Snow Leopard roadmap; Pro app updates in pipeline
Recently, AppleInsider has been provided with a bit more clarity on Apple's pre-release build cycles for Snow Leopard in addition to being tipped off to several Pro application updates currently undergoing beta tests.
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
According to people familiar with the matter, Apple's roadmap for the final stretch of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard development currently calls for the release of three 'key' builds through the company's high-membership Apple Developer Connection.
Each of the builds will carry a significance in its own right, the first of which is scheduled to appear between now and the start of WWDC 2009 during the second week of June. This build will reportedly include "big updates" to system components and functionality.
The next build is said to arrive alongside the start of WWDC on June 8th. It's expected to be the first build of the next-gen OS that will be "feature complete," bundling significant changes to the Mac OS X interface, assuming those changes are not approved for inclusion in the aforementioned build.
A third and final build is tentatively scheduled to make its way to developers in the weeks between WWDC and the software's formal release. This build is expected to serve as a lead-in to the final candidate stage that precedes the declaration of a Gold Master build suited for duplication on optical media.
People familiar with the matter have previously estimate that it will take Apple upwards of two-months from the time it shows off a feature complete Snow Leopard at WWDC to deliver the software to market, suggesting a release date around August.
Apple may also choose to seed more marginal builds intermittently between these key builds if it runs into unexpected issues and requires additional feedback from developers.
Mac OS X 10.5.7 Juno
Meanwhile, Mac OS X 10.5.7 remains on track for a release sometime during the month of April. The release, code-named Juno, will be the seventh maintenance and security update to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard since its release in October 2007. It will also be one of the last updates to Leopard with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard rapidly approaching.
Developers have been receiving new builds of Juno on a weekly basis, usually on Thursday or Friday evenings. The latest, which arrived this weekend, was labeled Mac OS X 10.5.7 build 9J39. It bundled five new fixes, bringing the total number of documented code corrections expected in the release to 99.
Amongst the areas addressed in build 9J39 were issues with iChat encryption, Mail signatures, USB drivers, and System Profiler's ability to properly show information on Mini DisplayPort adapters.
Pro App updates
Also under evaluation by developers and a select group of creative professionals are several Pro Application updates that are nearing a public release. Among them is a new version of Apple's ProRes Codec for its high-definition lossy video compression format and a significant update to the company's professional color grading software application labeled Color 1.5.
Furthermore, Apple is testing significant but incremental updates to Final Cut Server and Motion 4, both of which should see a release in the near term. Video production houses that uses these applications alongside Xsan 2.x may also be interested in learning that a new point release of cluster file system software code-named "Carrera" is also due for release shortly. Xsan was last updated to version 2.1 in June of 2008.
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
According to people familiar with the matter, Apple's roadmap for the final stretch of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard development currently calls for the release of three 'key' builds through the company's high-membership Apple Developer Connection.
Each of the builds will carry a significance in its own right, the first of which is scheduled to appear between now and the start of WWDC 2009 during the second week of June. This build will reportedly include "big updates" to system components and functionality.
The next build is said to arrive alongside the start of WWDC on June 8th. It's expected to be the first build of the next-gen OS that will be "feature complete," bundling significant changes to the Mac OS X interface, assuming those changes are not approved for inclusion in the aforementioned build.
A third and final build is tentatively scheduled to make its way to developers in the weeks between WWDC and the software's formal release. This build is expected to serve as a lead-in to the final candidate stage that precedes the declaration of a Gold Master build suited for duplication on optical media.
People familiar with the matter have previously estimate that it will take Apple upwards of two-months from the time it shows off a feature complete Snow Leopard at WWDC to deliver the software to market, suggesting a release date around August.
Apple may also choose to seed more marginal builds intermittently between these key builds if it runs into unexpected issues and requires additional feedback from developers.
Mac OS X 10.5.7 Juno
Meanwhile, Mac OS X 10.5.7 remains on track for a release sometime during the month of April. The release, code-named Juno, will be the seventh maintenance and security update to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard since its release in October 2007. It will also be one of the last updates to Leopard with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard rapidly approaching.
Developers have been receiving new builds of Juno on a weekly basis, usually on Thursday or Friday evenings. The latest, which arrived this weekend, was labeled Mac OS X 10.5.7 build 9J39. It bundled five new fixes, bringing the total number of documented code corrections expected in the release to 99.
Amongst the areas addressed in build 9J39 were issues with iChat encryption, Mail signatures, USB drivers, and System Profiler's ability to properly show information on Mini DisplayPort adapters.
Pro App updates
Also under evaluation by developers and a select group of creative professionals are several Pro Application updates that are nearing a public release. Among them is a new version of Apple's ProRes Codec for its high-definition lossy video compression format and a significant update to the company's professional color grading software application labeled Color 1.5.
Furthermore, Apple is testing significant but incremental updates to Final Cut Server and Motion 4, both of which should see a release in the near term. Video production houses that uses these applications alongside Xsan 2.x may also be interested in learning that a new point release of cluster file system software code-named "Carrera" is also due for release shortly. Xsan was last updated to version 2.1 in June of 2008.
