Apple delays Leopard release until October

[AppleInsider]

Apple Inc. on Thursday conceded that it will be unable to release its next generation operating system in June as previously planned and now says it anticipates launching the software in October.

In a statement released after the close of the stock market, Apple said its highly anticipated iPhone handset has already passed several of its required certification tests and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned.

"We can't wait until customers get their hands (and fingers) on it and experience what a revolutionary and magical product it is," Apple said. "However, iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever shipped on a mobile device, and finishing it on time has not come without a price -- we had to borrow some key software engineering and QA resources from our Mac OS X team, and as a result we will not be able to release Leopard at our Worldwide Developers Conference in early June as planned."

While Leopard's features will be complete by June, the Cupertino-based company said it cannot deliver the quality release expected by its customers within that time. Apple now plans to show its developers a near final version of Leopard at the conference, give them a beta copy to take home so they can do their final testing, and ship the software in October.

"We think it will be well worth the wait," the company added. "Life often presents tradeoffs, and in this case we're sure we've made the right ones."

The move by Apple to delay its next-generation operating system roll-out confirms suspicions first raised by AppleInsider in an early March, when we reported that the number of pending issues with the software was unusual for an Apple product nearing its release deadline. (A large portion of the report was removed from AppleInsider at the demand of Apple Legal.)

In releasing the latest developmental build of Leopard this week, Apple was seemingly unable to chip away at the majority of the critical issues affecting the software. In fact, the number of issues appeared to have swelled from the build released in early March.

Rumors that Apple would be forced to delay the release of Leopard first gained some attention in late March when Taiwanese rumor site DigiTimes reported that the company would push the release out to October. The report, however, was largely discounted when Apple issued a statement to one analyst vehemently denying any such delay.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[MarcUK]

given how many tens/hundreds of millions of $ Apple will lose through lost sales because of a 6 month wait, you wonder why they just dont hire a few more people to complete the damn thing already!

[CosmoNut]

Ho...ly...CRAP!!!!

[backtomac]

Good thing they released that info after the markets closed.

There's gonna be some sellin' tomorrow.

[mr O]

We should offer our apologies to this other rumour site

[BlackSummerNight]

So I guess those 3 dozen bugs wasn't so easy to fix after all.

[Saiko]

Holy crap. :O


(1st page)

[josa92]

Originally Posted by Saiko

Holy crap. :O


(1st page)

I must agree. Wow. I wasn't anticipating June, but this is final I suppose.

[ghstmars]

Originally Posted by mr O

We should offer our apologies to this other rumour site

which site was that again? i can't remember

[tink]

nuf said

















!

[jApple]

In other news, poor thinksecret's sources say that the release is targetted for june 11.

[Johnny Mozzarella]

So I guess there wasn't a secret internal build that was ready to go.
At least we should know by WWDC what the super secret features are.
I hope Apple will start offering FREE Leopard upgrade coupons with all new Macs sold after WWDC.
At least the iPhone will be on time.
Tomorrow will be a good buying opportunity if the stock dips.

[Porchland]

Originally Posted by josa92

I must agree. Wow. I wasn't anticipating June, but this is final I suppose.

Maybe... Steve will be cracking the whip the next two months, by June Apple will miraculously be ahead of schedule, and Apple will announce an earlier ship date at WWDC. Four months sounds like a long delay to project on the front end, but I'm sure they wanted to give me markets something more definite than "it ain't ready yet."

What does this mean for iLife? Skip a year and bring out iLife '08 with Leopard in October? (Suits me.)

Will we get a Apple TV/HD/Beatles event in May? At WWDC?

[ghstmars]

i got it, but could it be true for vista compatibility ?

http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20070322PD214.html

[Mooch]

wow, I guess digitimes was right after all! or at least right about the delay.

edit: ghstmars got it first! oh, well

[128pluspb100siduo230]

I am an investor as well as a very long time user and I consider this very good news indeed. High quality releases are much better than fast releases. Look at tomorrow as a buying opportunity for longs and pity the sellers their loss on where AAPL is headed.

The Apple that is talking to us, Atv, iPhone and yes a Leopard delay is a communicating Apple. Get the bad news out as fast as you can is a very good play.

[atticusdsf]

this is bittersweet.

leopard getting delayed is *not* a good thing, especially as it makes them look like microsoft, and also because it means they're shifting their priorities to the iphone, which i predict will fall on it's ass.

however, i have an ADC membership and recently installed the leopard beta. it sucks balls. it's buggy as hell, and there are absolutely no features to justify the price tag (assuming they continue to go with $129). spaces is nice, ichat is nice, time machine is nice.. but i don't think i'm gonna actually use them that often. hopefully this delay will give them time to include something worth selling.

one more thing-- why is AI the only big mac news site to report this yet? why hasn't TMO or MW gotten word?

[jtrwallace]

OMG I'm about to hang myself... ok not really but I PLANNED to upgrade my 15" powerbook in late June/July. Now what the hell am I supposed to do? I have to wait till November to upgrade my now defunct and soon to be even more defunct G4. AREWBANLDFGJSDFK:JAS. SO effing mad right now I could rip my hair out. Apple has never disappointed me the 5 years I've been with them until now.... such a sad day indeed this is.

[Superbass]

Wow, first announcements of products way before release, then delayed (and crappy) ATv and now this. Apple seems to be slipping a bit. Let's hope iPhone isn't overpriced crap...

[Slackula]

Okay....I'm officially despondent now....

