SnowLeopard
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Datto's Z Series: world's first on / off-site backup solution to use ZFS
Datto earned a round of golf claps with its Backup NAS by bringing comparatively affordable off-site storage to the small businesses of the world, but it's giving itself a round of applause with the Z Series. Hailed as the "planet's first on and off-site backup solution to use ZFS," these units provide up to 1TB of local and off-site storage, optional RAID 1 local redundancy, twin gigabit Ethernet ports, OS X / Windows / Linux compatibility and the obligatory rock-solid stability that ZFS is known for. You'll also get a rapid recovery promise, which enables you to sleep easy knowing that your data can be restored within 24 hours should disaster strike. The units range in capacity from 250GB ($499) to 1TB ($1,149), while the required service packages demand anywhere between $35 per month to $1,000 a year.
ZFS file system coming to Snow Leopard server edition
It's been almost exactly a year since we heard any chatter over Apple's adoption of the supposedly rock solid 128-bit ZFS file system, but it appears to be heading into the next version of the company's OS... at least for servers. According to the promo page for Snow Leopard for OS X servers, the redundant, error correcting, dynamic volume expanding format will be available when the new system drops, though there's no mention of whether it will make its way onto the standard version of the software. With data handling that's this tight, our only question is why wouldn't it make the cut?[Thanks, Mark]
New screenshots of Snow Leopard appear, show desktop web apps
A German site, Apfeltalk.de has posted screenshots of the forthcoming version of Mac OS X, 10.6 (a.k.a "Snow Leopard"). Most of the screenshots show off the Safari 4 developer preview that will include the "Save as Web Application" option in the File menu. The website also shows off the next version of Address Book.app that will bring Microsoft Exchange support to the Mac platform. We do however have to speculate about the System Preferences.app screenshot that shows two Time Machine icons with one labled "Dock" and another labeled "Time Machine" -- this seems out of place and unlike Apple. You can see all of the screenshots (before Apple's legal team gets a hold of them) on the Apfeltalk.de site. [via Engadget]
Snow Leopard screenshots emerge, reveal Web App functionality
A few dubious screens from Apple's upcoming OS X mini-update "Snow Leopard" popped up the other week, but now we're staring at a full-on collection of shots from the folks at German site Apfeltalk. They seem legit enough, but given the fact that Snow Leopard's improvements primary are under the hood, there's not a ton to see. Most interesting is a new Safari 4.0 feature to "Save as Web Application," which creates a Safari-lite, double-clickable application out of any webpage, similar to Firefox's Prism. Google Docs, anyone? Other features shown off in the screenshots include Exchange integration and Javascript benchmarks, but it's clear to see that Apple has perhaps a tiny bit more in store for Snow Leopard than what it's letting on.[Thanks, John]
Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" confirmed to be Intel-only
We speculated before the WWDC Keynote that Mac OS X 10.6 might be Intel-only. Now it looks like (to many a PPC Mac user's chagrin) that rumor might actually be true. MacNN got a copy of the system requirements for Snow Leopard. One of the main changes: "An Intel processor" required. Some of the other system requirements include: An internal, external, or shared DVD drive At least 512 MB of RAM (more is recommended for development) A built-in display or display connected to an Apple-supplied video card supported by your computer At least 9GB of disk space available, or 12GB of disk space if you install the developer tools Keep in mind that these system requirements refer to the Developer Preview handed out at WWDC. Snow Leopard isn't scheduled to ship for a year, and things can change. That being said, it might be time for you PowerPC Mac owners to start saving for a new Mac. [via MacNN]
Snow Leopard to drop PowerPC support?
PowerPC users, your days could be numbered. According to an alleged screenshot of Snow Leopard's system requirements, only Intel CPUs will get to take a ride on the 10.6 train as of now. The grab comes from an early version of the OS seeded to developers at WWDC this week, though given that Jobsy said we're a year out from an actual release, these things could change. Still, it's not looking promising for those of you who've stood by your older models -- but Apple shutting out legacy users doesn't come as a real shock, does it?[Via Mac Rumors; Thanks, Kiwi616]
Snow Leopard screenshots surface
Some of the first pictures of "Snow Leopard," Apple's next version of Mac OS X have started leaking off of developer's Macs. Orchard Spy has some of the very first screenshots, though nothing too exciting is shown. Just as we suspected, Snow Leopard doesn't show any new features in the Applications or Utilities folders; nor does it show any changes in System Preferences. The only change that may lead to speculation is a new "32-bit" phrase in the System Preferences Title Bar. The build number of Snow Leopard is 10A96. Thanks, Guillermo!
