Filed under: OS, Rumors, Leopard, Snow Leopard
Rumor: Mac OS X 10.6 to debut at WWDC 08?
TUAW has received some information that suggests Apple may be working to seed developers with an early build of Mac OS X 10.6 at this year's WWDC. 10.6 will not include any new significant features from 10.5; instead, Apple is focusing solely on "stability and security."
We have also learned that OS X 10.6 may go gold master by December 2008 in an effort to start shipping it in January '09 at Macworld Expo. Mac OS X 10.6 will be a milestone release for Apple, as it will leave the PowerPC behind: a fully 64-bit clean, Intel-only Mac OS X.
This information makes us wonder about universal applications -- how much longer will they exist? With Apple leaving pre-Intel Macs behind before the end of the decade, this could mark the end of the Intel transition, as Apple (and presumably many third-party developers) will be focusing only on the newer Mac architecture.
Of course, this leaves open a critical question -- what will this new OS version be codenamed? We've got our hunches, but we can't leave you out of the guessing game.
Update: Jacqui Cheng at Ars Technica confirms our info, and lets the cat out of the bag: the code name for 10.6 is expected to be Snow Leopard (choice #2 below).
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
orinjuse said 10:10PM on 6-03-2008
For those of us who haven't upgraded to Leopard yet, we may as well just wait for this.
Reply
Azazel said 10:13PM on 6-03-2008
I very much doubt the marketing people will codename 10.6 after a term widely used for a sexually desperate older woman.
Reply
G said 10:31PM on 6-03-2008
That was my first thought regarding "Cougar" as well, especially with Sex & The City ruling the box office this week. But Lion and Cougar are the only powerful names left on the list. Lion sounds a little final, as in "king of the jungle" so nothing can follow it. Hmmm..
Caracal, Colocolo, Kodkod, Oncilla, Jaguarundi, Margay, Serval, Sabertooth?
Heathcliff, Hobbes, Hello Kitty, Sylvester, Tigger, Top Cat, Azrael, Thundercat (hooooo!), Autocat, Socks, Stimpy (you eediot!), Figaro, Snagglepuss, Chairman Meow?
This is indeed a good question. We seem to be out of power-marketing cat names. Exit, stage left.
Leo said 10:41PM on 6-03-2008
Yeah, "OS X Your mom" would be a no-no.
tukan said 10:48PM on 6-03-2008
not a native speaker - which one do you mean?
caleb said 11:33PM on 6-03-2008
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cougar
Ryan Trevisol said 7:37AM on 6-04-2008
OSX Stimpy would have to be a joint venture with Microsoft.
Wei said 11:30AM on 6-04-2008
What about a Ligar? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liger
Marshall said 1:34PM on 6-04-2008
Cougar makes sense if they get rid of universal apps. OSX is a mature operating system (not in a bad way, just that it has been around for a while and is "experienced") and it would suddenly be interested in only young machines.
Lawrence said 8:09AM on 6-08-2008
Cougar is a well established rumour, but I see your point hehe. Don't know what to say.
macgeekjew said 10:15PM on 6-03-2008
well, seeing as i'm still on a G4 iBook, im pretty sure it would suck if apple left us behind. i know, powerpc is old tech, but still, i've only had this computer for 3 years, so it can't be that old. but yeah, i'd just be disappointed with apple.
Reply
Adam Schoales said 8:34AM on 6-04-2008
I totally agree. I have a G4 Powerbook that I bought just before thee transition. Cost me a good chunk of change too. As a student I cannot afford to just buy a new one... it would be a real shame if only 3 years after getting it it was completely obsolete. I mean, if I had bought a PC I'd expect that but not with a mac.
Leoedin said 9:24AM on 6-04-2008
@Adam Schoales
Firstly, you knew what was happening when you bought that computer (assuming you did buy it *just* before the changeover). There was at least 6 months between announcement and the new macbooks.
Secondly, Apple does have a history of changing architectures. It's happened twice. While I don't think much of Microsoft, you should expect it more with apple (where it has happened before) than with a PC (where it has never really happened).
Thirdly, your computer is hardly obsolete because it can't run the latest operating system. A 4 year old (as it will be when this OS is released) laptop can't be expected to run the latest OS. Leopard is hardly obsolete anyway.
I guess it may mark the end for new apps, but to be honest the number of universal apps coming out is decreasing anyway.
Evan said 10:50AM on 6-06-2008
If it's 64-bit only, then 1st gen Intel macs are also personal non grata. Core duo and solo were both 32-bit chips.
Adam Schoales said 2:38PM on 6-04-2008
@Leoedin -- the computer was bought in December for christmas (I paid for half, parents gifted the other half). About a month or two later the new ones were announced. While they offered an upgrade, since they no longer offered the 12" I was required to pay an extra $300 to make the upgrade. Yes, this is a great deal - but seeing as I literally had emptied my bank account in the first place, I didn't have $300 to spare.
It's also not a matter of being surprised in a change in architecture - sure Apple may have done it before (though this was news to me as I'm a rather new mac user) but to think that only 3 years after the switch they are abandoning universal apps is a bit of a surprise.
Finally, it is not the fact that I won't have the latest OS that would make it Obsolete, but rather the fact that once Apple fully turns their backs on PPC that means app makers will do the same. And I'm sorry to say the number of universal apps is dropping - I cannot help but disagree. I have never had trouble with apps to date - in fact the only ones that I have had problems with (and there's maybe 3) its been with ports from other architectures (for example the Xbox Media Centre).
Also as a content creator -- if things like Final Cut and Photoshop start being only for universal then in my mind my computer is indeed obsolete.
Feras said 10:16PM on 6-03-2008
Apple had copyrighted Lynx back in july so thats what im going with.
http://www.macrumors.com/2003/07/24/apple-trademarks-lynx-cougar-leopard-tiger-and-more/
Reply
tukan said 10:32PM on 6-03-2008
yeah, back in July ... 2003 :) but still, Lynx sounds weird to me, it would need some time getting used to
PSM said 11:32PM on 6-03-2008
I'm going with Lynx as most likely, but LOLcat is my favorite.
julian said 1:10AM on 6-04-2008
ya
at the same time the trademarked leopard and tiger which were both used
niknak said 7:03AM on 6-04-2008
Nah. Sounds too much like 'Linux'.