[melgross]

Originally Posted by Mooch

wow, I guess digitimes was right after all! or at least right about the delay.

edit: ghstmars got it first! oh, well

Yeah, but that's not the reason.

The iPhone isn't the reason either, though they are using it that way.

They are just too far behind, as can be seen by the bugs in the various developer releases.

[desarc]

how often did Jobs jab at Microsoft for delaying Vista?

i agree it's better to wait for a quality product. remember OSX 10.0? sorry, you can't burn a cd.
i also agree coupons for FREE upgrades should be given out for sales after 6/11.[listening mr. Jobs?]

i hope these "top secret" features are worth the wait, and i also hope that the iPhone software isn't a bungled release pushed out the door on june 30th to meet a deadline, quickly followed by a 160 meg patch.

[pmjoe]

Well, get on with the hardware updates already then Apple. The Mac mini has turned into an antique, we need HDCP support on the displays, better graphics hardware in general, etc. Obviously, there is no point in holding this stuff off for Leopard now.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by desarc

how often did Jobs jab at Microsoft for delaying Vista?

i agree it's better to wait for a quality product. remember OSX 10.0? sorry, you can't burn a cd.
i also agree coupons for FREE upgrades should be given out for sales after 6/11.[listening mr. Jobs?]

i hope these "top secret" features are worth the wait, and i also hope that the iPhone software isn't a bungled release pushed out the door on june 30th to meet a deadline, quickly followed by a 160 meg patch.

It's a few months, lets not get on their tails just yet.

But, in after hours trading, it's down to $89.81.

[Charko]

AAPL is already $2 down in extended trading!

This could be a good buying opportunity - perhaps best after the quarterly results on April 25th.

I've got no money at the moment, but I might take a small bank loan out. I did this before (2 years ago) and made a profit.

[cuello del pollo]

Originally Posted by pmjoe

Well, get on with the hardware updates already then Apple. The Mac mini has turned into an antique, we need HDCP support on the displays, better graphics hardware in general, etc. Obviously, there is no point in holding this stuff off for Leopard now.

Exactly what i was thinking. Been looking for updated hardware for some time now.

[MacSuperiority]

See the problem isn't that Leopard is delayed. The probelm is that people wait for Leopard before they buy their new hardware, which slows sales of said hardware and potentially these people might just go with Vista instead of waiting.

This is an absolute disaster for Apple.

I'm just laughing at Jobs for how many shots Apple has taken at M$ for delaying Vista, and now they are eating their words. Real cool Apple, real cool.

[mania]

Glad I didn't wait. bought a mini yesterday (antique tho it may be).

[Nayrb]

This is just great, after several months of watching an waiting reading the forums and such. I thought I had it all planned out to get a MBP near the end of May to be inside the 30day free upgrade and that just fails now. Well to save my sanity from my crappy dell I guess I'm just waiting for the SR update now...

[vinney57]

Excellent news.

[Dzign]

While I feel some deception not to have it tomorrow;

I'd rather have a better refined OS than a shoved out the door one to make some quick buck...

Standing by... ;0

[the cool gut]

Think Secret look like a bunch off morons today - they posted this story today:

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0704leopard9a410.html

"Think Secret recently learned that Apple is now targeting a release date for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard of June 11, the same day Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference kicks off."

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by BlackSummerNight

So I guess those 3 dozen bugs wasn't so easy to fix after all.

Nah. It's the extra secret features that need time to be given to developers to test.

I do recall finding this poll about releasing on WWDC to be impossible. Differentiate between PR and fact and one would discover that the best one would get @WWDC was going to be a feature complete beta.

As many have pointed out developers need time to augment their products.

[hypoluxa]

I for one would rather have a good stable & usable release then a rush job. 10.4.9 is fine. Like one other user said.."remeber version 10? " blaah!

[Thataboy]

I am sick to death of the iPhone, and it's not even out yet. We can blame it now for the delay of Leopard and resulting hardware sales declines, not to mention the artificial withholding of a widescreen iPod. All for something that customers of only ONE cell phone company in ONE country can take advantage of.

Didn't I JUST read that Mac sales were slowed this quarter because everyone is waiting for Leopard?

Save face, Apple... provide a free upgrade to Leopard for anyone who buys a new Mac after WWDC. Otherwise, you deserve major ridicule and scorn from Bill Gates and every Windows fanboy for all the Vista delay jabs.

[Matthew Yohe]

Apple eats crow.

[BlackPepper]

I don't care about the damn iPhone! I am a Mac user and have been longing for Leopard. I am not going to pay $500 to get a stupid phone with a 2-year contract! It's just a toy for kids! But Leopard would be the real thing, for adults! Now, you sacrifice it for a phone, you...

I am so frustrated at the moment. xxxxxxx iPhone!!!

[mania]

Originally Posted by the cool gut

Think Secret look like a bunch off morons today - they posted this story today:

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0704leopard9a410.html

"Think Secret recently learned that Apple is now targeting a release date for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard of June 11, the same day Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference kicks off."

Yeah maybe they should rename the site: Think Again

[Bacillus]

Wow...just wow.

[BlackSummerNight]

Well they have me really really really wanting to know what those new features are. I'm in no rush to get the new OS, Tiger is working fine for me. I hope they take their time, so we can get a OS without a lot of bugs.

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

Nah. It's the extra secret features that need time to be given to developers to test.

I do recall finding this poll about releasing on WWDC to be impossible. Differentiate between PR and fact and one would discover that the best one would get @WWDC was going to be a feature complete beta.

As many have pointed out developers need time to augment their products.