Apple today announced that Mac OS X Leopard will go on sale Friday, October 26 at 6pm at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers, and that Apple’s online store is now accepting pre-orders. Leopard is packed with more than 300 new features and introduces a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; and Time Machine, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac.
“Leopard, the sixth major release of Mac OS X, is the best upgrade we’ve ever released,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in the press release. “And everyone gets the ‘Ultimate’ version, packed with all the new innovative features, for just $129.”
Leopard’s new desktop includes the redesigned 3D Dock with Stacks, a new way to organize files for quick and easy access with just one click. Leopard automatically places web, email and other downloads in a Downloads stack to maintain a clutter-free desktop, and users can instantly fan the contents of this and other Stacks into an elegant arc right from the Dock. Users can also create their own Stacks for quick access to folders, documents or applications. Leopard’s gorgeous new look extends to all applications, with every window on the desktop offering a consistent design theme and active windows outlined by deeper shadows that make them stand out.
The updated Finder includes Cover Flow and a new sidebar with a dramatically simplified way to search for, browse and copy content from any PC or Mac on a local network. Content on any computer on a local network can now be searched using Spotlight, browsed using Cover Flow or copied across the network with a simple drag and drop. .Mac members can use the new Back to My Mac feature to browse and access files on their remote Macs over the Internet.
Quick Look is the fastest and easiest way for users to look inside files without launching them or even having the application that created them. With Quick Look, users can instantly view full-screen, high-resolution files of virtually anything, even media files, from any view in the Finder.
Spaces gives users a powerful new way to organize their work by creating customized desktops which can contain only those applications or documents needed for each project, with the ability to quickly switch between Spaces with the mouse or keyboard.
Time Machine lets users easily back up all of the data on their Mac, find lost files and even restore all of the software on their Mac. With just a one-click setup, Time Machine automatically keeps an up-to-date copy of everything on the Mac. In the event a file is lost, users can search back through time to find deleted files, applications, photos and other digital media and then instantly restore the file. If it’s ever necessary, Leopard can also easily restore an entire system from the Time Machine data on an external drive.
Mail has been updated in Leopard and features more than 30 stationery designs and layouts that look great on a Windows PC or Mac so users can easily send stylish, personalized emails with beautiful graphics and photos. Notes and To Dos help users stay organized by acting just like emails that can be easily created, saved as drafts, synced across multiple Macs and stored in Smart Mailboxes. Data detectors automatically sense phone numbers, addresses and events so they can be added to Address Book or iCal with just a few clicks, and users can keep up-to-date by getting the latest news and blog feeds delivered directly to the their mailboxes with a built-in RSS reader.
iChat, the easiest-to-use video conferencing application on any personal computer, offers even richer video chats in Leopard with iChat Theater, which makes it easy to show photos, presentations, videos or files in a video conference; screen sharing which lets users remotely view and operate another Mac; and Photo Booth effects for fun distortions and video backdrops that can instantly make users appear to be anywhere they choose.
Other new features in Leopard include:
• improved Parental Controls, aiding parents in managing their kids’ online activities with automatic identification of unsuitable content before allowing website access, plus time limits and activity logs that can be accessed from any Mac on a home network
• the complete Boot Camp release, previously available only as a beta, making it possible to run Windows natively on Intel-based Macs
• Web Clip, bringing anything that a user wants from a web page to Dashboard as a live widget
• new Photo Booth features, helping users create animated iChat buddy icons or fun effects and backdrops with still or video images
• an enhanced Dictionary with Wikipedia built in, allowing users to access up to date information on virtually any subject in a snap
• a newly updated iCal with multi-user calendaring based on the new CalDAV standard
• an updated version of Front Row, making it even easier to play music or watch movies, TV shows and photos on a Mac using the Apple Remote.
Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard will be available on October 26 at Apple’s retail stores and through Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of US$129 for a single user license, and online pre-orders can be made through Apple’s online store starting today. The Mac OS X Leopard Family Pack is a single-household, five-user license that will be available for a suggested retail price of $199. Volume and maintenance pricing is available from Apple. The standard Mac OS Up-To-Date upgrade package is available to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Mac system from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller on or after October 1, 2007 for a shipping and handling fee of $9.95. Leopard requires a minimum of 512MB of RAM and is designed to run on any Macintosh computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5 or G4 (867 Mhz or faster) processor. Full system requirements can be found at http://www.apple.com/macosx/techspecs
Pre-order Mac OS X Leopard now from the Apple Store. Just $129. Free Shipping.
LOL… everyone gets Ultimate Version. Unlike the Windows suckers who bought 1 of the 7 different versions that MS tricked them into buying thinking each is unique, we get one price, one ultimate version. Hey Windows users, that unique feature was just watered down version of Vista Ultimate Stupidity.
Ordered…!
