Next version of OS X will be called Snow Leopard
By Darren Murph 
posted Jun 9th 2008 1:10PM
posted Jun 9th 2008 1:10PM
Update: Apple has revealed initial details -- check it out here!
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I was hoping for OS X to be called LOL CAT
What about Liger? Its pretty much my favorite animal.
It might be LOLCAT if the rumours about the content are true.
Haikibutsu, are you a BOL (Buzz Out Loud) fan?
What content?
Rumour is it's just a functionality update to make it run better on Intel CPUs whilst dropping PPC support.
Which they're goign to charge for.
I could do that myself, just throw away the PPC installation disc and boom, Snow Leopard. Speaking of which, 10 bucks says that it is buggier than Leopard, but less than Vista.
very good name!
Even though I use (and love) Windows I have to admit Apple has some pretty awesome names for their products, especially the OS's.
Yeah, I mean, who'd have ever thought of naming an operating system after a large jungle cat. And going from "Leopard" to "Snow Leopard"? That's just brilliant.
Christ, way to phone it in, Apple.
And going from "Leopard" to "Snow Leopard"?
yah because according to current rumours it will just be a modified and cleaner Leopard version..
Is it called snow leopard because it freezes more?
woot.
And?
Nothing :-)
What I meant was do we really care? Yes, its quite interesting to know the name, but does it deserve its own news article?
relax, more to come after lunch. sheesh
yes...because even if Steve Jobs says, "We'll call the new ipods...an IPOD", it will be news.
Well think about it, a new operating system is an important thing. We've heard about Windows 7 years before its release and it doesn't even have an official name yet. Just sayin that because you don't use macs, doesn't mean that this isn't relevant to a portion of engadget's readers.
Announcing Snow Leopard in the summer? Nice one?
Yes, but it is rumored to be released January 2009 @ Mac World Expo which for those of us that live north of Georgia there will be snow, both on the ground in our our operating systems...
Come on! At least come up with an original animal name rather than prefixing the previous name!
Take a hint from the Ubuntu naming scheme.
Different animal every time, moving through the alphabet.
The animals have been getting more sleek and refined as the distro improves (started with Warty Warthog, and the next release is Intrepid Ibex).
Wow i'm glad Apple do use the names they currently do use! As Warty Warthog and Intrepid Ibex really do suck!
Do you even know what an Ibex is? lol
Thought not. That's maybe why Apple don't chose such names. It wouldn't appeal to the simple mentality of its target audience.
Dude, totally. It doesn't get more unimaginative than calling the release after Leopard "Snow Leopard" unless they really are trying to point out that it's not a very big upgrade (as has been rumored). Snow Leopard is a cool name, just not right after Leopard.
Plus, it's too easy to make jokes and call it "Slow Leopard".
Snow Leopard is intended to "compliment" Leopard.
Think of like the relationship between XP and Media Centre XP.
Yeah, I do like the animal naming scheme of Ubuntu and kind of think the Debian names are cute, but they don't seem as streamlined or as thought out as the OSX names. Perhaps that's the quirkiness they are going for... I do think that it shows more creativity than "snow leopard" which doesn't sound brand new, since they already released a Leopard. Are they starting to run out of big cats?
I dunno, personally I kinda like the apple scheme of naming there OS's after felines. They're gonna run out with big cat names eventually though.
@ Harvir
I'm not actually a Mac user btw, and your judgmental attitude is typical of every mac hater out there!
And yes I know what a Ibex is but I think a Big Cat will out do a mountain goat everyday!!
Also I just prefer the apple names!
Those Ubuntu names truly stink like the animals. Stinky Skunk would fit perfectly along with Sluggish Sloth. And they're saying the name Snow Leopard is bad. Jeez.
They can't use that, though; Stinky Skunk is the name of the skunk on The Sims 2.
Damn thought it wud have been Lion OSX , Ceetah oSX or even saber-tooth tiger if i was feeling abit adventurous. Oh well lets see if Windows 7 will look awfuly similar
I think Lion was already an internal codename, Cheetah was already done, Im to lazy to say "Saber Tooth".
Saber tooth could be used for older computers.
I think they should use insect names.
It could take hundreds of years to go through the insect kingdom.
Since it is not going to be in the keynote:
"After lunch, Bertrand Serlet will be giving us a peak of the new OS X -- Snow Leopard."
I guessing it will not be anything major.
