Apple's Leopard reported to be nearing final candidate stage
Concerns that Apple Inc.'s next-generation Leopard operating has fallen behind schedule are overblown, according to one Wall Street analyst, who says checks indicated the software is rapidly approaching completion.
In a report distributed to clients on Monday, American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu downplayed a recent report from Taiwanese-based DigiTimes, which speculated that Apple may push the release out to October in order to increase support for dual-booting Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Vista.
"From our analysis, we believe these concerns are overdone and believe that Mac OS X Leopard will ship on time in the 'Spring' timeframe, or Apple's June quarter," he wrote. "Our sources indicate that Apple's latest beta build has made noticeable improvements in stability and functionality from previous builds and that Apple is likely one or two upcoming builds away from reaching 'final candidate' stage to be released for manufacturing."
Wu noted that Spring technically runs from around March 20 to June 20 every year, which would give Apple nearly three more months to meet its self-imposed ship deadline. However, he acknowledged that a concerns amongst developers is that they are still in the dark on the software's "top secret" feature set.
"At some point, we believe Apple needs to 'publish' or enable these so-far undocumented features for wider beta testing," Wu wrote. "Many are hoping, including us, that it is virtual machine technology similar to that offered by Parallels, Inc. that allows seamless operation of Mac OS and Windows simultaneously. If so, we believe this would serve as a major catalyst for Mac sales."
For its part, Apple has publicly maintained that it will not introduce its own embedded virtualization technology with Leopard, indicating instead that it is very pleased with Parallels' solution and doesn't feel the need to compete. The company, however, has been known to intentionally mislead with some of its forward looking statements, as was the case in the lead up to the launch of the Mac mini.
In October of 2004, Apple chief financial officer told a teleconference of analysts and members of the media that Apple had decided not to compete in the sub-$800 PC market and instead would focus its efforts on its then booming music business and related products.
"We don't think we can make a lot of money there," the exec said. He must have missed the memo, because less than three months later Apple gave birth to the sub-$600 and sub-$500 Mac minis.
In his note to clients on Monday, Wu reiterated a Buy rating on shares of the Cupertino-based Mac maker, emphasizing his belief that the company is morphing into a four-prong (Mac, iPod + iTunes, Apple TV, and iPhone) vertically integrated consumer electronics firm.
"We see several catalysts in the quarters ahead, including Mac OS X Leopard, new Macs, new iPods, new movie and carrier partners, and lower cost cell phones," the analyst wrote.
In a report distributed to clients on Monday, American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu downplayed a recent report from Taiwanese-based DigiTimes, which speculated that Apple may push the release out to October in order to increase support for dual-booting Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Vista.
"From our analysis, we believe these concerns are overdone and believe that Mac OS X Leopard will ship on time in the 'Spring' timeframe, or Apple's June quarter," he wrote. "Our sources indicate that Apple's latest beta build has made noticeable improvements in stability and functionality from previous builds and that Apple is likely one or two upcoming builds away from reaching 'final candidate' stage to be released for manufacturing."
Wu noted that Spring technically runs from around March 20 to June 20 every year, which would give Apple nearly three more months to meet its self-imposed ship deadline. However, he acknowledged that a concerns amongst developers is that they are still in the dark on the software's "top secret" feature set.
"At some point, we believe Apple needs to 'publish' or enable these so-far undocumented features for wider beta testing," Wu wrote. "Many are hoping, including us, that it is virtual machine technology similar to that offered by Parallels, Inc. that allows seamless operation of Mac OS and Windows simultaneously. If so, we believe this would serve as a major catalyst for Mac sales."
For its part, Apple has publicly maintained that it will not introduce its own embedded virtualization technology with Leopard, indicating instead that it is very pleased with Parallels' solution and doesn't feel the need to compete. The company, however, has been known to intentionally mislead with some of its forward looking statements, as was the case in the lead up to the launch of the Mac mini.
In October of 2004, Apple chief financial officer told a teleconference of analysts and members of the media that Apple had decided not to compete in the sub-$800 PC market and instead would focus its efforts on its then booming music business and related products.
"We don't think we can make a lot of money there," the exec said. He must have missed the memo, because less than three months later Apple gave birth to the sub-$600 and sub-$500 Mac minis.
In his note to clients on Monday, Wu reiterated a Buy rating on shares of the Cupertino-based Mac maker, emphasizing his belief that the company is morphing into a four-prong (Mac, iPod + iTunes, Apple TV, and iPhone) vertically integrated consumer electronics firm.
"We see several catalysts in the quarters ahead, including Mac OS X Leopard, new Macs, new iPods, new movie and carrier partners, and lower cost cell phones," the analyst wrote.
Comments
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the count
http://thecountsworld.blogspot.com/
If this is what it takes to have a job like his.....sign me up!
Delayed until October, coming out in a few weeks... you hear both sides, and there is no reason to trust either one. After all, what does it mean to be right 50% of the time?
"We don't think we can make a lot of money there," the exec said. He must have missed the memo, because less than three months later Apple gave birth to the sub-$600 and sub-$500 Mac minis.
He was right about one thing. There's no money in the Mini and last I heard it's the worst selling Mac.
If Leopard is still on track to come out this spring, it's getting a little late to add those "top secret" features into the product, isn't it?
They either already enabled them and you missed it or Apple isn't going to enable them in the Developer Builds because Developers may not need them.
Sebastian
Let's hope the top secret features get tested and aren't released on the unsuspecting public without proper development.
If Leopard is still on track to come out this spring, it's getting a little late to add those "top secret" features into the product, isn't it?
Depends on the feature(s) that are top secret.
They say they are pleased with what Parallels has done for virtualization. What if they are bundling that as one of their top secret features? Or for that matter, they could be bundling some other existing product(s) as their top secret feature(s).
