Does Apple have an OS X update up its sleeve?

Rumor sites have speculated that OS X 10.6 could be previewed at next week's WWDC and released as soon as January’s Macworld Expo. Here’s one take on why this seemingly odd timing might make sense.

Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" confirmed to be Intel-only

We speculated before the WWDC Keynote that Mac OS X 10.6 might be Intel-only. Now it looks like (to many Mac user's chagrin) that rumor might actually be true. MacNN got a copy of the system requirements for Snow Leopard. One of the main changes: "An Intel processor" required. Some of the other system requirements include: Intel processor An internal, external, or shared DVD drive At least 512 MB of RAM (more is recommended for development) A built-in display or display connected to an Apple-supplied video card supported by your computer At least 9GB of disk space available, or 12GB of disk space if you install the developer tools Keep in mind that these system requirements refer to the Developer Preview handed out at WWDC. Snow Leopard isn't schedule to ship for a year, and things can change. That being said, it might be time for you PowerPC Mac owners to start saving for a new Mac. [via MacNN]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mac OS X v10.6 is Intel-only, and that makes sense

Section: Apple News, Conferences, WWDC, Operating Systems, Leopard, OS-X, Originals Despite the screenshots we saw yesterday showing Universal applications running under the purported Mac OS X 10.6, LogicielMac today surfaced a screenshot of the 10.6 developer build’s accompanying PDF, which shows support for Intel only. Keeping in mind that this is just a developer build and it is still far from finished, the Intel-only stipulation does make sense. No new consumer features are being added in, so people with 10.5 won’t be missing out on any new iChat effects (God forbid!) and it really makes no sense to continue optimization on a platform that has been dead for years. I think of 10.6 as an Intel-optimized 10.5, with new underlying technologies that wouldn’t have had any application on the single and at most dual-processor PowerPC machines. This will pave the way for Mac OS Touch, which, while having a new naming scheme, will have the same underlying components from OS X. Carbon, however, will be gone, as the UI will be based on Cocoa Touch. For those who doubt me, just check this article...the night before the internet erupted about Snow Leopard. Mac OS X 10.6 will be the last iteration of OS X if Apple has a good plan. Its crowning feature will likely be resolution independence, but, other than that, there won’t be many new features, just improvements. Which reminds me...why didn’t they talk about resolution independence in OS X 10.6? Do they really have it up their sleeve to get it done by Leopard? Sound off in the comments. Full Story » | Written by Adam Fisher-Cox for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Mac OS X Snow Leopard: Apple's secret business weapon? (InfoWorld)

InfoWorld - Judging from initial accounts, the next version of the Mac OS X, named Snow Leopard, will be aimed squarely at business and enterprise users, signaling a formal push by Apple to take Windows head on outside the consumer and education markets. "Apple is taking the Mac OS one step closer to the enterprise," says Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard: Apple's secret business weapon?

InfoWorld says the next version of Mac OS X will be aimed squarely at business and enterprise users, signaling a formal push by Apple to take Windows head on outside the consumer and education markets.

Mac OS X To Ease Programming for Multi-Core Processors (NewsFactor)

NewsFactor - The next version of Apple's OS X operating system will include breakthroughs in programming parallel processors, Apple CEO Steve Jobs told The New York Times in an interview after this week's Worldwide Developers Conference.