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admin
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 Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:46 pm Post subject: Apple Unveils Snow Leopard |
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Apple Unveils Snow Leopard
Monday, June 8, 2009
Posted by: Glenn
Apple today unveiled Mac OS X Snow Leopard, an even more powerful and refined version of the world's most advanced operating system and the foundation for future Mac innovation. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies, out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange and new accessibility features. Snow Leopard will ship as an upgrade for Mac OS X Leopard users in September 2009 for $29.
"We've built on the success of Leopard and created an even better experience for our users from installation to shutdown," said Bertrand Serlet, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. "Apple engineers have made hundreds of improvements so with Snow Leopard your system is going to feel faster, more responsive and even more reliable than before."
To create Snow Leopard, Apple engineers focused on perfecting the world's most advanced operating system, refining 90 percent of the more than 1,000 projects in Mac OS X. Users will notice a more responsive Finder; Mail that loads messages 85 percent faster and conducts searches up to 90 percent faster; Time Machine with up to 50 percent faster initial backup; a Dock with Expose integration; a 64-bit version of Safari 4 that boosts the performance of the Nitro JavaScript engine by up to 50 percent and is resistant to crashes caused by plug-ins. Snow Leopard also includes an all new QuickTime X, with a redesigned player that allows users to easily view, record, trim and share video to YouTube, MobileMe or iTunes. Snow Leopard is half the size of the previous version and frees up to 6GB of drive space once installed.
For the first time, system applications including Finder, Mail, iCal, iChat and Safari are 64-bit and Snow Leopard's support for 64-bit processors makes use of large amounts of RAM, increases performance, and improves security while remaining compatible with 32-bit applications. Grand Central Dispatch (GCD) provides a revolutionary new way for software to take advantage of multicore processors. GCD is integrated throughout Snow Leopard, from new system-wide APIs to high-level frameworks and programming language extensions, improving responsiveness across the system. OpenCL, a C-based open standard, allows developers to tap the incredible power of the graphics processing unit for tasks that go beyond graphics.
Snow Leopard builds support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 right into Mac OS X Mail, Address Book and iCal so you can use these applications to send and receive email, create and respond to meeting invitations, and search and manage your contacts with global address lists. Exchange information works seamlessly within Snow Leopard so users can take advantage of OS X only features such as fast Spotlight searches and Quick Look previews. Snow Leopard is the only desktop operating system with out of the box support for Exchange 2007 and businesses of any size will find it easier to integrate Macs into their organization.
Every Mac includes innovative features and technologies for users with special needs, and Snow Leopard adds groundbreaking new features that make the Mac experience even more accessible to those with a vision impairment. Apple's Multi-Touch trackpad is now integrated with the VoiceOver screen reader so users can hear and navigate different parts of a window or the desktop by moving a single finger around the trackpad as if it were the screen. Snow Leopard also introduces built-in support for wireless bluetooth braille displays and the connection of multiple braille displays simultaneously to one Mac.
Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard will be available as an upgrade to Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard in September 2009 through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The Snow Leopard single user license will be available for a suggested retail price of $29 and the Snow Leopard Family Pack, a single household, five-user license, will be available for a suggested price of $49. For Tiger users with an Intel-based Mac, the Mac Box Set includes Mac OS X Snow Leopard, iLife '09 and iWork '09 and will be available for a suggested price of $169 and a Family Pack is available for a suggested price of $229.
http://www.123macmini.com/news/story/1226.html |
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Squid3660
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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::DROOL::
Ok... The rest of June... July... August... SEPTEMBER... AH!! Can't wait!!! |
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OGN
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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It's going to be a long couple months. Don't tell Apple, but I would be willing to pay $129 for it now. 
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axnyslie
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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any good screenshots of Snow Leopard yet?
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epic_ed
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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I'm so happy they priced the upgrade at $29. Throw that on top of the lower MacBook Pro prices and it's like we're starting to see Apple come down to earth. You got to love recessions.  |
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tundraSQ
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:31 pm Post subject: |
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| axnyslie wrote: | | any good screenshots of Snow Leopard yet? |
i loaded the most recent developer version and it is visually identical to leopard... |
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Rightondamark
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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| epic_ed wrote: | | I'm so happy they priced the upgrade at $29. Throw that on top of the lower MacBook Pro prices and it's like we're starting to see Apple come down to earth. You got to love recessions. |
This also makes it harder for them to raise the price for future releases. I think the days of paying $129 for an operating system from Apple are long gone. They really don't need it to survive anyways. It also puts more pressure on Microsoft. |
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Yvan256
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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Not only that, but if upgrading to Snow Leopard is only 29$US, people like me won't wait for it to be released and will buy a (new) machine right away.
However, since my Core 2 Duo Mac mini and 12" PowerBook are both running fine... no point in upgrading. The hardware I mean. I'm upgrading to Snow Leopard as soon as it comes out. 
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Fazzy
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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512x512 Finder icons should be BIG fun. 
I'm also looking forward to new QuickTime X, Mail customization and having Exposé in the Dock. All for $29 bucks I might add. |
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lh_newbie
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Yvan256 wrote: | | Not only that, but if upgrading to Snow Leopard is only 29$US, people like me won't wait for it to be released and will buy a (new) machine right away. |
A guy I work with was waiting on the OS announcement to buy a Macbook Pro. His thought was exactly the same - if the OS upgrade is $29, then he's buying the MBPro now and not waiting. He can do the upgrade in September.
Since I'm using my Mini as a HTPC only, I don't give a hoot about Snow Leopard benefits... but at only $29, I might go for it anyhow. |
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xmen65
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Any word on support for Blu-ray? |
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tundraSQ
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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While the $29 is a great price, it is also ONLY for current users of Leopard. So for those using Tiger, in order to upgrade they will be spending considerably more.
Apple today announced that Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard will launch in September and will be priced at only $29 for current OS X 10.5 Leopard users. Alternatively, a $49 family pack will also be available. Meanwhile, Tiger users with Intel machines will be able to purchase a Mac Box Set containing Snow Leopard, iLife '09, and iWork '09 for $169 for a single license or $229 for a family pack. |
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curt
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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I was hoping that Snow Leopard would include some major changes to Front Row. That doesn't appear to be the case, does it?
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devo
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds good to me. I would probably pay $29 for QuickTime X.  |
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Smithcraft
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| Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 1:02 am Post subject: |
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| Rightondamark wrote: | | epic_ed wrote: | | I'm so happy they priced the upgrade at $29. Throw that on top of the lower MacBook Pro prices and it's like we're starting to see Apple come down to earth. You got to love recessions. |
This also makes it harder for them to raise the price for future releases. I think the days of paying $129 for an operating system from Apple are long gone. They really don't need it to survive anyways. It also puts more pressure on Microsoft. |
Why? Apple has said over and over that 10.6 is really just an update/upgrade for 10.5, and that it's not a major overhaul of the system, as previous versions have been. 10.7 could easily go back to being $129.
SC
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