What does it do – what’s new?

Apple themselves describe this as OS X “refined not reinvented”. In other words, it’s not a massive change from the current version with most of the improvements occurring under the bonnet. Snow Leopard will be faster and more reliable than the current OS X 10.5 Leopard system and will play better with Microsoft Exchange which is probably it’s most important new feature for corporate users. Included in Apple’s list of new features is “more reliable disk eject” which suggests there isn’t a whole lot to talk about!

Should I upgrade to Snow Leopard?

Probably yes, although it’s difficult to say until the upgrade price is announced. You won’t be upgrading to gain any great new functionality (unless you’re an Exchange user) but simply to keep up with the latest version so that you don’t get stuck with an out of date operating system that will eventually cause you problems as it ceases to be supported. As always with a new OS, our advice is not to upgrade straight away as the first version of a new OS often has problems – we recommend you wait a couple of weeks for version 1.1. to come out.

Apple announced a new 15″ MacBook Pro and upgrades to the 17″ plus a new 13″ model at the WWDC on June 8th.

New 15″ MacBook Pro

Apple announced a new version of the 15″ MacBook Pro which sports a longer-lasting battery (7 hours instead of 5) and what Apple VP Phil Schiller described as “the nicest display Apple has ever put in a notebook”. It also now accepts SD cards so you can transfer photos from your digital camera. Prices now start at £1,299 for the 2.53 GHz model and £1,699 for the 2.8GHz. See full specifications and prices for the new 15″ MacBook Pro here.

17″ MacBook Pro upgraded

The 17″ MacBook Pro has been upgraded with a 2.8 GHz processor and 500GB hard drive and is now priced at £1,849. See full specifications and prices for the upgraded 17″ MacBook Pro here.

13″ MacBook is promoted to MacBook Pro

The Aluminium unibody version of the MacBook has now become a Mac Pro and starts at £899. See full specifications and prices for the upgraded 13″ MacBook Pro here.

Key features of the new MacBook Pro line:

- Precision Aluminum unibody enclosure
- Innovative built-in battery for up to 40 percent longer battery life
- Intel Core 2 Duo processor up to 3.06Ghz
- Advanced NVIDIA graphics
- Stunning LED backlit widescreen displays
- Silky-smooth Multi-Touch glass trackpad
- World’s greenest lineup of notebooks
- Ready out-of-the box with Mac OS X and iLife 09

All the new models are shipping right away at the Apple Online Store in the UK. The Apple Store allows you to configure your machine to order with exactly the options and specification that you want, and you can even have software pre-installed before it ships. Every Mac comes with 90 days free technical support (which you can extend if you wish with AppleCare) and delivery is free of charge.