June 8, 2009: Apple introduces OS X Snow Leopard, a model of its Mac working system that ranks among the many firm’s most interesting desktop updates.
Showcased at Apple’s Worldwide Builders Convention in San Francisco, Snow Leopard doesn’t appear as flashy as another Mac working system upgrades. In reality, Apple famously features a slide in its WWDC presentation touting “0 new options.” Nevertheless, OS X Snow Leopard greater than delivers on Apple’s core values, paving a path to a vivid future for the Mac.
Mac OS X Snow Leopard optimizes options
On paper, the improve wasn’t a large shift from its predecessor, MAC OS X LEOPARD. A bit like 2018’s macOS Mojave, it didn’t add a plethora of recent options and attractive gimmicks. As a substitute, it caught to the fundamentals, optimizing what was already there by way of options and efficiency. Oh, and it did this whereas taking over 6GB much less space for storing than its fast predecessor.
“We’ve constructed on the success of Leopard and created a good higher expertise for our customers from set up to shutdown,” mentioned Bertrand Serlet, Apple’s senior vp of software program engineering, in a press launch. “Apple engineers have made a whole lot of enhancements so with Snow Leopard your system goes to really feel sooner, extra responsive and much more dependable than earlier than.”
On condition that OS X Leopard overreached in some senses, OS X Snow Leopard restored Apple’s popularity for high quality merchandise that “simply work.” It’s no shock that it hung round for a very long time. (That’s probably additionally on account of it being the final model of OS X that ran on early Intel Macs.)
Mac updates get cheaper
The 2009 improve modified the sport in one other approach, too. Earlier variations of the Mac working system value $129, however Snow Leopard solely set consumers again the comparatively paltry sum of $29. The value reduce prefigured Apple’s choice to get rid of many software program prices altogether a couple of years later. 2013’s OS X Mavericks might have been the primary free desktop working system from Apple, however Snow Leopard led the best way.
Finally, Mac OS X Snow Leopard turned a vital replace for Mac customers. It centered on getting issues proper, correcting earlier errors, and taking note of under-the-hood enhancements somewhat than user-facing ones.
You possibly can watch Craig Federighi, VP of Mac OS engineering on the time, run by way of the software program’s refinements within the video beneath from WWDC 2009:
Did you run Mac OS X Snow Leopard?
Do you could have fond recollections of utilizing this working system in your Mac? What’s your favourite macOS replace through the years? Go away your feedback beneath.
