seem to have been fixed.

For details on the update, hit up this page on Apple's support Web site, where you can also download the 71MB update file. Or, just choose 'software update' from OS X's Apple menu in the taskbar.

Let us know how you get on in the comments section below, particularly if you're still having issues.