Leopard Build 9A377a Details Emerging

[dongmin]

AppleInsider just confirmed March 27th as the release date for Adobe CS 3.
With all of the Pros waiting to upgrade hardware, it would seem to me that at least a ship date for Leopard will be announced by then. If not, everyone will just keep waiting. Who want's to buy a new machine when you know a new OS will be shipping with it in a month or two. It would seem smart for Apple to announce and offer a free upgrade to Leopard with Macs bought after the announcement. That way sales would not be postponed. Apple has not done that in the past however so I'm not holding my breath.

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2544

Well, something Apple has done in the past and they could do here is include a free Leopard upgrade coupon with all new Macs purchased after a certain date. Of course, this requires Apple to actually set an official date for the Leopard release and announce it. My hope is that Apple do a final show-and -tell of Leopard sometime in March/April for that announcement. That'll be the finalfeatures-freeze, and developers/testers can have a couple of months to iron out the bugs.

 

[goosnarrggh]

You're going to be waiting forever. It's a hardware problem.

Sorry to break the news to you.

Hum...
There are a few reasons why one couldn't use a MBP's Airport Extreme card in a PB to add 802.11n capabilities...
For one thing, the MBP's Airport Extreme card uses a PCIe bus interface, which isn't compatible with a PB.

For another thing, the Core 2 Duo MBP's Airport Extreme card requires has three antennas, and a PB only offers 2 antennas.

But I fail to see how those arguments would render a PB incapable of using *ANY* 802.11n hardware. The card referenced above, WLI-CB-AG300N, doesn't use the internal Airport slot, and it doesn't use the internal Airport antennas. It is a standard CardBus adaptor. It would plug into the PCMCIA slot on the side of any 15" or 17" PB, and it contains its own antenna.

The missing link then would simply be software to control it.

 

[rfaulder]

Didn't you get the memo?.. All the mac fanatics have been saying all along that macs are not more expensive than PC's (whenever of course someone like me points out to them why more people buy Dells than overpriced macs). You should get with the program (i have, after being reprogrammed). What cheap Dell boxes?. Macs are just as cheap!!!!!. (hold a minute, reprogramming wearing off.. i need another dosage of the mac fanaticism... I have to go now and quickly find the apple coolaid stored in the fridge somewhere.. hope i don't get distracted by the Jobs distortion reality field that just popped up).

Please go to a Best Buy and watch people buy computers. There are a lot who don't look at the $2000, $1000, or even $600 ones; they flock to the $350 el Cheapo's that flood the market.

Apple computers are the same price as COMPARABLE machines, they do not make Bargain-Bin computers.


...Didn't you get the memo?

 

[drewby]

At this rate Vista will be stable enough to run life support systems before Leopard is announced.

I can see it now!!!

Life support is failing. System wants to switch to back up -- Cancel or Allow?

 

[Darkroom]

I think it looks... messy. I dont like how they are mixing the old graphic assets with the new stuff. They should redesign everything, even if it's supposed to look like the old stuff. Hopefully this is placeholder for something awesome.

i agree... but i am glad to see their old graphic style in these images, as it's an obvious clue that the user interface with the current build is a temporary mask... i couldn't ever imagine a company like Apple, who are known for their new innovative and striking designs, to backtrack 5 years to rehash GUI excerpts from 10.1... i'm now convinced that there will be some obvious graphic updates with the user interface in 10.5.

 

[Wild-Bill]

What, do you operate a website that tracks Apple models and don't have anything to do? Products are updated when they're updated. Calling it unacceptable is a tad extreme. What would you like updated? Is there some other system out there shaming it? Last I checked, there haven't been any new Xeon processors yet, so there's not much to update.

Uhh.............. No, I don't matticus. Macrumors does this for us already, wiseguy. Perhaps you should direct your attention to the tab above that says "Buyer's Guide". Better yet, just click this: https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#Mac_Pro

No new Xeons? Ever heard of quad-core?? How about video cards? I am quite sure there are newer and better cards on the market than the X1900XT.

 

[jwdsail]

You're going to be waiting forever. It's a hardware problem.

Sorry to break the news to you.

Please elaborate...

What is the hardware problem in getting a PC card/Cardbus card with the same chipset as Apple uses internally to be seen as an Airport card, just as has been possible in the past???

For instance - Right now on a PowerBook G3/400 running MacOS X 10.4.8, which never had the orig. 802.11b AirPort card, am using the Buffalo b/g card. MacOS X 10.3 sees this as an AirPort Extreme g based card. No 3rd party drivers needed. "It just works". Plan on doing the same w/ my PB G4/550, just trying to decide between the g cards (few and far between/hard to find now) and trying out an N card and hoping that 10.5 offers some updated AirPort sw and support (even if some plist editing is needed) for cards like the WLI-CB-AG300N...

What hardware issue would prevent the same from being done with newer N cards?

It would seem to be a software issue as in the past on the surface.. Please elaborate as to the hardware issue.. You could save at least a few of us some cash, as I know I'm not the only one looking at this.

