Next version of OS X will be called Snow Leopard

You heard right -- the next iteration of Apple's OS X operating system will indeed be dubbed Snow Leopard. As we'd heard just days ago, the next major installment of OS X will be getting all dressed in powder, and we'll be seeing a sneak peek of what's to come right here at WWDC.

Update: Apple has revealed initial details -- check it out here!

[lkarmaz2 @ Jun 9th 2008 1:43PM]

I was hoping for OS X to be called LOL CAT

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 9th 2008 1:47PM]

What about Liger? Its pretty much my favorite animal.

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 9th 2008 1:55PM]

It might be LOLCAT if the rumours about the content are true.

[lkarmaz2 @ Jun 9th 2008 1:59PM]

Haikibutsu, are you a BOL (Buzz Out Loud) fan?

[lkarmaz2 @ Jun 9th 2008 2:00PM]

What content?

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 9th 2008 2:18PM]

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.

[lkarmaz2 @ Jun 9th 2008 2:37PM]

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.

[poromenos @ Jun 9th 2008 1:16PM]

very good name!

[ByronGman @ Jun 9th 2008 1:23PM]

Even though I use (and love) Windows I have to admit Apple has some pretty awesome names for their products, especially the OS's.

[Brad @ Jun 9th 2008 2:15PM]

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.

[Patriks7 @ Jun 9th 2008 3:05PM]

And going from "Leopard" to "Snow Leopard"?
yah because according to current rumours it will just be a modified and cleaner Leopard version..

[matt247 @ Jun 9th 2008 4:23PM]

Is it called snow leopard because it freezes more?

[Minilap @ Jun 9th 2008 1:15PM]

woot.

[Matt @ Jun 9th 2008 1:16PM]

And?

[lilo @ Jun 9th 2008 1:18PM]

Nothing :-)

[Matt @ Jun 9th 2008 1:19PM]

What I meant was do we really care? Yes, its quite interesting to know the name, but does it deserve its own news article?

[Phil @ Jun 9th 2008 1:20PM]

relax, more to come after lunch. sheesh

[Vidit Bhargava @ Jun 9th 2008 1:35PM]

yes...because even if Steve Jobs says, "We'll call the new ipods...an IPOD", it will be news.

[Seth Porter @ Jun 9th 2008 2:22PM]

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.

[Raheem @ Jun 9th 2008 1:18PM]

Announcing Snow Leopard in the summer? Nice one?

[Tristan O'Neil @ Jun 9th 2008 4:12PM]

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...

[Craig @ Jun 9th 2008 1:18PM]

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).

[Richard Walker @ Jun 9th 2008 1:28PM]

Wow i'm glad Apple do use the names they currently do use! As Warty Warthog and Intrepid Ibex really do suck!

[Harvir @ Jun 9th 2008 1:36PM]

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.

[Reid @ Jun 9th 2008 1:45PM]

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".

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 9th 2008 1:47PM]

Snow Leopard is intended to "compliment" Leopard.

Think of like the relationship between XP and Media Centre XP.

[Eddie W @ Jun 9th 2008 1:50PM]

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?

[CurlyFride @ Jun 9th 2008 11:56PM]

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.

[Richard Walker @ Jun 9th 2008 1:59PM]

@ 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!

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 9th 2008 2:20PM]

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.

[John @ Jun 9th 2008 3:35PM]

They can't use that, though; Stinky Skunk is the name of the skunk on The Sims 2.

[Sean Daze @ Jun 9th 2008 1:21PM]

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

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 9th 2008 1:49PM]

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.

[Keytone @ Jun 9th 2008 2:02PM]

I think they should use insect names.
It could take hundreds of years to go through the insect kingdom.

[Emory Savage @ Jun 9th 2008 1:25PM]

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.

[pundit @ Jun 9th 2008 1:32PM]

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.

[Vidit Bhargava @ Jun 9th 2008 1:33PM]

cool!

[navamske @ Jun 9th 2008 1:37PM]

They should call it OS-celot.

[takamaru @ Jun 9th 2008 1:43PM]

Nice one!

[hendron-f @ Jun 9th 2008 1:43PM]

Anyone else think that "SNOW Leopard" suggests a winter release for the update??

[kjb434 @ Jun 9th 2008 1:45PM]

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.

[kccboy2004 @ Jun 9th 2008 1:49PM]

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.

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 9th 2008 1:55PM]

...

[Blaktornado @ Jun 9th 2008 1:56PM]

At least it's only a code name... let's hope it gets changed to something less gimicky in the future...

[Neolycan @ Jun 9th 2008 2:17PM]

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.

[fourthletter @ Jun 9th 2008 2:01PM]

*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.

[Leandro Almeida @ Jun 9th 2008 2:16PM]

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.

[Rob @ Jun 9th 2008 2:07PM]

Apple's OS names are starting to sound as silly as Zoolander's poses.

[john @ Jun 9th 2008 2:12PM]

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.

[LongshotX @ Jun 9th 2008 2:18PM]

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?