KINETIC  Then you missed all the fun that was 7.5. Now that was a buggy one.  
(Version 10.6.2)

ANADART  Mac OS 7.1 anyone?  
(Version 10.6.2)

KINETIC  7.1 wasn't too bad, but 6.0 was more stable.  
(Version 10.6.2)

FRODO_LIFE  yes can only agree to this have it rolled out on six machines and never did I have so many crashes.

I was really applauding apple when they announced there would be no feature but all effort would be putting in creating a stable system but what a disappointment 10.6 was buggy as hell and the least stable system in years  
(Version 10.6.2)

ESQUARE61  The number of people that claim they've been using APPLE since OS [fill in low number] never ceases to amaze me. :)  
(Version 10.6.2)

YELLEKO  "Claim" ?  
(Version 10.6.2)

JIMBLU  yelleko-- we have a couple of things in common -- 7.6 was where i started too, and i'm a long time photoshop user too. i feel your pain on this particular issue. mac is going through a transnational period for sure, but at the risk of upsetting other people i don't think this issue is all apple's fault. think about how long it took for micro$oft to get it together when they came out with a true 64-bit os. what fixed it for me was to do a clean install (i know that's one big hassle). and be very very careful about what third-party software you add until they catch up and come out with 64-bit software. i know this is age-old advice about the clean install -- and i'm not sure if mac minis are even 64-bit yet. still, i wouldn't recommend upgraded to snow leopard without doing a clean install because apple has rearranged many things and adobe has yet to catch up. really, being a long time adobe user -- many of their products -- i am just so disappointing that it seems they are making better software for windows nowadays and taking too much time keeping up with apple -- apple made adobe the mega-company it is after all. good luck and sorry i don't have better advice on this one.  
(Version 10.6.2)

MISHA  Does it always/only happen with Photoshop?   
(Version 10.6.1)

YELLEKO  I only recall for sure it happening with Photoshop. But, I seem to recall it happening elsewhere, too.  
(Version 10.6.1)

MISHA  Next time it happens, immediately afterwards, fire up Console.app (in Utilities) and see what happened just before -- it might clue you into what's causing the issue.   
(Version 10.6.1)

YELLEKO  Misha, I tried your suggestion but I can't interpret all the info this process spews out. I'd like to do a clean install, but I can't figure out how. Any suggestions.?  
(Version 10.6.1)

JIMBLU  are you on a new macbook pro when this is happening -- using the real ram and not the "better battery life" ram? -- this happens to me on a brand new macbook pro with 10.6.1  
(Version 10.6.2)

MUDFLAPPER  In my experience, a blue screen seems to be hardware-related. A video card driver, bad ram, overheating, etc. Have you tested your ram for problems? Perhaps it only happens with Photoshop because that app uses so much ram. Just a thought. Keep us posted.  
(Version 10.6.2)

GARY30  It couldn't possibly be a problem or idiosyncrasy with your system. Much better to condemn things in general than try to seek out a data/evidence based solution. Hmmm. I've never tried that approach, but I'll maybe give it a go next time something comes up and see how it works for me. HWL!  
(Version 10.6.2)

SNOWWHITESICKETTE  Software Update won't tell you about the Java 9 release unless you have the Java 8 release installed. Don't know why it didn't tell you about the earliest one you didn't have. That's the case with all Apple software, Software Update doesn't tell you about new stuff if it requires something else you have not installed. I have installed Tiger about five times on four Macs within the past six months, and noticed that Safari was not listed in Software Update. Tiger came with Safari 2. I installed Safari 4 anyway. On one machine, I installed Safari 3.x and then Software Update told me about Safari 4.

On the other hand, iTunes recommends the latest iTunes 9 for my G3 iMac and iBook that are below the technical requirements. Software Update has not done that, thankfully. (I forgot to uncheck the box in iTunes that allows it to check for updates.)

Have you tried running the 10.4.11 Combo Update again? If you are having issues with the OS software, running the update again fixes some problems. I have done that once, and it fixed the problem I had, and caused no new problems.  
(Version Release 9)

SNOWWHITESICKETTE  Also wanted to say, yes it's good to have the latest version of Java that is available to you. Sometimes there are improvements, and sometimes there are security fixes. The main place I encounter Java is an online game site I play at, and having the latest version is necessary. I have not had problems with Java updates, they haven't messed up anything (yet). I like Java a lot better than Flash.  
(Version Release 9)

SNOWWHITESICKETTE  Back again, with something that actually might help. (If you have not fixed the problem already.) Look in the main folder that says Library, and you will see a subfolder named Receipts. Check for the following items (but don't try to open them, or move anything):

Java.pkg

Java131and142release2.pkg

J2SE50Release3.pkg

J2SE50Release4.pkg

JavaforMacOSX10.4Release5.pkg

JavaforMacOSX10.4Release6.pkg

JavaforMacOSX10.4Release7.pkg

JavaforMacOSX10.4Release8.pkg

JavaforMacOSX10.4Release9.pkg

Java.pkg is included with Tiger, I believe. The others are all available at Apple's website, under Downloads. You will have to search for them, because some of them are old. (Leave off the .pkg if you search for them.) The order listed would be the installation order, but I don't have Release 3 installed on my machines. This may be because a later version replaced it. Software Update didn't bring it to my attention, and my Java works fine. To be on the safe side, download anything in that list you are missing, and start installing them from the earliest one to the latest. Repair permissions with Disk Utility first, and you can repair permissions between them if you want. (If I recall, one of the last two actually did need permissions repair, but the rest did not.) Some of the downloads are sizable, near 100 MB, so it will take some time to get everything done. Hope this helps.  
(Version Release 9)

YELLEKO  Many thanks. I'll look into all this.  
(Version Release 9)

SNOWWHITESICKETTE  You're welcome. : )  
(Version Release 9)

MACUPDATE ADMIN  Have you tried running all your usual utilities? Maybe there is something wrong with your Mac. I just downloaded the file and it mounted, no problem.  
(Version 1.16)