Thanks.


jwd

 

[syriana]

These will be largely user-oriented features that developers don't need to know about, and which don't break any backwards compatibility requirements, which is why they haven't been released in the developer builds so far.

My predictions for the secret features are:
1) A new Finder, written in Cocoa, and making heavy (but not tacky) use of core animation. It will maintain backwards compatibility with the existing finder library, so it shouldn't break any existing scripts.
2) A new theme - Illumnous - featuring back-lit windows with halos where Aqua has drop-shadows, a variety of new, resolution-independent widgets, and *no* brushed metal (but Aqua will remain available for those who want to keep it).
3) A variety of slick new features that allow better integration of digital hub components (?TV, iPhone, iPod) and .Mac integration.
4) Something that will surprise us all and make Vista look anemic.

Cheers

1) I sure hope you're right!
2) Debattable, some seems to think it is not possible due to "These will be largely user-oriented features that developers don't need to know about, and which don't break any backwards compatibility requirements, which is why they haven't been released in the developer builds so far."
3) Yes. And wireless timemachine on top of that.
4) Please let this be multitouch technology!!

 

[sunfast]

Hmmm. Looks like a bit more of a wait until Leopard. Shame that, because I'm off to the states pretty soon and was hoping to buy it there on the cheap!

 

[Queso]

AppleInsider just confirmed March 27th as the release date for Adobe CS 3.
With all of the Pros waiting to upgrade hardware, it would seem to me that at least a ship date for Leopard will be announced by then. If not, everyone will just keep waiting. Who want's to buy a new machine when you know a new OS will be shipping with it in a month or two.

The graphics pros couldn't give a toss about Leopard. They want CS3 as soon as possible. If anything, a lot of them would take the stable 10.4.9 over a possibly buggy 10.5.0, as long as it ran Intel-native Adobe software.

 

[Georgie]

Surely brand new features need developer testing too.

Hey, good point--no one has ever mentioned that before...

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

Didn't you get the memo?.. All the mac fanatics have been saying all along that macs are not more expensive than PC's (whenever of course someone like me points out to them why more people buy Dells than overpriced macs). You should get with the program (i have, after being reprogrammed). What cheap Dell boxes?. Macs are just as cheap!!!!!. (hold a minute, reprogramming wearing off.. i need another dosage of the mac fanaticism... I have to go now and quickly find the apple coolaid stored in the fridge somewhere.. hope i don't get distracted by the Jobs distortion reality field that just popped up).

Oh don't we love a good comedian?

As said before, most who are in the market for a computer but are not concerned about how low one can go in terms of overall quality and spec are going to most likely purchase that $300 desktop or $500 laptop computer. These PC v Mac price wars are ludicrous. I'd much rather pay the $2,000 for a macbook pro than the $1,000 more for a Dell high end laptop.

As for this OS clamoring, I don't see the big deal in waiting a bit longer. My macbook will be in its first year of ownership come May, and I'm quite happy with the performance of Tiger so far. When Leopard is finally released I won't be one of those people first on line to get a copy. Instead I'll just test out demo macs in the Apple stores and try out the new OS and keep watch of hitches n' bugs posted. For what you get now Tiger is fantastic. It's not like we're all suffering here.

Hell, Vista took 5 years to roll off the line while XP grew positively stale. Apple at least provided some healthy upgrades in that time, although nothing spectacular. But really, why do people need to be wowed by OS's anymore? I think it's vastly better to just get good practical upgrades that, while not being supercalafragalistic, still one-up its predecessors.

 

[theheadguy]

Synced stickies. Yesss!

Glad I'm not the only one excited about this!

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

I'm with everyone else that wants an improved iCal. These sorts of things are what really make the OS really great to use. I use iCal daily, and I even turn my macbook into an alarm clock.

 

[SiliconAddict]

haha no it wont, as long as it runs on microsoft's kernal it will never be stable

Fanbois, gotta love em...oh wait. No I don't.

Telp. You sir, are full of crap. My home server running Windows Server 2003 has been up over a year now. My desktop running Win XP gets rebooted once every 2-3 months for patches. In point of fact my C2DMBP freezes\crashes more often then my desktop ever does. The last instance being a flash site in Firefox freezing my system up on 2/17. so please...Don't try telling me OS X is so dang stable. It isn't.

 

[gctwnl]

Waiting for Leopard

What SO wrong with Tiger?

Having to spend $500 on OS X Server just months before the next version comes out and thus having to spend another $500 to upgrade?

Same for OS X but with a price tag of $129?

I am waiting for Leopard Server before a) investing in my next OS X Server upgrade and b) investing in new hardware. Given that Leopard was `announced' at WWDC 2006, it has been a long wait and my 10.3 Server is due for a replacement.

G

 

[SiliconAddict]

I'm with everyone else that wants an improved iCal. These sorts of things are what really make the OS really great to use. I use iCal daily, and I even turn my macbook into an alarm clock.

