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Possible Delay Looms for Leopard

by , 8:10 AM EDT, March 23rd, 2007

Apple Inc. has stated that the next version of the Mac operating system, Mac OS X 10.5 - or Leopard - will ship this spring, and some analysts are expecting that to be as early as April. But a new report coming out of Taipei suggests that Apple may postpone Leopard's release until October to enhance Windows Vista support, according to DigiTimes.

The supposed delay will give Apple time to rework Boot Camp to support Windows Vista, unlike the current version which is designed to be compatible with Windows XP. Boot Camp is Apple's software that allows you to install Microsoft's Windows XP operating system along with Mac OS X on Intel-based Macs, and then choose which OS to boot at startup.

Delaying the release of Leopard to add Vista support could potentially make Apple's new operating system more attractive to Windows switchers since it would ease the pain of moving from one OS to another. It would also, however, push the release out several months past the promised ship time - and after the back to school sales window.

Regardless of whether or not Apple hits its promised spring ship window, an April release seems more and more unlikely. An Ars Technica report indicates that developers working with current builds of Mac OS X 10.5 feel the operating system is still at a beta stage and is not ready to ship.

One developer with the current seed version of Leopard commented "We still have the same seed we got 2 weeks ago. I'd say it's barely beta, not Final or Gold Master."

If these reports from developers are accurate, then the next likely release window will be during Apple's World Wide Developer Conference which runs from June 11 through June 15.

Unfortunately, Apple isn't offering any additional information about its time frame for shipping Leopard, so for now, users and developers will have to wait and see.

Digg!

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
View Name:Guest
Subject:
Close Name:jpfreeman Posts: 48 Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Subject:

resease 10.5 when it's ready. Vista support can wait for 10.5.1

View Name:Guest
Subject: This makes no sense...
View Name:Guest
Subject: Nonsense
View Name:Guest
Subject: Boot Camp already supports Vista
Close Name:horvatic Posts: 99 Joined: 27 Jun 2003
Subject: I don't think Vista support should be a priority

I don't think Vista support should or would be a priority for Apple to delay leopard. Most people don't like Vista anyways and use XP Pro for boot camp.
I think this is non-sense and not a leopard delaying feature. Apple if you
are listening release leopard and add the Vista compatability later because no one really cares and would rather have leopard now than wait if the delay is only about Vista. It's just totally silly to me.

View Name:Guest
Subject: Leopard slips..
View Name:Guest
Subject: Why make tried and true wait????
View Name:Guest
Subject: Apple will Dealy Mac OS for Vista???
View Name:Guest
Subject: Leopard launch 17 Abril
Close Name:mike3k Posts: 57 Joined: 31 Dec 2001
Subject: No big hurry

As a developer, I've been getting all of the seeds. I only boot it long enough to test what I need and then go back to 10.4. I'm in no big hurry. There are no compelling features that make me want to switch. Some of the bugs (notably calculating disk space incorrectly on my NFS server volumes) make me afraid to use it. I don't use Safari or Mail.app - I use firefox & gmail, so any new features in those applications don't make any difference to me.

View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: Spring you dummies
View Name:Guest
Subject: April?
View Name:Guest
Subject: FUD
View Name:Guest
Subject: Now I've read everything
Close Name:Edd Posts: 5 Joined: 05 Jan 2007
Subject: I hope this is wrong... after the WWDC 2006 keynote

At WWDC 2006, Steve belabored the point of microsoft delaying Longhorn's release and then dropping it back due to 'unexpected issues.' He mentioned that Leopard would be in the spring.

If Leopard's release is dropped back due to unexpected issues with Longhorn compatibility ... well I think there's an Alanis Morrissette song about that...

Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 2926 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject:

Don'tcha think?

View Name:Guest
Subject: Funny
View Name:Guest
Subject: we can wait....
View Name:Guest
Subject: BS
Close Name:buttercupboxer Posts: 16 Joined: 10 Jan 2007
Subject: Leopard's late...

and it's Microsoft's fault.

suddenly my world feels like an MC Escher print.

Close Name:engrish Posts: 39 Joined: 21 Oct 2005
Subject: Re: Possible Delay Looms for Leopard

Michael Gartenberg states that he talked with Apple about this and that Leopard is still scheduled to ship this spring.

Close Name:Rainy Day Posts: 607 Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Subject: The Heavens

The stars are all aligning on a Leopard release at WWDC in June. We will also see new Macs introduced then, and learn that MultiTouch is one of those Top Secret features of Leopard… and is for Macs as well as the iPhone (and undoubtedly, the next generation of iPods).

We will also find that Leopard integrates quite nicely with the iPhone (so nicely that PeeCee abusers will be green with envy).

View Name:Guest
Subject: Vista works fine under Boot Camp
View Name:Guest
Subject: What better scapegoat than M$?
Close Name:Sir Harry Flashman Posts: 627 Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Subject: NDA's

To all of you who are testing Leopard and commenting on this board. Doesn't the NDA prohibit you from talking about the OS?

Close Name:boodle Posts: 42 Joined: 13 Jun 2004
Subject: wait

other than for mac enthusiasts, who would wait until the seas rise in any case, who will care if leopard is delayed by several months. i agree with the poster who said that a rock-solid release is more important.

my guess is that leopard will not quite be insanely greater than tiger, and a buggy release could kill acceptance of the new system, and pause new mac sales. better to announce all the new products first, then leopard.

View Name:Guest
Subject: Rubbish!
Close Name:jmmejzz Posts: 34 Joined: 05 Sep 2004
Subject: Delay Leopard for early adopters of Vista...

Really illogical considering the early adopters of Vista are probably the least likely to switch to a Mac.

View Name:Guest
Subject: Bwaaaahaaaaaahaaaaaahaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Close Name:JRocket Posts: 5 Joined: 06 Sep 2006
Subject: Just not true. Read more at...

Roughlydrafted.com. This guy hits the nail on the head regarding all the wild rumors sprouting up everywhere... And how the idea that Apple would delay OS X for Vista is laughable.

Leopard, Vista and the Boot Camp Delay Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/5209A3EE-03DE-42CA-8A27-55DBF41C6F5D.html

View Name:Guest
Subject:
Close Name:Nom Posts: 58 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject:

From Apple's perspective, I'm pretty sure that the goal of Boot Camp and similar technologies is that they become less useful the longer someone owns a Mac.

Boot Camp is an introductory technique - "You can have your cake and eat it too". But Apple doesn't want long-term users running dual boot; they want them running OS X. Boot Camp is there so that users convinced that they need Windows can still buy a Mac and still use OS X. And once they're in, they will hopefully find they switch out less and less often.

So getting Boot Camp right is important, but it's not a "core feature".

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