diff -Nurd -x'*~' matplotlib-1.0.0.orig/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py matplotlib-1.0.0/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py
--- matplotlib-1.0.0.orig/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py	2010-07-06 16:43:33.000000000 +0200
+++ matplotlib-1.0.0/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py	2010-08-10 01:50:52.000000000 +0200
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import os
 import numpy
-import MacOS
 
 from matplotlib._pylab_helpers import Gcf
 from matplotlib.backend_bases import RendererBase, GraphicsContextBase,\
@@ -230,9 +229,13 @@
     """
     Create a new figure manager instance
     """
-    if not MacOS.WMAvailable():
+    try:
+        import MacOS
+        if not MacOS.WMAvailable():
+            raise AttributeError ("Python is not installed as a framework")
+    except (ImportError, AttributeError), err:
         import warnings
-        warnings.warn("Python is not installed as a framework. The MacOSX backend may not work correctly if Python is not installed as a framework. Please see the Python documentation for more information on installing Python as a framework on Mac OS X")
+        warnings.warn("%s. The MacOSX backend may not work correctly if Python is not installed as a framework. Please see the Python documentation for more information on installing Python as a framework on Mac OS X" % err)
     FigureClass = kwargs.pop('FigureClass', Figure)
     figure = FigureClass(*args, **kwargs)
     canvas = FigureCanvasMac(figure)