[Satchmo]

What's the current buzz regarding the release date for Snow Leopard. My searches have netted anywhere between February and June.

If you had to hedge a bet, which month would it be closer to? Any guesses or developer builds that might indicate one or the other?
I've got an Apple credit to use by end of March, and a Macbook with SN preloaded would be nice.

[chucker]

I don't know where those "it'll ship earlier than planned" rumors are coming from. What Apple did say on the release date:

Snow Leopard [..] is scheduled to ship in about a year.

So that's somewhere around June 9th, 2009. There hasn't been a single statement that I can find since; only speculation driven either by the purported stability of seeds, or by clueless analysts. And, really, what motivation does Apple have to rush it? Windows 7 will be released later either way (apparently in Q3), and aside from that, Leopard isn't particularly lacking in anything.

As a user, I am looking forward to full Exchange support, given that I currently work at a Windows-centric software business. And, as a developer, there's plenty of exciting things coming. But, as always, I'd much rather Apple take their time than release a low-quality final build. I simply don't see the rush.

[Gargoyle]

1st April 2009

[thegeriatric]

Originally Posted by Gargoyle 1st April 2009

Nope, that's not a tuesday.

[FFL]

Leopard was released on a Friday.

[thegeriatric]

Originally Posted by FFL Leopard was released on a Friday.

Nope that's not a Friday.

[psmith2.0]

Most of the major OS releases were on a Friday, right? I know Jaguar and Panther were (I was there present at Apple Stores for both...San Diego and Atlanta, respectively). Tiger, I'm not sure (but I assume so). And yeah, Leopard.

Makes sense, actually. Kicks off the weekend at 6:00pm, giving all the first-day buyers the full weekend to install/upgrade and learn any new features (not that upgrading the Mac OS is anything more than an hour or two, tops). I know people who can easily spend an entire weekend "recovering" from (or suffering through, and then undoing) an OS upgrade...but they're not using Macs.

[FFL]

OMG!

Confirmed - Snow Leopard WILL be released on.....






... a Friday!

[nikstar101]

Like i said in the other threads, i think that Snow Leopard will be released with the new range of desktops. Which i would hazard a guess will be sometime around the end of March (possibly announced early March, with shipping by the end).

Although Windows 7 is supposedly a long way off, i think Microsoft would love to beat Apple to the punch-line this time around. After all those Get a Mac Adverts, so although they may say Q3 09, i reckon it will be sooner than that and Apple will make sure that they are first.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by nikstar101 Although Windows 7 is supposedly a long way off, i think Microsoft would love to beat Apple to the punch-line this time around.

Yeah, but why? What does it really matter in the big picture, being "first" with an OS release? It's two different target crowds/users, who don't really care about what the other gets, or when. I know I don't care, as a Mac user, if Windows 7 ships first...it doesn't affect me at all (unless it's supremely goofy and a DOA dud, and gives me something to mock and ridicule. Again).



But seriously, I don't think about "who's first out of the gate with the newest OS". I'm more into the "as long as it takes, to avoid releasing a $129 turd to the customers" approach. If Microsoft feels differently and wants to put "trumping Apple by releasing Windows 7 earlier than Snow Leopard", not only is nobody going to really care, but it kinda says something weird about the "me first!" mindset.

Windows 7 could come out March 1, and Snow Leopard could get pushed back to late November, and I could't possibly imagine giving an honest rip either way.

But would people actually hinge any sort of purchase (or platform) decisions on such a thing? Surely not. If you're already a devoted, longtime user of either platform, "who's out first with the new OS" isn't going to make you switch. And if you're a newbie and know nothing about it all, you're probably just going to go with what's cheapest, or what your buddies use/recommend (and hopefully a few of them are Mac users).



It's one of those fleeting (one day), press release-only type of things that only looks/sounds good on paper.

"Microsoft released Windows 7 two months earlier than expected, beating Apple's Snow Leopard to the punch."

Yeah, and...? Now do you wanna take bets on which one went smoother, and with fewer hassles and issues?

[chucker]

Originally Posted by nikstar101 although they may say Q3 09, i reckon it will be sooner than that and Apple will make sure that they are first.

You can't trick competitors like that with software when you have semi-private and public tests. They had their first (and only, if going by plans) beta a month ago, and they'll have one or more release candidates in the coming months. There's very little leeway for them to say "hah! fooled you — our builds are actually a lot more stable than they might have seemed", because that would defeat the point of seeding those builds.

[hmurchison]

I'm thinking that Snow Leopard will be delivered around a May timeframe. This allows Apple to deliver the new iMac and mini with a stable 10.5.6 flavor.

By the time WWDC rolls around SL will be in the wild and we'll start seeing the first small developer support. My guess for first app to take advantage of SL technology will be something along the lines of video encoding like

http://www.badaboomit.com/

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by chucker You can't trick competitors like that with software when you have semi-private and public tests. They had their first (and only, if going by plans) beta a month ago, and they'll have one or more release candidates in the coming months. There's very little leeway for them to say "hah! fooled you — our builds are actually a lot more stable than they might have seemed", because that would defeat the point of seeding those builds.

Exactly. People in the know (testers and so forth) have an inkling of things. Unless you just kept everything completely internal (and you couldn't with a major OS like this), people have a general idea of how far along these things are. It would tough (no, impossible) to do that. You'd have to coordinate a huge lie between so many people.

Sure, it's been done. Many times, in fact.



But still...

