Apple issues Beta 2 of OS X 10.6 ‘Snow Leopard’

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David Flynn27 April 2009, 11:12 PM

Windows 7 and OS X 10.6 are in a race to the finish line, but Apple looks set to get there first with a mid-year release of Snow Leopard.


Apple has issued the second beta for its next-gen OS, which goes by the name of OS X 10.6 but also enjoys the catchier sobriquet of Snow Leopard.

Stamped as Build 10A335, it was released to Apple’s close-knit developer community just three weeks after the previous release – a quickening pace which may indicate that Apple is looking to close in on its promised northern summer release date.

Also noteworthy is that the documentation for this release apparently does not detail any changes since the previous build  developer seed – instead, the focus is more on identifying and swatting  bugs.

If Snow Leopard is indeed facing the home stretch it could make a public debut at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference which kicks off on June 8th in San Francisco, even if the software itself was not released for some weeks after.

But it would be unlike Apple not to take full advantage of this event to gain maximum publicity for Snow Leopard while Microsoft still labours on Windows 7.

While Apple has already decreed that 10.6 is more about making OS X faster, more efficient and less memory-intensive that previous editions, Snow Leopard still contains some treats for the user.

These are said to include a more streamlined look for QuickTime Player, which will also sport on-screen recording for video tutorials and software demonstrations; a revamped Finder UI; and support for Mail, iCal and Address Book to connect to a Microsoft Exchange server.

Deeper under the covers, Snow Leopard will be the first Mac OS with a 64-bit kernel plus 64-bit drivers, and thus full native support for 64-bit applications as well as 32-bit apps. The OS will in fact ship compiled in both 32-bit and 64-bit modes.

Snow Leopard will also introduce new technologies to take greater advantage of multi-core processors and discrete GPUs, both of which are now standard fitout on all Apple desktops and laptops.

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tim2hawkes (Cornerstone member):

win 7 has more publicity

28 April 2009, 7:32 AM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

win 7 has more publicity hype




28 April 2009, 8:52 AM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

You underestimate the hype capability of an Apple user. A small brigade of Apple users could out-hype the entire userbase of Windows...

28 April 2009, 9:18 AM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting Tin:
A small brigade of Apple users could out-hype the entire user-base of Windows...

To be fair both camps have legions of hype merchants so insecure in themselves that hype is their only sanctuary.


Quoting Tin:
You underestimate the hype capability of an Apple user.

The link there is not definitive. You don't have to be a purveyor of hype to bang away on an Apple, but I do agree that Apple doe attract its fair share of Hype merchants. My initial comment was aimed at the line of fan boy hype, rather than as an all up assessment of the mental health of various groups of fan boys. :>


28 April 2009, 9:33 AM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

jiri (New user):

Nothing has more hype than Apple.It was once superior over any windows machine but that no longer is true.Even Vista after sp1 and all updates can hold its own against OSX Leopard.OSX Leopard has its own problems and fair bit of them.I have been using Apple for last 14 years still have 3 Apple pc home but I was after notebook and last week got Sony Vaio.With Office for less than $2000.Macbook pro doest not even has a specks like that not even as a option.Still it cost $3999.I'm using Vista and OSX Leopard daily have not come across any problem with Vista.And frankly some of the things I do on pc get done quicker and better on Vista than OSX Leopard.Just look at the Apple site formu problems and you will see all is not so smooth there.

28 April 2009, 9:24 AM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

jiri (New user):

Nothing has more hype than Apple.It was once superior over any windows machine but that no longer is true.Even Vista after sp1 and all updates can hold its own against OSX Leopard.OSX Leopard has its own problems and fair bit of them.I have been using Apple for last 14 years still have 3 Apple pc home but I was after notebook and last week got Sony Vaio.With Office for less than $2000.Macbook pro doest not even has a specks like that not even as a option.Still it cost $3999.I'm using Vista and OSX Leopard daily have not come across any problem with Vista.And frankly some of the things I do on pc get done quicker and better on Vista than OSX Leopard.Just look at the Apple site formu problems and you will see all is not so smooth there.