Forget iCal. I want an all in one PIM. E-mail\Contacts\Calendar\todos all in one App. This is why I'm running Outlook 2003 under Crossover. Needing to switch back and forth between apps should have ended years ago. All of these apps bleed into one another in terms of what you use them for. You simply shouldn't have to deal with window management for such things. There is no reason to not have these apps integrated. Check that there is one reason: to make the OS look like its shipping with more apps, and as such its OMG! such a deal. Which it already is. Slimming it down wouldn't hurt the value IMHO.

 

[lintaimi]

Leopard build based on UNIX coding?

Ok, I apologize first if this posting doesn't belong this thread. For the MacRumors editors/regulators: if it doesn't, please tell me or just put this posting to the right thread. Thank you very much.

Anyways, my question is, I heard that Leopard is going to base on/merge with UNIX coding, is that true? Because I sometimes use SAS program for work, and since I just got a new MBP and SAS compatible with all the other OS but Mac's. I'm wondering if anyone knows the new Leopard with UNIX coding will enable me to install SAS directly in OS X environment, instead of I need to partition my HD and put Vista on my MBP. Thanks so much for anyone's help and responds.

 

[gctwnl]

iCal needs some attention but is getting very little. It even got worse when they took out the tentative, etc. flags.
I think it's because Steve has his secretary fill it and has never seen iCal himself.

iCal is broken, if you ask me. The idea of having multiple calendars instead of multiple categories is plain wrong. If I want stuff where people can see I'm engaged so they can actually use my calendar but not what I am doing (i.e. private meetings) I have to make two calendars in iCal and people have to subvscribe to both. But what others need is a subscription to the total 'me, not broken up in all these separate calendars. Actually, here the basic idea is wrong. I as a person have only one time schedule with possible overlapping appointments, some private, some public.

iCal's inability to handle private meetings in a decent way has stopped me from using it altogether.

G

 

[Nym]

Having to spend $500 on OS X Server just months before the next version comes out and thus having to spend another $500 to upgrade?

Same for OS X but with a price tag of $129?

I am waiting for Leopard Server before a) investing in my next OS X Server upgrade and b) investing in new hardware. Given that Leopard was `announced' at WWDC 2006, it has been a long wait and my 10.3 Server is due for a replacement.

G

Humm? Didn't quite understand if you where agreeing or disagreeing with what I said

If I didn't own Tiger already I would wait for Leopard too, it makes no sense to buy an OS when you know that an upgrade is just around the corner, if that's what you're saying then I agree with you.

As of now no one know what Apple has up their sleeve, but we are used to get blown away by their stuff so I guess patience will reward us.

 

[Peace]

The graphics pros couldn't give a toss about Leopard. They want CS3 as soon as possible. If anything, a lot of them would take the stable 10.4.9 over a possibly buggy 10.5.0, as long as it ran Intel-native Adobe software.

People should realize Adobe wouldn't be releasing the new UB CS3 unless they knew full well it ran on Leopard..


Think about that..

 

[goosnarrggh]

Ok, I apologize first if this posting doesn't belong this thread. For the MacRumors editors/regulators: if it doesn't, please tell me or just put this posting to the right thread. Thank you very much.

Anyways, my question is, I heard that Leopard is going to base on/merge with UNIX coding, is that true? Because I sometimes use SAS program for work, and since I just got a new MBP and SAS compatible with all the other OS but Mac's. I'm wondering if anyone knows the new Leopard with UNIX coding will enable me to install SAS directly in OS X environment, instead of I need to partition my HD and put Vista on my MBP. Thanks so much for anyone's help and responds.

MacOS X has always had a hybrid kernel based partially on BSD. In that sense, it's had a UNIX heritage built in since day one. Many pieces of the BSD operating environment, GCC, and the X windows system, are all either built-in to the system or else available through your OSX installation DVD.

In Leopard, Apple has said that it intended to apply for official UNIX certification. I'm not sure how much would need to change internally to meet that definition.

 

[Diatribe]

Glad I'm not the only one excited about this! (synced Stickies)

Where do you guys see sticky syncing? And I guess even if it would sync stickies, the more important thing would be being able to access them online. Now that'd be sweet.

 

[Diatribe]

iCal is broken, if you ask me. The idea of having multiple calendars instead of multiple categories is plain wrong. If I want stuff where people can see I'm engaged so they can actually use my calendar but not what I am doing (i.e. private meetings) I have to make two calendars in iCal and people have to subvscribe to both. But what others need is a subscription to the total 'me, not broken up in all these separate calendars. Actually, here the basic idea is wrong. I as a person have only one time schedule with possible overlapping appointments, some private, some public.

iCal's inability to handle private meetings in a decent way has stopped me from using it altogether.

G

I agree on the private meetings but at least you can publish folders of more calendars, so at least you don't have 5 separate calendars to publish. But yeah private and public events cannot be handled in a nice way unfortunately.

 

[Manic Mouse]

People should realize Adobe wouldn't be releasing the new UB CS3 unless they knew full well it ran on Leopard..


Think about that..

Meaning that Leopard would be out, or at least in it's final stages of development by the time CS3 is released?