First shots of Mac OS X Snow Leopard show desktop web apps
Although announced less than two weeks ago, screen captures of a Mac OS X Snow Leopard test build show the ability to create web apps in Safari 4 and an update to Address Book with hooks into Microsoft Exchange.
The new test build, documented by German website Apfeltalk (with translation by Engadget), offers a "Save as Web Application" menu item in Safari that creates a complete version of the website that can potentially be used offline and without the overhead of normal web browser.
Similar to web app icons for the iPhone's home screen, the feature is intended to improve access to online productivity apps like Google Docs or Photoshop Express, which can substitute for some dedicated programs on the desktop.
The web browser is also expected to implement a few additional changes including SquirrelFish, a new Javascript engine that promises much faster performance than the current Safari 3.1 engine and will be key to web app support.
Snow Leopard also already includes a test upgrade to Address Book, dubbed Address Book Exchange Preview in the early build, that adds a connection to the Microsoft collaboration format. Once the user is logged in, contacts stored on an Exchange server are synchronized with the Mac at user-set intervals.
Few other changes are immediately evident and are often only visible through different version numbers; the latest iteration of Snow Leopard currently uses QuickTime 7.6 rather than the QuickTime X overhaul promised for the final release.
More changes are expected to surface before Snow Leopard is released in mid-2009.
The new test build, documented by German website Apfeltalk (with translation by Engadget), offers a "Save as Web Application" menu item in Safari that creates a complete version of the website that can potentially be used offline and without the overhead of normal web browser.
Similar to web app icons for the iPhone's home screen, the feature is intended to improve access to online productivity apps like Google Docs or Photoshop Express, which can substitute for some dedicated programs on the desktop.
The web browser is also expected to implement a few additional changes including SquirrelFish, a new Javascript engine that promises much faster performance than the current Safari 3.1 engine and will be key to web app support.
Snow Leopard also already includes a test upgrade to Address Book, dubbed Address Book Exchange Preview in the early build, that adds a connection to the Microsoft collaboration format. Once the user is logged in, contacts stored on an Exchange server are synchronized with the Mac at user-set intervals.
Few other changes are immediately evident and are often only visible through different version numbers; the latest iteration of Snow Leopard currently uses QuickTime 7.6 rather than the QuickTime X overhaul promised for the final release.
More changes are expected to surface before Snow Leopard is released in mid-2009.
Comments
or instead of os x, when not os 11 if this will be faster and the Intel era with no power p.c. support
I have to say that I am already anxious for Snow Leopard. The new Safari icon is brilliant.
I'm assuming you mean the icon from the site-specific browser. Safari's icon hasn't changed.
How will this Save As Web App compare to what Fluid provides now--aside from not being free?
What do you mean by not free? Safari is, and always has been, a free download. Given that the Safari 4 preview has been available for free download as well, I expect that to be the case for the final version, too.
this just basically seems like an update to leopard, why not just do this as like 10.5.5
or instead of os x, when not os 11 if this will be faster and the Intel era with no power p.c. support
Frankly, I don't see an OS 11 happening for decades. "OS X" is now the brand name, not "Mac OS." In my mind, the 10.x.x designation only exists to make the OS X brand name make more sense.
Sure, the features being implemented are nice...performance upgrades are always welcome, but comeon Apple...
The sad thing is...even if it is just a performance upgrade...I'd still buy it. Gotta stay on top of things....It'd just be nice if it didn't cost the usual 130 bucks...
None of these are user features.
Grand Central , QuickTime X, OpenCL, and other underlying technolgy are huge update compare to Leopard.
I dont see why apple would charge less this time. If you dont want the new release dont buy it. In terms of work being put into Mac OSX snow leopard will properly worth every penny.
Yeah, I'm sorry....if this is basically just a performance upgrade, this needs to be either a free or low-cost upgrade.
Sure, the features being implemented are nice...performance upgrades are always welcome, but comeon Apple...
Don't confuse the bug fixes and optimizations of point releases with the Snow Leopard version release. I bet there is more R&D going into Snow Leopard than went into Leopard. This isn't a simple update, this is going to be a completely reworked system from the bottom up.
As for charging you, don't buy it if it's too much. Apple has included the name "Leopard" within and stated that there are no new features, despite having many new features. Those are not by accident! By the time Snow Leopard is released as 10.6.0 Leopard will probably be on 10.5.7 or .8. Which do you think will be more stable? Free or not, why would you consider a new OS that is less tested and has no features? You wouldn't, but you've read that it's going to have a lot of new code that does some remarkable things. That stuff doesn't made for free. There is no government funding for adding performance to an OS.
PS: It makes me sick how many people think that no matter how much time and effort a developer puts into software it should be free if it doesn't have plenty of extra bells and whistles they can brag about to their friends. If you only care about having extra buttons to clock and not better performance then don't buy it, Leopard will be supported well after Snow Leopard is out.
Don't confuse the bug fixes and optimizations of point releases with the Snow Leopard version release. I bet there is more R&D going into Snow Leopard than went into Leopard. This isn't a simple update, this is going to be a completely reworked system from the bottom up.