Comments
Looking forward to Snow Leopard and seeing what Apple's done with ProRes and Color to integrate them fully into a FCS workflow.
We need Logic Studio info as well.
August sounds like a great date for a Snow Leopard release.
What's the usual grace period for a free upgrade?
For example, if I would buy a new Mac in the beginning of April. Would I have any chance of a free upgrade to SL?
Best,
Daniel
Please... Could you ask some source about that software?
Thanks
Hi,
What's the usual grace period for a free upgrade?
For example, if I would buy a new Mac in the beginning of April. Would I have any chance of a free upgrade to SL?
Best,
Daniel
Inte troligt.
Usually Apple gives a 10-15 day grace period as far as I know. So if you just bought a new computer and then a new version of OS X comes out within the next two weeks you can upgrade for a nominal fee. For returns, you get a little longer I think, but if the package is opened you have to pay a restocking fee.
Jimzip
Someone at Apple is a big fan of Tia.
The beta was sent out a month ago, and from what I've seen this could be the most significant update of Logic yet. With the i7/i5 iMacs and i7 mobiles chips coming real soon there is absolutely no need for DSP Pro Tools HD anymore.
From what I've seen from the beta, Logic 9 has superior audio editing features compared to Pro Tools and the new virtual instruments and plug-ins are just breathtaking.
In fact I think 3rd party plug-in manufactures such as IK Multimedia, Waves, Synthogy, Native Instruments etc. are going to s*** themselves when they see Logic 9, because the integrated effects, virtual instruments (new sample library and sampler) are actually better than the ones you have to pay for.
I'm sure Logic 9 will be out before the Final Cut Pro updates.
The beta was sent out a month ago, and from what I've seen this could be the most significant update of Logic yet. With the i7/i5 iMacs and i7 mobiles chips coming real soon there is absolutely no need for DSP Pro Tools HD anymore.
From what I've seen from the beta, Logic 9 has superior audio editing features compared to Pro Tools and the new virtual instruments and plug-ins are just breathtaking.
In fact I think 3rd party plug-in manufactures such as IK Multimedia, Waves, Synthogy, Native Instruments etc. are going to s*** themselves when they see Logic 9, because the integrated effects, virtual instruments (new sample library and sampler) are actually better than the ones you have to pay for.
I'd agree. Logic 9 "feels" like it should be really close. I'm hearing whispers of much improved pitch shifting tools. I'm sure we're going to get improved plugins as well. The amp simulation in Garageband 09 are damn good from what I hear from those zany guitar guys. I imagine that Guitar Amp Pro will take a good jump forward in sound quality.
Logic Studio was all about getting the new UI of LP8 out and tested and integrating Mainstage and STP. Now that the tough part is over I expect Logic Pro 9 to really shine.
I love Apple, but Aperture is one of the lamest apps it's ever released. It still feels like an unfinished app they bought from someone else (which is exactly what it is).
Where the heck is the update to Aperture?
Aperture? Aperture? Aperture?
I love Apple, but Aperture is one of the lamest apps it's ever released. It still feels like an unfinished app they bought from someone else (which is exactly what it is).
Where the heck is the update to Aperture?
Aperture 2 is rated 4.5 stars on Amazon
Maybe the issue is you. There's something that isn't vibing with you. Have you tried Lightroom?
So when AppleInsider tells us that something has been addressed with regard to mail signatures, does that mean that we on 10.5.6 will see some fix to mail signatures, or just that something went wrong with mail signatures on a previous build and it is now fixed?
10.5.6 still didn't bring a fix to the issue I told Apple about 4 months ago. When you download a Mac application, if you drag it to your desktop the icon never forms correctly. It's quite annoying.
If by cat you mean Snow Leopard and not the improvements to Leopard with 10.5.7, I can definiely say that the speed in benchmarking comparisons on the same hardware is about 10-12% faster. However, there are still so many niggling issues like the real world speed is actually reduced at this point.
If by cat you mean Snow Leopard and not the improvements to Leopard with 10.5.7, I can definiely say that the speed in benchmarking comparisons on the same hardware is about 10-12% faster. However, there are still so many niggling issues like the real world speed is actually reduced at this point.
Ah, bad news to me.
Aperture 2 is rated 4.5 stars on Amazon
Maybe the issue is you. There's something that isn't vibing with you. Have you tried Lightroom?
I use Aperture pretty much on a daily basis, It has these nagging bugs like the keyboard shortcuts stop working, video corruption for time to time, preview not completing etc.. other small things here and there, sometimes but rarely it just crashes.
Lightroom's UI is yuck but Lightroom has more tools and features. Current version of Aperture needs to be fixed and then a new bells and whistles, if Apple want to be taken seriously by pro photog's. The plugin feature was great, but they seem to be running out of innovation and momentum.
Well I've order my 2.66 Octocore 12Gb mean machine.
Gavin
"... and yes Lauren you not cool enough"
I just hope they haven't lost focus and are indeed doing more maintenance rather than introducing new features.
Ah, bad news to me.
Why is that bad news? It shows that the underlying core has been optimized but that the system isn't yet ready for GM. I think August is about the earliest we can expect SL.