So what’s the compatibility rating on Leopard? Any known issues? I’m hoping all my apps will still work…
Oh no! Even the enhanced Dictionary couldn’t prevent Apple from the sin of misspelling! Leopard is doomed!
“(Bonjour) Holisticly provide access to ethical communities vis-a-vis client-focused.”
(No, it’s not “communities”)
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Also, i know my English is not perfect but can someone pls tell me what the heck that sentence means? Its on this page. Thanks!
Apple/Leopard web site not working on Safari or any other browser… hope it’s not a preview of how well Leopard is working. Or not.
Oct 16, 07 – 10:54 am
Works fine on the new Navigator, I’m trying it.
Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard and its 300-plus new features and innovations are coming Oct. 26, 2007.
If you buy a qualifying Mac between October 1, 2007 and December 29, 2007, and it does not include Mac OS X Leopard, you’re eligible to get Leopard after it’s released for just $9.95 plus tax.
How to get Leopard
Click here for more information.
This release, as well as tech specs, indicate that screen sharing through iChat (not just the Finder) is back!!! It disappeared from Apple’s Leopard pages for a while, but now it’s back–HOT DOG!! If that really means it can be done over the internet, not just on a local LAN, that will be a BIG productivity boost for our small company!!
MW: “order”–no kidding!!
Surpirse, eh, the canadian price for Leopard is the same as in the US, eh. Now, eh, if Apple Canada can only roll back the prices of their other stuff to reflect the reality that the Canadian dollar is worth more than the US dollar, eh, I’ll be as happy as people in the rest of the world with an iPhone, eh eh (Rogers eh, get your act together, hint hint … eh).
So where are the secret features that Jobs said they didn’t want Redmond to know about?
from the Apple Store “Leopard Up To Date” tab on the Order Your iMac Page.
I won’t sue, promise, if you roll back your prices. This is Canada eh.
What I don’t get is why does Apple go through the trouble to schedule a date and time for this crap. Nobody is going to show up so Apple can simply litter the shelves of their retail stores for snobby gay people with their “OS” quietly and without the embarrassment of scheduling a party which no one will attend.
On top of it all, Zune Tang now reveals himself to be a homophobe – not funny, ZT… which is a shame, because it used to be.
I don’t know if there’s enough cheese for all this whine.
I’m betting that the educational discount isn’t that low for pre-orders, but may drop down once it is officially released. Either way I’m having to wait, don’t have the funds in the budget to purchase it this month (Ratchet & Clank on PS3 come first, if not by much).
Hopefully after release (maybe a week after, maybe even a month or more) the student discount will go back down. I just hope it goes down before I stop being a student!
Just pre-ordered through Apple and mine will be delivered on the 26th!
Zune Tang’s comments are inappropriate (and off topic). MDN constantly turns a blind eye to the comments left on their site. It reflects poorly that they consistently allow derogatory comments to remain on their site indefinitely. This isn’t an isolated occurrence, but is ongoing, with incidents happening every week.
MDN: It would be wise to start cleaning up the off-topic, inappropriate comments before this matter is brought to the attention of your advertisers. I’m sure they wouldn’t be happy to know their ad dollars are being spent on a racist, homophobic, bigoted haven.
How ironic, the MDN Magic word: Class. Something MDN sorely lacks.
@ RealityDistortionField,
“Where are the amazing secret features?”
They’re in a closet in the Caiman Islands along with the boxes holding The Secret Files.
@MDN condones…
Just get lost and don’t let the door hit you on the way out. We don’t need your kind around here–and by “your kind” I mean over-sensitive losers.
Woot! Ordered mine! Yay for $100 iPhone credit!
MW: I feel special!
I’ll take the iPhone $100 discount, thankyouverymuch.
@ “@ZuneTang” and “MDN condones…”: Dude, have you still not gotten that Zune Tang is satire? In this case satirizing the nutjobs here that keep breaking out the “gay” thing here? I’m gay, and because I get it, I’m not offended. There are others who have posted here, however, that really are homophobic. You guys just happen to be getting upset about the wrong one.
MW: social, this one’s for you ZT baby! Call me!
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“So where are the secret features that Jobs said they didn’t want Redmond to know about?”
What Jobs meant is that he didn’t want Redmond to know how much he was copying them with features like Time Machine and the new Vista-esque Finder.
Let’s face it, when Apple is reduced to this crap pile of features, it’s time to shut down the company and give the money back to the shareholders.
@MacSheikh
Oh no! Even the enhanced Dictionary couldn’t prevent Apple from the sin of misspelling! Leopard is doomed!
“(Bonjour) Holisticly provide access to ethical communities vis-a-vis client-focused.”
(No, it’s not “communities”) wink
Also, i know my English is not perfect but can someone pls tell me what the heck that sentence means? Its on this page. Thanks!
I couldn’t find that sentence (nor any like it) anywhere near that page.
@jeff,
Actually you shoud check, you might be eligibale.
It’s time to graduate. Get real. It will be like this from now on.