Reports: OS X 10.7 In the Works As Apple Searches For New Feline Codename

Ed Sutherland ()

The hunt is on for a new codename for a Mac OS X .jpg

The hunt is on for a new codename for Mac OS X 10.7

Just months after releasing its latest Mac OS X 10.6 operating system, Apple began work on its successor, 10.7, according to reports. Indications of a new build number in an OS component and a new error message lead some to believe the Cupertino, Calif. company has begun development.

A database for Mac OS X’s boot software “launchd” mentions “11A47,” causing some to feel the Cupertino, Calif. company is at work on a new version of its operating system. MacRumors, which first reported on the hints, suggested the “11A” portion means Apple is working on an early version of the OS. The “47’ portion indicates the company has been working on the new version “for at least the last month or two.”

When Mac OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard” was first detected, it carried the “10A432’ build number. Updates 10.6.1 and 10.6.2 carried 10B and 10C prefixes.

A new error message, using the build number, also appears to show 10.7 is in the works:

” 11A47: SecurityAgent no longer visible via Accessibility”

Mac OS X 10.6 was often viewed as centered on changes not readily visible to the user, whereas many see 10.7 including major new features. No release date has been set for 10.7.

Apple has had great success with its release of Snow Leopard in August. The 10.6 software garnered double the sales of Leopard introduced in 2007 and four times that of 10.5 “Tiger” unveiled in 2005.

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[Via MacRumors, AppleInsider]

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About the author

Ed Sutherland

Ed Sutherland is a veteran technology journalist who first heard of Apple when they grew on trees, Yahoo was run out of a Stanford dorm and Google was an unknown upstart. Since then, Sutherland has covered the whole technology landscape, concentrating on tracking the trends and figuring out the finances of large (and small) technology companies.

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  • Ken Cohen

    Lynx?

    Lion?

    Lioness? – my favourite. The female is the smart efficient caregiver, the male is just a lazy promiscuous sort.

  • mat

    ocelot? cheetah? i like lynx from ken above.

  • dan

    Alley Cat?

  • Jim

    SabreTooth

  • chris

    Cougar?

  • Dr.Evil

    Sabre-Tooth!

  • Charli

    boring, total non news. anyone that works with a computer beyond just email and minesweeper is going to expect that they started work on 10.7 even before SL came out. Cause it is what is done.

  • Will

    Supposedly 10.1 or 10.0 was called Cheetah internally (the other of those two being Puma).

    I like Lynx or Sabretooth myself.

    Or what about ditching big cats and going to birds of prey? Eagle, Falcon, Harpy, Osprey?!?!? OS X Osprey has a good ring to it.

  • Barstep

    OS X Kitten
    OS X Moggie (or is that too English)
    OS X Tabby
    OS X Tom

    It’ll have a smaller footprint and be house trained of course

  • Cody

    Why don’t we just call it Steve. It has a ring to it…just say it to yourself.
    Mac OS X Steve

  • Ron

    The OS is pretty mature at this point… how about Cougar?

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t439_zzEloY Andrew

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t439_zzEloY
    Walrus
    It’s About Whiskers

  • OlsonBW

    I would be stunned if they hadn’t been working on this for at LEAST 12 months now if not longer. You do not need to finish one version before starting another.

    There are many things you can start working on before the “current” version is released. Lots of different technologies can be developed on an old version and then brought “up to date” when the new version is stable enough to develop on.

  • Charles

    “OS X 10.7 LOLCat”

    Features include integration with Fat Burger. Oh yes: you will haz cheezburger!

  • Scott

    I would be overjoyed if they went with “liger.”

  • Michael

    Can has LOLcat?

  • Borivoj

    King Lion!

  • Borivoj

    Or Lion King!

  • imajoebob

    Serval?

    Lion is the only Big Game species left.

  • aeyulous

    either cougar or lynx is okay. wonder why there’s no “lion” yet, saving for 10.9?

  • Matt

    How about “Pussycat” or how die Tweetie put it? “Puddytat”

  • JC

    theres no contest OS X 10.7 : Wolverine

  • CaryMG

    Lynx or Cougar’d be cool.

  • J Petit

    Cyberian Tiger

  • Jon

    Definately, COUGAR.

    The marketing for this would be so much fun.

    OS 10.7 COUGAR. Sure, its a little older, but it still looks good and you know you want it.

    They could also get Demi Moore for the “I’m a MAC” commercials.

    It’ll be great !

  • Mike

    I think 10.7 Cheezburger would work

  • daniel

    OS X Leo

  • Bobuo7

    There is an error towards the end of this article. uh… “10.5 Tiger”?. Don’t you mean 10.4 Tiger?

  • Nicolas

    OS X Pussy

  • jimmy

    OSX garfield?
    OSX barbary ?
    OSX cave-lion?
    OSX Kitty-Cat?