As for charging you, don't buy it if it's too much. Apple has included the name "Leopard" within and stated that there are no new features, despite having many new features. Those are not by accident! By the time Snow Leopard is released as 10.6.0 Leopard will probably be on 10.5.7 or .8. Which do you think will be more stable? Free or not, why would you consider a new OS that is less tested and has no features? You wouldn't, but you've read that it's going to have a lot of new code that does some remarkable things. That stuff doesn't made for free. There is no government funding for adding performance to an OS.
PS: It makes me sick how many people think that no matter how much time and effort a developer puts into software it should be free if it doesn't have plenty of extra bells and whistles they can brag about to their friends. If you only care about having extra buttons to clock and not better performance then don't buy it, Leopard will be supported well after Snow Leopard is out.
I'm a Mac Guy from years back. I had to switch to Windows to do Business in the corporate world.
This ALL JUST SEEMS A LITTLE TO FAMILIAR TO VISTA. THE ALL SAVING UPGRADE.
WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR WINDOWS X.X TO FIX IT BUT I'M STILL ON XP.
frankly, I Don't See An Os 11 Happening For Decades. "os X" Is Now The Brand Name, Not "mac Os." In My Mind, The 10.x.x Designation Only Exists To Make The Os X Brand Name Make More Sense.
Vista 0sx
people Buy Into Hypes Like Winfs, Directx 10, Etc.....
None Of These Are User Features.
Grand Central , Quicktime X, Opencl, And Other Underlying Technolgy Are Huge Update Compare To Leopard.
I Dont See Why Apple Would Charge Less This Time. If You Dont Want The New Release Dont Buy It. In Terms Of Work Being Put Into Mac Osx Snow Leopard Will Properly Worth Every Penny.
Vista Osx.
I'm a Mac Guy from years back. I had to switch to Windows to do Business in the corporate world.
This ALL JUST SEEMS A LITTLE TO FAMILIAR TO VISTA. THE ALL SAVING UPGRADE.
WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR WINDOWS X.X TO FIX IT BUT I'M STILL ON XP.
I have no idea what part sounds like Vista. Leopard is faster than Tiger is faster than Panther et cetera. Vista added a plethora of spec sheet features to compete with OS X Tiger, but still had legacy code making up the foundation of VIsta, while Snow Leopard is trying to reduce legacy code so modern computers can perform better. I've also not read about mass migration back to XO from Vista on newly purchased machines.
PS: I wish I had seen your "Vista Osx" and "Vista 0sx" posts before I replied as you are coming off as a troll.
Because while it won't be immediately noticeable to the end user, OpenCL and Grand Central are HUGE changes,
It is important to highlight this. While Snow leopard is being passed off as not delivering anything new from the user perspective it looks to be pretty significant to developers. If they are successful in even a modest amount the user should realize a faster less memory hungry system. Even then I'd expect just about every app to get more than modest tweaks.
besides that most new "end user" features are usually show cases for developers for what's possible using the new APIs and frameworks in each release.
I don't see the basic apps as being show cases. For one some of them use Apple private API's. Second many Apple apps lag with respect to what they could be.
The showcase this time will be the apps already in the current release like iChat.
I tend to see it differently, what will be showcased in Snow Leopard will be things that users seldom see. Some things such a stability regressions users shouldn't see. Improvements to things such as threading and API's supported, the user only sees in passing as a quicker more stable system. In other words Snow leopard promises a lto of under the hood clean ups.
Sebastian
Dave
The only really glaring item that I see here is that Apple was very confident about being able to speed up leopard to go public with any sort of comment related to performance at this early stage. It looks like they have been doing a lot of research, probably in conjunction with iphone, and have identified significant improvement possibilities.
Dave
I'm a Mac Guy from years back. I had to switch to Windows to do Business in the corporate world.
This ALL JUST SEEMS A LITTLE TO FAMILIAR TO VISTA. THE ALL SAVING UPGRADE.
WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR WINDOWS X.X TO FIX IT BUT I'M STILL ON XP.
Do a little background before making such a statement. There is no parallel.
But I guess the legacy PPC support dragged them down and they couldn't avoid making Leopard for PPC. Plus the whole focus on the iphone didn't help.
the information in the Console.app is quite interesting.
Which parts? The shared Finder preview panel? ExtendedTouchSwitch doesn't refer to touch displays. Changes to the Apple displays software could hint at updated Apple displays though.
SingleSignOnTools is a server log - is this OS X Server he's running? I've never really understood why Apple even have two products. OS X comes bundled with Apache, Kerberos etc so why not just have it as a configuration option on a single installer disc?
More changes are expected to surface before Snow Leopard is released in mid-2009.
Is mid-2009 confirmed or just speculated? I guess they shouldn't have to delay it like last time. 10.5 previewed in June 2006 and scheduled for Spring (March-May) 2007 release. It didn't actually arrive until October 2007.
If it's just an optimization release with few new features and less legacy support required then I don't see why they couldn't release in January 2009.
What is Mac OS X Snow Leopard? Its gutting the building, and redesigning the interior and the structure.
Apple is doing a major rework of OS X if the reports are to be believed. This in my view is impressive, and exactly what OS X needs. Leopard is brilliant, but buggy. Its gone way too far in supporting too many platforms, and its spread too thin. It needs to be consolidated, and cleaned to a shine.
In my view, this affords them more than 6 months to develop it. They need more.
Maybe we will only get two more dot releases like 10.6.2, because it will be that optimum. 10.5.3 was the first livable upgrade. 10.5.2 was simply horrible.