Leopard postponed until October?
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Mar 23, 2007 at 10:42am
Some pundits have predicted that Mac OS X 10.5 (“Leopard”) will arrive next month, but DigiTimes claims that, according to industry sources, it will be postponed to October to allow Apple add Windows Vista support through an integrated version of its Boot Camp software. At Macsimum News, however, we’re dubious.
Digitimes says that that the launch delay isn’t due to problems with Leopard but to Apple’s plan to have the operating system support Windows Vista through an integrated version of Boot Camp (Apple software that lets a Mactel boot into either Mac OS X or Windows). The company hopes with support for Vista, Mac computers using the new OS can grab more market share, according to Digitimes.
“If Leopard supports only Windows XP, then the chances of the new OS attracting Windows users to buy an Apple computer decreases, stated industry observers, noting that with Vista support, Apple’s chances of increasing its share of the PC market would increase,” the article adds.
Though Apple hasn’t given an official shipping date for Leopard, it has repeatedly said the OS X update would arrive in the spring. What’s more, the 2007 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), filled with Leopard sessions, takes place in June. I can’t imagine Mac OS X 10.5 being released four months after WWDC. I personally think we’ll see it in May or June, no later.
J. Scott Anderson Says:
Hmm…seems to be faulty logic here. As Len Carsner pointed out, the installed base for XP (heck even as far back as Windows 98) is much, much larger than anything Vista will do in the time frame discussed. I can’t see Apple postponing Leopard on that reason alone.
It would make far more sense to get people who are looking to buy a new computer (the typical method for updating your operating system in a Windows world, since it is cheaper than buying the software alone, in a round about sense) than hoping to attract people that have already blown their computer budgets on a new computer and it was not a Mac.
So, either the rumor is wrong or Apple has lost its marketing sense.
Posted on March 23, 2007
robere Says:
smacks of unadulterated FUD to me ...
and nonsensical, unadulterated FUD at that!
Posted on March 23, 2007
Don Foy Says:
This looks like someone writing something just to be writing something. After Steve makes fun of how long it takes Microsoft to get Vista out, he delays his pride and joy so it will be more compatible with Vista? Doesn’t make sense. He’ll be at WWDC crowing about Leopard being on time. I’m sure Gates hates Jobs’ smug, smirky face on keynote days.
Posted on March 23, 2007
luckylindy Says:
Even if Apple wanted Bootcamp to support Vista, no need to postpone Leopard’s launch. Just cover the new capability in a future Software Update (sounds like a 10.5.4 release to me.)
Posted on March 23, 2007
Jarod Says:
This must be the dumbest thing ever written by someone who really has nothing better to do. Why on earth would Apple delay ANYTHING because of ANYHING from that garbage factory? Get real people.
Posted on March 23, 2007
Serenak Says:
I have said this before and I will repeat it agin here…
My colleague is already running an iMac CD with Vista Ultimate that he installed via BootCamp and the only current flaw is that the iSight does not work in Vista…
Apple does not “officially” support this but as you can see it works perfectly already so I cannot see that somehow Leopard would have to be held up to accomodate such a thing - Pure FUD
Posted on March 24, 2007
AJ Says:
Sadly, apple’s site now lists october as the release date. And here my hopes had been so high.
Posted on April 13, 2007
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Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
Len Carsner Says:
Seriously hope this is not the case. Vista does not have near the installed user base that XP has and it already runs on Boot Camp. It will take months if not years for Vista to have the market penetration of XP to make it worthwhile to worry about compatibility with Boot Camp.
Either this article is wrong (highly likely) or Apple has lost its way and is trying to appeal to the Windows users at the expense of the Mac loyalists (not likely).
Posted on March 23, 2007