28 April 2009, 9:26 AM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Mark Smit (New user):

Really? Well, I'm happy for you. As long as you don't push Vista on people like me. Personally, I would not switch to an operating system that annoys the h*ll out of me at every other mouseclick with it's in-your face alerts and pages of text in every Control Panel and alert to explain what the "Yes" and "No" buttons are for.

And I am happily doing my work on a $1,299 MacBook, thank you very much (price including 3GB RAM and 250GB HD self-upgrades).

28 April 2009, 7:50 PM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

jiri (New user):

Weel that is good that you happy I don't have any of the issues that you have mention.But use what is good for you.

28 April 2009, 8:33 PM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

But it would be unlike Apple not to take full advantage of this event to gain maximum publicity for Snow Leopard while Microsoft still labours on Windows 7.

Yet more pointless manufacturer's "our hype is better than their hype" nonsense.

While Apple has already decreed that 10.6 is more about making OS X faster, more efficient and less memory-intensive that previous editions

Which is what upgrade versions should be about.


Snow Leopard still contains some treats for the user.

But marketers being marketers we couldn't help but bung in some tat more hype mileage.

28 April 2009, 9:39 AM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

McBanjo (User):

Hahaha, I laugh at all these Windows users. While you're all waiting to catch up to the Leopard standard with Windows 7, Apple's going to have the next edition out before you even get your update. Then you're all going to be two years out of date again after you've caught up. Just wait for WWDC, that's when Apple will announce features. We all know the OS will be much lighter and more efficient than it already is, but they need features to sell it.

28 April 2009, 9:40 AM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting McBanjo:
Hahaha, I laugh at all these Windows users.

Yes Tin you were right they do have a crack hype team at work.


Quoting McBanjo:
Apple's going to have the next edition out before you even get your update.

As every hype merchant knows this is a competition. Point scoring is so important when your swearing allegiance to some corporation you choose to buy stuff from.


Quoting McBanjo:
Then you're all going to be two years out of date again after you've caught up

So the latest release is two years out of date upon its catching up. Very Alice in Wonderland that. So when a Microsoft company car overtakes an Apple company car it would logically be two car lengths behind. Curiouser and curiouser!



Quoting McBanjo:
Just wait for WWDC

TV wresting, no thanks I think I'll pass. :>


Quoting McBanjo:
that's when Apple will announce features.

So all this time you've had to battle on almost feature-less? And now Apple is promoting new version by tack on features? Looks for all intents and purposes like Apple is copying Microsoft.


Quoting McBanjo:
We all know the OS will be much lighter and more efficient, but they need features to sell it.

So these features must be special lightening applications the anti matter of feature bloat perhaps.


28 April 2009, 9:56 AM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

McBanjo (User):

Quoting Raindog:
So the latest release is two years out of date upon its catching up. Very Alice in Wonderland that. So when a Microsoft company car overtakes an Apple company car it would logically be two car lengths behind.

This is exactly my point. Windows 7 is attempting (and I mean 'attempting', there's a few hits, but more misses) to catch up to Leopard's prowess. Leopard was released in October 2007, so by the time you get your Windows 7, it will be two years too late. So Snow Leopard will be out, and you will have to wait another two years for Microsoft to press the copy button on their software engineers and programmers.

02 May 2009, 2:52 PM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting McBanjo:
Leopard was released in October 2007, so by the time you get your Windows 7, it will be two years too late.

So by similar logic CPM was on market shelves 30 years ago so logically was years ahead of both MS and Apple.

Curiouser and Curiouser!


Quoting McBanjo:
and you will have to wait another two years for Microsoft to press the copy button on their software engineers and programmers.

Your copy button theory is just fabricated Apple arrogance, MS marketers have been pressing the repeat button again and again rather than any copy button.


03 May 2009, 10:29 AM (6 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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