I guess only time will tell.
"The results.....after the commercial"!
Apple is starting to get old with me on their announcements
of new products. Yes, I was in marketing "before I retired"
and understand the value of the lead up to a new product
and how it's important to keep your competition guessing.
BUT>>>> "all the time" starts to get old.
A build up for the new iPhone... I understand.
BUT, for a launch of O7' operating system and iLife,
please....can we know the results before the commmercial?
OLD MAC GUY
P.S. reporters are just doing their jobs, it's the manufacturer
who is making them jump thru hoops to get information.
I'm tired of hearing on these TV shows...
"The results.....after the commercial"!
Apple is starting to get old with me on their announcements
of new products. Yes, I was in marketing "before I retired"
and understand the value of the lead up to a new product
and how it's important to keep your competition guessing.
BUT>>>> "all the time" starts to get old.
A build up for the new iPhone... I understand.
BUT, for a launch of O7' operating system and iLife,
please....can we know the results before the commmercial?
OLD MAC GUY
P.S. reporters are just doing their jobs, it's the manufacturer
who is making them jump thru hoops to get information.
I think Apple just doesn't see the value in talking about your new products all the time, or making random announcements on random products on something like a Blog. On that note I don't see it either.
Sebastian
Is this old or am I one of the first to view this? http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/
I noticed that iCal to Core Animation presentations seem not yet finished, so is this fresh?
If this is a scoop, yes!!! Hope Im one of the first to spread this good news!
Is this old or am I one of the first to view this? http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/
Old....
Hello to everyone!
Is this old or am I one of the first to view this? http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/
I noticed that iCal to Core Animation presentations seem not yet finished, so is this fresh?
If this is a scoop, yes!!! Hope Im one of the first to spread this good news!
Thanks... I hadn't noticed this.... 7 months ago.
Don't worry, it's still good news. Anyways I'll let you in on a secret, if you go to the Mail.app Leopard page, and look at the notes section (or To Dos, I forgot which, just look at both) you'll see a note/to do talking about a new iCal Icon.
Sebastian
Apple can't help the fact that the rumour mill goes crazy - but at the same time they aren't about to try and quiet it down because it generates TONS of free publicity. Genuine grass-roots publicity too - not the astroturfing that Microsoft has to resort to.
I'm tired of hearing on these TV shows...
"The results.....after the commercial"!
Apple is starting to get old with me on their announcements
of new products. Yes, I was in marketing "before I retired"
and understand the value of the lead up to a new product
and how it's important to keep your competition guessing.
BUT>>>> "all the time" starts to get old.
A build up for the new iPhone... I understand.
BUT, for a launch of O7' operating system and iLife,
please....can we know the results before the commmercial?
OLD MAC GUY
P.S. reporters are just doing their jobs, it's the manufacturer
who is making them jump thru hoops to get information.
Pray tell what commercials of the new OS have you been apprised of? Even so at this stage, what would you be concerned of?
So you as a marketer wouldn't post a line-up for the fall TV season, Monday Night Football, Movies, your daughter's impending wedding, etc., until the day of the event. I would only be concerned if it where your obituary.
Um - I don't think this is Apple's doing. They said pretty plainly that Leopard is coming out in the spring, and have been keeping the developers well fed with beta updates ever since that announcement.
Apple can't help the fact that the rumour mill goes crazy - but at the same time they aren't about to try and quiet it down because it generates TONS of free publicity. Genuine grass-roots publicity too - not the astroturfing that Microsoft has to resort to.
Of course they won't. They'll make the line "We don't approve of the Rumor Community" and when no one is looking, laugh about Apple's latest Marketing Scheme, you know, the one where Apple made absolutely no investment and generated tons of publicity.
Come to think of it I'm laughing too.
Sebastian
Hello to everyone!
Is this old or am I one of the first to view this? http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/
I noticed that iCal to Core Animation presentations seem not yet finished, so is this fresh?
If this is a scoop, yes!!! Hope Im one of the first to spread this good news!
Keep your job. It's old.
bring it on!!!!
It would seem that iCal is not presented because it is probably going to take on the look and feel of the new iLife appas that may also be integrated with Leopard. I think iLife is probably THE major new thing in Leopard, although it would be nice to see some UI refinement (even though Tiger is the best looking and working OS out there).
Bootcamp we have known about. The only really shocking thing that they could include would go beyond having some kind of Parallelsesque app, but instead to have a VMWareish inclusion of Windows APIs that can run on Mac OS natively (I also think that Apples legal right to use these is the primary reason why MS has broken so many things with Vista so that Apple cannot natively use the new stuff.
Anyway, these are the things I am hoping for and would cause me to upgrade my last Rev Powerbook to a shiny new Macbook Pro. I don't use windows apps at all anymore except for one program at work. It would be nice to do all from my Mac without putting money in Mocrosofts pocketbook.
Bootcamp we have known about. The only really shocking thing that they could include would go beyond having some kind of Parallelsesque app, but instead to have a VMWareish inclusion of Windows APIs that can run on Mac OS natively (I also think that Apples legal right to use these is the primary reason why MS has broken so many things with Vista so that Apple cannot natively use the new stuff.
Anyway, these are the things I am hoping for and would cause me to upgrade my last Rev Powerbook to a shiny new Macbook Pro. I don't use windows apps at all anymore except for one program at work. It would be nice to do all from my Mac without putting money in Mocrosofts pocketbook.
You know, I'm having a lot of trouble stomaching the idea of having Win32/.NET 3 run on a Mac. One reason could be the reason I have a Mac is because I hate the way Windows runs, right down to and including the APIs and the .exe format which makes Windows so prone to viruses to begin with.
Sebastian