I'm one of the members of the camp who says the change won't be major - just a move to sever ties with 32-bit (read: PowerPC) processor users and move the OS into an even more streamlined position. There will, in true Apple style, be innovation in the process, but I doubt it will rival Leopard's 300+ improvements.
cool!
They should call it OS-celot.
Nice one!
Anyone else think that "SNOW Leopard" suggests a winter release for the update??
No it suggests Steve's having flash backs to his days of cocaine use......
Apple may supply it to keep it's programmers working on through the night.
I think that the comment aboujt the Warty Warthog is disrespectful and inaccurate.
If we are going to go in that direction, "Lipsticked Pig", would not be too bad though.
OK, Warty Warthog is fine.
...
At least it's only a code name... let's hope it gets changed to something less gimicky in the future...
On the name, I think they are sticking with Leopard for as many have said there will not be huge major changes. Snow may in fact also point to a Winter release date, it is also possible Apple is getting this release out the door so they can have a even more revolutionary release of 10.7 to coincide with the release of Windows 7.
In any case, I do not suspect much from 10.6 save for two things I'll mention later, anyhoo - its nice to see updates regularly for my prefurred (oh i know that was just terrible, i fill bad inside) OS of choice, but I just recently updated all of the rest of my Macs over to 10.5.
Though if there was two major things that I did hear about 10.6 in the rumourmills, it is that this will be the first OS X release strictly for Intel based Macs, secondly it may be all Cocoa, no one sure quite what that means yet, just more rumouring.
*YAWN* Snow Leopard is a rather boring name, although it does point o tit being evolution rather than revolution, but then has there been a revolution since panther ?
Whoever said 300+ new features needs a slap, have you actually read the list ? was one of those new 300+ features to break windows printing LOL
I think this WWDC has been somewhat over hyped.
What the heck? every year an OS now? Leopard is still new. They should make a promotion: Buy one today, get a free upgrade tomorrow.
Apple's OS names are starting to sound as silly as Zoolander's poses.
Is it just me, or is Steve starting to look more and more gaunt. In that picture, he looks like he must be a skin'n'bones under there. Not the healthy Steve of just a few years ago.
Makes me wonder if his cancer treatments aren't going so well...
Sad.
Sounds like they are running out of wild cat names. After they use them all up will they start using domestic cat names or maybe even extinct cats?
"Snow" sounds to much like "Slow" - I dont like it.
After Snow Leopard they going to have to use character names from the ThunderCats Cartoons.
Apple Cheetarah...fast as lightning.
I would have a crush on it. Wait, nevermind. delete.
Snarf Snarf
I think I may skip Leopard and wait for Snow Leopard to arrive. Tiger still satisfies me.
Pity they missed Sabretooth Tiger.
Awe... I thought they were gonna go aquatic... like Beluga or Cod.
or...crab.
Wonder if Snow Leopard will run on the Psystar computers, too.
DId I miss it?
Where are these further details promised by Jobs himself for the keynote?
It was all Apps, MobileMe (terrible name) and 3G iPhone.. no more Snow Leopard since that very short introduction.
They're taking a lunch break and coming back afterwards.
Exciting
Where the hell is the snow leopard sneak peak? I wanna see it now.
10.0 Cheetah
10.1 Puma
10.2 Jaguar
10.3 Panther
10.4 Tiger
10.5 Leopard
10.6 Snow Leopard
Apple has trademarked but not used:
Lynx
Cougar
I've never used a Cougar myself.
Anyone else notice how thin Steve Jobs is looking?
Didn't he have a round of cancer recently (Pancreatic I believe I read)?
He apparently tried to treat it privately by going to holistic healers, before finally going to a real doctor. He should read "Why people believe weird things."
Ah! I was rooting for TABBY for the next OS!
Snow Leopard the villain in the Kung Fu Panda movie, whom the Dragon Warrior (Panda) must battle.
The movie is from Dreamworks.
Dreamworks versus Pixar/Disney.
Duh...
I guess MS should name Windows 7 "Panda" then... ;)
Windows Panda...hmm...still rhymes with Vista.
Probably not the best thing to name your OS after an endangered species that is difficult to breed in captivity.
But just think of the viral marketing they could do with that sneezing panda video!
to paraphrase: "were not going to do anything for a year, and charge you $129 per license for it."
OS Domestic Cat.
OS Bobcat.
Multi-touch anyone????