Apple Booting up Adoption of 'Jaguar'

Beginning next January, Apple plans to switch to Mac OS X-only booting for new Mac models as it moves full blast to encourage adoption of the new operating system.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple, which launched the Mac OS 10.2 'Jaguar' operating system with much fanfare in July, said the new Mac computer would retain the ability to run most Mac OS 9 applications through Apple's bundled "Classic" software.

But, in the words of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, "Now it's time for Apple and our third-party developers to focus all of our resources exclusively on Mac OS X, rather than dividing them between two different operating systems."

"We expect that 20 percent of our entire installed base will be using Mac OS X by the end of this year, making it the fastest operating system transition in recent history," Jobs added. 'Jaguar' has been the default OS on all Mac machines since January and the company is estimating that more than 75 per cent of customers have elected to retain it as their OS.

Separately, Apple announced some of the biggest names in the electronics sector would adopt its Rendezvous communication standard, which lets users automatically find IP addresses and devices without complicated configuration procedures.

At the Apple Expo in Paris, the company said printer makers Canon, Xerox , Hewlett-Packard Epson and Lexmark would adopt the Rendezvous protocol and built it into new printer products.

Rendezvous uses standard networking protocols and zero configuration technology to automatically discover and connect devices over any IP network, including Ethernet and 802.11 wireless networking. It is a big part of the 'Jaguar' operating system and dozens of companies are working to integrate it into their products, Apple said.

Apple also announced it would start shipping iCal, the next iteration of its calendar application which can be managed and shared by multiple users. iCal, which is a free download lets users create and manage individual or group activities on single or multiple calendars and publish them on the Web for sharing.

The company said iCal users could subscribe to automatically updated calendars on the Web to keep up with work schedules, family events and school events. Apple is also putting calendar content for pro and college sports schedules, movie and DVD release dates and holiday information to allow consumers to add to their iCal calendars. ICal runs exclusively on the Mac OS X v10.2 operating system.

Although it comes as a free download, users looking to publish calendars must have a paid .Mac account or access to a WebDAV server.


ActiveBuddy Turns to Developers
OASIS Eyes Web Services Management Protocol