Tech Watch | InfoWorld Staff » Apple to introduce Tiger, next version of OS 10

May 04, 2004 | Comments: (0)

Apple to introduce Tiger, next version of OS 10

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It looks like Apple will make some news at its upcoming developer conference next month, June 28 through July 2, 2004.

While in typical Apple fashion company executives remain pretty closed mouth about details, what I did learn from a conversation with Ron Okamoto, vice president of worldwide developer relations makes it obvious that Apple is continuing to ramp up its efforts to move in on the enterprise.

First things first, Apple will unveil the next version of OS 10 at the event, code named Tiger. "A major upgrade" similar in scope to Panther is all they would say.

However, when I asked Okamoto if that also meant an upgrade to Cocoa the application development environment he clammed up.
"We haven't made any announcements about that," he said.

But that seems like an obvious thing to do.

On the enterprise track, Okamoto said that last year's event had an entirely new class of users, more enterprise types who use Java, Open Source and Unix. Up until last year, Okamoto said most of the developers attracted to the conference were "API developers.

"What we learned is a developer in an enterprise may be an API developer but they are also a Perl and TKL developer, a part time sys admin and someone who makes the connections between Mac and other systems," Okamoto said.

It doesn't seem like they will have any iPod news at the conference, no tracks specifically targeted to Apple's hot handheld. But there will be sessions focused on hardware integration like Firewire development.

Steve Jobs will kick it off. The message I got from talking to Okamoto is that the enterprise is being targeted. If that is the case we should see some of the major upgrades in OS 10 - Tiger, also targeted at that audience.

Posted by Ephraim. Schwartz on May 4, 2004 11:19 AM

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