Filed under: Software, Leopard, Developer
Apple to release latest Leopard beta to developers who couldn't make WWDC

A little green and blue TUAW birdie has just informed us that Apple is planning to release the Leopard beta that WWDC attendees received last week to the rest of qualifying ADC members. As to when developers can fire up their browsers and download managers, the only language we have to go on is 'soon.'
We're also told that this secondary release is happening quite a bit sooner than it did at last year's WWDC, so I guess this might be a win for developers, all things considered.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Drew said 9:54PM on 6-22-2007
What is considered a "qualifying" ADC member?
Reply
Ed said 10:10PM on 6-22-2007
Maybe this is because 9a466 is so readily available on bittorrent now, and they see no reason to encourage more developers to get it there instead of from ADC.
Reply
Ryan said 10:27PM on 6-22-2007
"Maybe this is because 9a466 is so readily available on bittorrent now, and they see no reason to encourage more developers to get it there instead of from ADC."
I was just about to say this. I think this is exactly why Apple is releasing the beta.
Reply
Terence said 10:51PM on 6-22-2007
yeah what is a qualified ADC member? I'm ADC and how do they distribute it? CD or download?
Reply
Brian Peat said 10:55PM on 6-22-2007
If you have to ask how new OS developer builds are distributed....you don't qualify.
Reply
Ethan said 11:04PM on 6-22-2007
Qualified ADC member implies that you hold either a Premiere or Select membership.
Reply
Terence said 11:06PM on 6-22-2007
Whoa, elitist attitude much?
Is it impossible to ask an honest and innocent question with out getting a snarky comment in return? I didn't know, so I asked, is that so wrong?
Brian, I didn't appreciate your response.
We are both human beings, can't we be nice and respectful?
I love you brian, as I love all people. Have a good night(or whatever time of day it is for you).
Reply
Terence said 11:07PM on 6-22-2007
Whoa, elitist attitude much?
Is it impossible to ask an honest and innocent question with out getting a snarky comment in return? I didn't know, so I asked, is that so wrong?
Brian, I didn't appreciate your response.
We are both human beings, can't we be nice and respectful?
I love you brian, as I love all people. Have a good night(or whatever time of day it is for you).
Reply
Terence said 11:09PM on 6-22-2007
Thank you ethan, and I'm sorry about the double post.
Reply
Rubbinz said 11:11PM on 6-22-2007
Yay Bit Torrent! ;-)
Been running it for a few days now on a spare firewire drive I had in the closet. Of all the things Apple is wasting time on this year, this is the only thing I find worth while.
Reply
XGM said 11:44PM on 6-22-2007
Yea well, the fact i live up in Canada, and WWDC was a week before my exams its not easy to make it...
Sorry apple shure i have ACD Prem account, but i also have leopard here that will be done in about 15 minutes...
Reply
schlomo said 11:51PM on 6-22-2007
I've never used it, but I pay the yearly fee for my ADC student membership. Anyone know if a student member would be a "qualified" developer?
Reply
Aaron Gyes said 12:39AM on 6-23-2007
schlomo: Want to sell me your hardware discount for $50?
And no, we don't get ADC seeds. I think you'd know if you had access :P
Reply
schlomo said 12:49AM on 6-23-2007
sorry, Aaron - I use my hardware discount every time the bill comes for the membership :D
too bad about not getting seeds to students... we make some of the best apps... guess there's always usenet. :)
Reply
Rboyett said 1:15AM on 6-23-2007
It's already on usenet.
Reply
macbook7 said 1:40AM on 6-23-2007
when i was a student developer, i sometimes received pre-release os x builds. you just have to log in and see what's under the 'downloads' section. go to connect.apple.com and log in with your adc member username and password.
also, if you have skills, you could always work for someone who actually has a select / premier membership. that might be enough to get you a seed, so you don't have to resort to illegal activities.
also, students get 1 hardware purchase at the adc discount level, which may or may not be cheaper than their student discount on hardware, depending on which computer / configuration is purchased.
currently a select member.
Reply
Christopher Price said 1:47AM on 6-23-2007
Apple has treated their developers like dirt throughout the Leopard release cycle. That's why I am no longer an ADC Select developer. Proudly announcing you've left developers in the dark for over a year, and long after the competition (Vista) was released, over key features... is simply unacceptable.
- Christopher Price
http://www.phonenews.com
Reply
Dave Chartier said 2:16AM on 6-23-2007
While I am no developer, I can kind of understand Apple's decision here. Developers who attended WWDC spent quite a bit of money to get out to SF for the event - offering them a beta at the keynote only seems fair to them.
After all, it looks like they're going to get the same beta out to the rest of ADC members only a mere 2-3 weeks after WWDC. That doesn't seem like a very large rift, especially from what I understand of development cycles for apps, as well as considering we still have a few months until October rolls around.
Reply
macbook7 said 3:31AM on 6-23-2007
dave, i hear you and understand apple's reasoning, i just think the logic is wrong.
wwdc is like going to a week long crash course seminar / sales pitch / trade show. you can learn a lot, network, ask questions etc. It's a 5 day event though.
adc select/premier memberships - you pay money and get all sorts of things with them, one of which are software seed keys.
that said i understand them holding off a bit last year, as the alpha was a bit buggy. however, at this point we are ~4 months away from GM and i have been using the last build for months as my main os.
so, think about this: you don't have to be a select or premier developer with' software seed key access' to go to wwdc, yet you need to go to wwdc to get the most recent leopard seed? that just doesn't make logical sense.
they want people to develop for leopard. every leopard only feature / app made helps sell leopard. let's roll with the updates.
...
i know it's my opinion and apple wants wwdc attendees to feel special. just thought i'd throw a bit of logic into the mix.
Reply
Sabon said 1:24PM on 6-23-2007
You also need to keep in mind that the software copier (Microsoft) also very badly wants to see what is changing in Mac OS X and apple doesn't want them to see it before they have to. Because you KNOW Microsoft will try and do a "me too" look on their OS even if the backend is sh*t because too many people only see what things look like and not how they work. Think I'm wrong? How many people still use Windows? Yep, that's the answer. Because they don't know how good a Mac works.
Reply