[Banana]

I just wish Chucker would stop spreading disinformation and owe up to the fact that he has a NDA prohibiting him from telling us the real release date and is part of vast right-wing conspiracy to fool Microsoft!

[chucker]

Originally Posted by Banana I just wish Chucker would stop spreading disinformation and owe up to the fact that he has a NDA prohibiting him from telling us the real release date and is part of vast right-wing conspiracy to fool Microsoft!

[wecallitfall]

I go for June 20th 2009

So are we doing a sweepstake, where the winner wins.... BEER!?

[thegeriatric]

Nope. That's not a Friday.

[nikstar101]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Yeah, but why? What does it really matter in the big picture, being "first" with an OS release? It's two different target crowds/users, who don't really care about what the other gets, or when. I know I don't care, as a Mac user, if Windows 7 ships first...it doesn't affect me at all (unless it's supremely goofy and a DOA dud, and gives me something to mock and ridicule. Again).

I agree that both are aiming for different markets and people already using Mac systems don't care which comes first, but there will be comparisions between the two major OSs. Like there has been with every recent release. Comparing features, ease of use, stability etc.

Now Apple has been winning these and supplying the product first, such as Spotlight Searching etc. And then people churn out the well worn phrase Redmond Start Your Photocopiers.... And although it may seem petty this is exactly what Apple plays on. The first to bring new/better features to the market and letting the other catch up. I don't think they would want to loose this advantage.

Both these OSs have fundimentally the same objective, enhance and speed up an exsisting OS (Leopard/Vista). Therefore after slating Vista publically it would look quite bad that Microsoft managed to fix its "dog" of an OS before Apple updated it "supposedly great" OS.

I think for the Apple newbies out there, who are yet to buy a Mac, the release of a new OS with its shiney new features is a bit of a pull. If Microsoft actually do fix Vista and Windows 7 get huge rave reviews, who people be so tempted to switch??

[DK-Lach]

Originally Posted by nikstar101 Now Apple has been winning these and supplying the product first, such as Spotlight Searching etc. And then people churn out the well worn phrase Redmond Start Your Photocopiers....

Actually Microsoft did launch the official DesktopSearch addon for XP before OSX Tiger and Spotlight was launched. So in this case it was "Infinite Loop, Start your photocopiers...

[nikstar101]

Originally Posted by DK-Lach Actually Microsoft did launch the official DesktopSearch addon for XP before OSX Tiger and Spotlight was launched. So in this case it was "Infinite Loop, Start your photocopiers...

I knew someone was going to bring that up. I was being really lazy and couldn't be bothered to think of another feature. What about Widgets (i have a feeling they were in the Windows world first too....)

[Chinney]

Just a quick question highlighting my ignorance on Apple OS development: Is it actually 'confirmed' that Snow Leopard' will be Intel-only?

[dmegatool]

Yes it is !

[Banana]

Source?

Last time we talked about it, it turned to be a rumor....

[dmegatool]

http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/06/...rd.intel.only/
http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/12/mac-o...be-intel-only/
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/20...pure-cocoa.ars
http://gizmodo.com/5015495/snow-leop...sive-after-all



All of theses are based on the requierements but I can't imagine Apple coming with a PPC version without giving it to developpers.

[Banana]

Thanks, but those sources were roughly the same dates when that question was discussed and is based on a seed. I don't know if there were any new seed since, though I'd have expected a more recent article re-confirming if this was the case. I recall Chucker stating that it wasn't necessarily a guarantee that the final version will be Intel-only, though I'll grant that it *does* lends credibility.

I'll be watching on this one. I'm very interested in ramification it would hold for those with PPC Macs. Back then, I had asked about what if I had two Intel Macs and one PPC Mac, and wanted to upgrade the OS to most latest version, would it have meant I'd have to buy two license, a family pack of 10.6 and a single-user of 10.5? Of course, the question is only relevant if it is truly Intel-only.

[DK-Lach]

Originally Posted by nikstar101 I knew someone was going to bring that up. I was being really lazy and couldn't be bothered to think of another feature. What about Widgets (i have a feeling they were in the Windows world first too....)

Now that you mention it, widgets was part of the third-party Konfabulator-software. Though I'm not sure, I think that was Windows only, at the time...

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by DK-Lach Now that you mention it, widgets was part of the third-party Konfabulator-software. Though I'm not sure, I think that was Windows only, at the time...

Nope. Konfabulator started on the Mac, and when Apple created Dashboard, then went Windows only.

Of course, both are a modern implementation of Desk Accessories...

[chucker]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Nope. Konfabulator started on the Mac, and when Apple created Dashboard, then went Windows only.

I don't believe Konfabulator (Yahoo! Widgets) ever went Windows-only. Certainly looks like 4.5.2 is available for both Windows and Mac OS X.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by chucker I don't believe Konfabulator (Yahoo! Widgets) ever went Windows-only. Certainly looks like 4.5.2 is available for both Windows and Mac OS X.

I stand corrected. Dashboard precipitated the inclusion of Windows as a platform.

[Enki]

Originally Posted by DK-Lach Actually Microsoft did launch the official DesktopSearch addon for XP before OSX Tiger and Spotlight was launched. So in this case it was "Infinite Loop, Start your photocopiers...

Except Spotlight was just an advanced implementation of the Sherlock indexing and search service, which goes all the way back to Mac OS 8.5 in 1998. That shipped almost two years before Win2K, 5 years before XP.