Come this July to August, frequent purveyors of Apple's product line may want to keep posted for a couple of possible info snippets regarding the company's line of iMac desktop computers.

First up is the possibility of a radically redesigned iMac line, which will come in a slimmer and sleeker package, and is further expected to come with 20 to 24-inch screens.

In line with this news, there was also the speculation that Apple would release iMacs featuring the "brushed metal" look. This new product line was expected to release shortly after the Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC), although speculation suggested that the event was instead used to cover matters on Apple's Mac OS X Leopard, third-party iPhone development, and software strategy.

Everyone's excited about the look and feel of Apple's Mac OS X Leopard and why not? The new OS is looking sleeker than ever and insiders are raving at how easy it is to set up.

   

Wired reports that they ran it on a Quad Core Xeon Mac Pro and Leopard went right on the prowl. These screens show some of what you can expect and it does look sweet.

The preview version doesn't have the final code but most sources say that Leopard has been impressive so far. The animations, the dock and the translucent toolbar are all contributing to giving the package that space-age look and the eye candy just has people's heads turning. DVD burning and Time Machine still haven't been tested, but that just leaves enough to have something to look forward to come launch date.

As most Apple fans know, the Apple WWDC is going pretty strong. A lot of people have their own thoughts about the iPhone and Mac OS X Leopard, but no amount of speculating beat first hand information.

Mac Rumors was lucky enough to get some details from those who attended the WWDC and were able to get some details about the Leopard. In addition, they also gave some of their impressions on the product which were quite insightful. Consistently, the people who saw it have been raving about the new mail system that Apple implemented.

Another thing that was pointed out by one of the attendees is the fact that Spotlight has been tweaked so that it has become "much more responsive." Another thing that was pointed out was that "Safari seems faster and now has that styled text editor as in Firefox." For those who are worried about the requirements of the said OS, don't fret, the readme on the copies handed out clarified everything (it's no Vista in terms of memory requirements).

System Requirements:

• an Intel processor or a PowerPC G4 or G5 processor
• a DVD drive
• built-in FireWire
• at least 256 MB of RAM for a Power-PC based Mac and 512 MB for an Intel-based Mac (additional RAM is recommended for development purposes)
• a built-in display or a display connected to an Apple-supplied video card supported by your computer
• at least 6 GB of disk space available, or 8 GB if you install the developer tools

That said, it looks like the Mac OS X Leopard is primed and ready to hit the ground running. Hopefully it will be everything and more Mac users wish it to be. Keep checking back here for more updates on the WWDC and the products featured there.

Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference is just around the corner and Apple fans are pumped at what Steve Jobs has to show. The focus of the attention, of course, is the anticipated demonstration of the new OS X Leopard, but some insiders believe that the next-generation interface of the system just might steal the show.

The new look will be driven by a system called Core Animation which will make the visual experience more vibrant than ever. Imagine a 3D desktop where your windows flip in and out and on-screen objects are looking good with high detail.

"The revolution coming with Core Animation is akin to the one that came from the original Mac in 1984," says Delicious Library developer Will Shipley. He adds that a whole "new world" will open up once Core Animation hits.

And Shipley is serious. He says that the Disco CD-writing application will have an interface with smoke animations and it's quite possible for the user to actually play with the fumes. How about blowing air into the mic and seeing the on screen smoke get blown away? Sweet!

"We realized any app we released based on Tiger (the current version of OS X) was going to look really pathetic when Leopard came out," says Shipley. He then reminded users that they would have to buy the new product if they want to enjoy the new features.

We certainly hope Apple shows off this exciting new innovation that they've jacked up. Die-hard Mac addicts better get ready to bust out that wallet because the Leopard intends to pounce hard.

 

It seems Apple is getting into the swing of things, bringing the buzz of its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) to the public. Forum-goers are abuzz with news that Apple is sending out teaser emails enticing people to sign up for the event. The company's main draw: a feature-complete version of the Mac OS X Leopard.

For those having difficulty reading the text, here's what it says:

At the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, we're planning to show you a feature-complete version of Mac OS X Leopard, and you can take home a beta copy. Be the first to get your hands on the Leopard beta and get a huge head start on development. Register now for WWDC 2007 - it's your ticket to the future of Mac OS X.

According to the teaser, early registration's also been extended to May 11, so Mac lovers everywhere can save some extra cash with their applications for the June event. As for what "feature-complete" means, we're certain that grabbing the beta will tell everyone more about it. Till then, we'll just have to sit tight and wait for the WWDC.

