Apple on Monday released Compatibility Update for QuickTime 7.5.5 [2.8MB], which improves QuickTime compatibility with iChat.

The update is intended for Mac OS X 10.5.5 Leopard users with QuickTime 7.5.5 only.

Apple overnight changed the availability status of its 24-inch LED Cinema Display from "Ships in November" to "Ships: 7-10 business days."

Unfortunately, the product is still unavailable for order. We'll alert readers as soon as the company makes the product available for sale.

The description of the display is as follows:

With the Apple LED Cinema Display, you can turn your new MacBook into a desktop in three easy connections. The universal MagSafe connector charges your notebook. A new Mini DisplayPort connector makes attaching an external display even easier and faster than before. And a USB connector provides access to three USB 2.0 ports. There's also a built-in iSight camera, microphone, and speaker system that provide a true desktop experience. Made of aluminum and glass, the LED Cinema Display is the perfect companion for the new MacBook family.

Apple on Monday released iLife Support 8.3.1 [11.7MB], which provides system software components shared by all iLife ’08 applications. The update is recommended for all users for iLife ’08 running Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, as it improves overall stability and addresses a number of other minor issues.

The patch also addresses three similar security issues where viewing a maliciously crafted TIFF or large JPEG image may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution on systems running Mac OS X Tiger.

Earlier this week, we reported that hard drive related issue appear to be delaying shipments of two Apple notebook configurations, namely the standard 1.6GHz MacBook Air and MacBook Pros custom ordered with a the $50 320GB Serial ATA @ 7200 option.

It was noted that the faster 320GB drive is currently delaying MacBook Pros by up to one week, while the Air's standard 120GB drive has led to a whopping three-week delay.

In an email Thursday, one reader noted that his MacBook Pro has been delayed nearly three weeks now and he was just informed by the Apple Store that a backorder on the 320GB 7200 HD drive is the root cause of the problem.

It can potentially be inferred from this that a nearly identical issue is holding up shipments of the 1.6GHz MacBook Air. In both cases, it appears Apple hopes to begin shipped all the notebooks in volume by the last week of November.

Apple on Tuesday evening posted Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 2.3 (4MB), a new upgrade to its RAW photo support for software such as Aperture and iPhoto.

The update adds support for four high-profile cameras released earlier in the fall, including Canon's EOS-50D, Nikon's D90 and P6000, and Sony's A900.

It also addresses problems handling output from earlier cameras as well as general reliability.

The patch requires either Mac OS X 10.4.11 or 10.5.3 and later.

Microsoft on Thursday issued its version 12.1.4 update for Office for Mac 2008 (16MB) -- but also an apology.

The company's earlier 12.1.3 fix had introduced a new flaw which would prevent certain Entourage owners from sending meeting invites. This was most likely when the user either set up a Microsoft Exchange account after an IMAP or POP mail account was made.

Also, a change in the model for invites that uses the Drafts folder on the Exchange server to send the notices has created problems for a handful of users whose Drafts folders haven't been working correctly.

For the latter solution, the Mac Business Unit has developed a workaround but also a warning to let those with damaged Drafts folders know there may be a server-side Exchange problem to fix.

Apple has released two separate software updates.

iPhoto 7.1.5 (9MB) requires Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later and is described as improving the print quality for books, cards and calendars ordered through iPhoto itself.

Also, the company has quietly released AirPort Extreme Update 2008-004 (2.2MB) without a Software Update link. The patch requires Mac OS X 10.5.5 or later for Intel-based Macs and addresses connection problems when roaming across large Wi-Fi networks.

It remains fundamentally the same as a similar 2008-003 update that was pulled shortly after release early last week.

AirPort Extreme Update 2008-003 [2.2MB] is recommended for all Intel-based Macintosh computers running Mac OS 10.5.5 and resolves some issues with AirPort connections when roaming in large Wi-Fi networks.

Apple on Monday night revealed Aperture 2.1.2 (48MB), a minor update for its photography management app.

The fix specifically addresses print quality from books, cards and calendars purchased through Aperture's built-in ordering service.

Apple recommends the update for every Aperture user and requires at least Mac OS X 10.4.11 or 10.5.3 to apply the patch.

Late Thursday, Apple introduced its Migration and DVD/CD Sharing Update (40.3MB).

The fix is advised for all eligible Mac users and improves customization as well as performance for migrating data over Ethernet, FireWire or USB.

The update is applicable to both Mac OS X 10.4.11 as well as all existing releases of 10.5.