Apple previews OS X Snow Leopard: scheduled to ship "in about a year"
The next iteration of OS X was mentioned early on during today's WWDC 2008 keynote, but little was said afterwards. Thankfully, Apple hasn't left us completely out to dry, as a recent release gives a few clues as to what Snow Leopard has in store. First and foremost, the OS isn't expected to ship until about this time next year, and just as predicted, it will be more evolutionary than revolutionary. Specifically, it will "enhance the performance of OS X and set a new standard for quality... rather than focusing primarily on new features." Still, we do know that it'll play nice with Microsoft Exchange 2007 from the get-go, provide "unrivaled support for multi-core processors" with a new technology dubbed Grand Central, extend support "for modern hardware with Open Computing Language (OpenCL)," and raise the software limit on system memory up to a theoretical 16TB of RAM. Heck, you'll even find QuickTime X in there. Yeah, we love those new features, but we can honestly say we're looking forward to a nice round of polishing.Update: Looks like some more solid info has been posted to Apple's page. Head here for more on Snow Leopard desktop and Snow Leopard server (which will include iCal Server 2, 128-bit ZFS support, Podcast Producer 2, the first version of their Address Book server based on CardDAV, and more).
Apple posts details about Snow Leopard
TUAW broke the Snow Leopard story and boy were we right. Apple has just posted the details on the next version of Mac OS X -- Snow Leopard. Snow Leopard will not bring any major new features to the Mac platform, instead, Apple will be focusing on the quality of the OS. According to the details, Snow Leopard will be optimized for multi-core processors, be able to take advantage of even more RAM (up to 16TB, theoretically), and include out-of-box support for Microsoft Exchange 2007. A new technology in the OS, named "Grand Central" will allow developers to better take advantage of Macs with more than one processing core. In addition, Safari will be revved with Snow Leopard. Safari will utilize a new JavaScript engine ( SquirrelFish, no doubt) to make it even faster. Apple did not supply any details about price, but expects the OS to be shipping in "1 year." Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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!
Apple to introduce OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" at WWDC?
The pre-WWDC Apple rumor mill has finally churned out something that doesn't have the words "3G" and "iPhone" involved -- sources have told both Ars Technica and our friends at TUAW that Steve will also use his keynote to introduce the next major version of OS X, codenamed "Snow Leopard." As the derivative release name indicates, there aren't many changes in store from 10.5 Leopard -- Apple's said to instead be focusing on tightening up speed and stability as it starts producing more mobile devices. What's more, this could be the end of PowerPC and Universal support in OS X, as Snow Leopard is said to be Intel-only. That's bound to ruffle a few feathers, but things could get even more heated if Carbon is deprecated as is also being rumored. We'll see when we see -- Monday can't get here fast enough.Read - TUAW postRead - Ars post
CompAmerica unveils ultralight Snow Leopard 6220
Better known for its ultra-wide and uber-powerful lap-burners, CompAmerica is taking things down a few notches with its newly-released Snow Leopard 6220. Complimenting the high-end machines, this ultralight "bundle of mobile computing joy" sports the usual me-too white enclosure, 12-inch WXGA LCD, 1.2GHz Intel U1400 Core Solo processor, 512MB of RAM, 40GB 5400RPM hard drive, dual-layer DVD±R / RW burner, 802.11a/b/g, integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics set, and a 4-in-1 flash card reader. This 2.8-pound (including battery) notebook also sports a myriad of ports, including 4-pin FireWire, PCMCIA, 56k modem, audio out, Ethernet, VGA output, and a trio of USB 2.0 connectors. While the Windows XP-powered machine may mimic the ole MacBook at first glance, the magnesium alloy casing should withstand a bit more abuse, and the built-in fingerprint scanner offers up a warm feeling of security to boot. The Snow Leopard 6220 can make your holidays white regardless of locale for $1,399.[Via Laptoping]
