Apple’s new OS off to strong start
Apple’s new Snow Leopard operating system has hit the ground running, according to research data released Thursday
Sales during the first two weeks of Snow Leopard’s release “far exceed those of the last two Apple operating systems,” market research company NPD said. The group tracks U.S. retail sales. Snow Leopard launched Aug. 28, available as an upgrade at an affordable price of $29.
According to NPD, Snow Leopard sales were more than two times higher than those for the initial release of Leopard back in 2007, and almost four times higher than the Tiger OS in 2005.
“Even though some considered Snow Leopard to be less feature-focused than the releases of Leopard or Tiger, the ease of upgrading to Snow Leopard and the affordable pricing made it a win-win for Apple computer owners – thus helping to push sales to record numbers” NPD’s Stephen Baker said in a statement.
Apple is the No. 4 PC maker in the U.S., according to research group Gartner, with 8.7 percent of that market.
Arch foe Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system goes on sale October 22. It starts at $119.99.
Here comes Windows Unicorn
Thousands of Microsofties yucked it up at the expense of rival Apple at their annual get-together at Seattle’s Safeco field on Thursday.
Saturday Night Live star Seth Meyers set about the old foe, which had its own festival of self-congratulation yesterday.
“Who at Apple let an 8-year-old girl name their new operating system Snow Leopard?,” Meyers asked, according to one employee spreading the good word on Facebook. “What, was Unicorn taken? Was Pony not available?”
Fair point, perhaps. But what’s this? A preview of the first TV ad for Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system, airing on prime time tonight. It features a young girl and a — admittedly kitsch — unicorn.
Couldn’t pay me enough to go back to Windows and its Worms and Viruses…Just put em out to pasture.
Steve Jobs: I’m well thanks, but I have a weight problem
Apple investors and Apple fans heaved a collective sigh of relief on Monday morning after CEO and founder Steve Jobs finally made an attempt to end rumors that he’s on his deathbed.
Jobs sent a letter to his followers, who will be gathering at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco in his absence, explaining his recent weight-loss has been due to a hormonal imbalance.
As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority. Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause — a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.
Jobs goes on to say the remedy is ”relatively simple and straightforward” and that he’s already begun treatment.
Meanwhile, Apple fans at Macworld Expo will miss a Jobs appearance and the analysts over at Bernstein Research expect the show to be “relatively unexciting”. They expect the major highlights to include a demonstration of Mac OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard”; new Mac desktops and a modest update to the AppleTV.
But Bernstein says don’t hold your breath for a new cheaper iPhone as has been speculated.