 

Apple has announced that Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO will be highlighting the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address beginning at 10 A.M. on June 11, 2007, at San Francisco's Moscone West.

It was noted that Apple plans to show developers a "feature complete version" of Mac OS X Leopard, and distribute a beta copy for home use and final testing.

Other activities from Apple at the WWDC 2007 include presentations from Apple engineers about an in-depth look at  Leopard (from its open-source foundation to other innovations like iChat Theater and Dascode), practical hands on sessions, technology labs, and other special events like the Stump the Experts event, and the Apple Design Awards.

Leopard is set to ship come October later this year.

All you Apple fans waiting for the OS X Leopard will have to sit down and wait some more, but if you're itching for that new OS experience and it's causing you to lose sleep, why not try Windows Vista for now to cool your rods?

The new Microsoft Windows incarnation is compatible with Apple hardware, which means you can split your hard drive to accommodate both. For users crazy about speed and tweaking, the typical MacBook Pro hard drive with 80GB of space may not be enough, so the guys at Extreme Tech decided to try and upgrade the disk to accommodate both systems at optimum performance levels.

What they did was not like anything you'd do with the regular MacBook which requires only screwing the disk loose and popping in a new one. With the Pro, you'd have to really dig in and void your warranty. Extreme Tech took a Seagate 7200 hard drive and replaced the Mac 5200. The new hard drive runs much faster because of the substantial RPM increase. It has 160GB of space, which should be enough for just about anyone. You can check the read URL to find instructions on how to do it yourself.

The launch of the loudly-trumpeted Windows Vista and the relative market success that followed it did little, if any, damage to the sales performance of Apple computers, says a report by Apple Insider.

Apple sales are down by a mere tenth of a point, which is quite a feat considering that many analysts assumed a market storm by the new Microsoft operating system. The storm has passed and Apple still stands. The Mac's 30 percent annual growth was unaffected this year as it remained at a solid 30 percent.

Apple's computer hardware department is in the US top five of dealers, only slightly behind market leaders Dell and Hewlett-Packard. It faces some tough competition, though, as Southeast-Asian manufacturers Lenovo, Acer and Toshiba also posted strong shipment figures.

"Microsoft's official consumer launch of Vista in January, [sic] had very limited impact on overall worldwide shipment demand on a quarterly basis," says research firm Gartner.

Apple is set to release its own next-generation operating system called Mac OS X Leopard edition, which it claims is easily superior to the Windows Vista. The Leopard is slated to arrive late this year.

We've seen one too many iPhone analysis articles now. What's with all the hype? It's all needed, though, for the fate of millions of Apple company investors and employees rely on the success of this spotlighted product.

The latest news on the iPhone hype has financial researchers assuring Apple investors that iPhone, iPod and Mac sales would continue pushing the company forward. iPod holds a 24 percent share on the world market for media players, a figure thought to rise by half a percentage point. Mac sales is seen to go up by the upcoming launch of the Mac OS X Leopard.

But all this hype on the iPhone could give rise to a dilemma for the giant electronics company - the iPhone could rival the iPod. It may seem silly knowing as how both products are by the same company, but iPhone could greatly affect iPod sales and thus, the financial health of Apple.

Other factors that would greatly affect Apple money health are negative issues on the iPhone - if they are to come. The analysts warn against negative news, delays, quality or usability issues - these can all easily damage Apple reputation and it's stock.

Truly, we sometimes cannot picture such so-so things as rumor and delays to affect something as tangible as money and stocks. But they are highly correlated. Such is the business of the finance world.

Kevin Hoffman, a former developer of Windows software expressed his amazement for what he felt was excellent response and developer support of Apple for its developer community in the Leopard beta run-through.

"Apparently there are a few traces of good customer service left," he said when comparing the experience he had in the respective development loops of Apple and Microsoft.

Hoffman is referring to an experience he had when he was tinkering with code to develop small applications for the new OS X Leopard. Using Objective-C code, he finished the work and tried running it. He then discovered a few bugs he can't fix, so he copied the source code and sent it to Apple for a look.

Here's what he didn't expect: The people at Apple had a quick peek at the program, examined his work and pointed out possible causes of the bug. They then made some adjustments and optimized the app he sent in and sent it back to him better than ever along with a few expert pointers.

Hoffman says that in contrast, what you get in Windows is "a faceless "submit" button to which you can send your bug reports, but in all my years of testing Microsoft products, I have never received a reply to any of the bugs I've submitted, let alone confirmation that the issue was truly an issue and not a mistake on my part."