etc: Windows 7 now supported on Boot Camp

Apple didn’t meet its target date to bring Windows 7 support to Boot Camp by the end of 2009, but now that it’s out who really minded the delay? Quoted from macnn:

Apple has released several Boot Camp and firmware updates designed for 64-bit or 32-bit versions of Windows 7. Boot Camp 3.1 adds full support for Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. The update addresses issues involving trackpads and the red LED for digital audio, while the company’s wireless keyboard and Magic mouse are also now supported. For users planning to transition from Windows Vista to 7, a separate utility ensures that the Macintosh volume will safely unmount on Vista.

Downloads here:

• Boot Camp (64-bit) Download – 275MB
• Boot Camp (32-bit) Download – 381MB
• Vista to 7 Utility Download – 380KB
• Graphics Firmware Download – 1.2MB
• iMac Drivers Download – 104MB

[via macnn]

Snow Leopard available on August 28th

Rumours of a pre-September release of Snow Leopard have proven themselves to be true, as Apple today announced the official release date of Leopard’s successor. Apple retail stores and Apple authorized resellers will carry Snow Leopard this Friday, and Apple’s online store is now accepting pre-orders. It will be available as an upgrade for Leopard users for only $29.

Not that it matters whether you actually do have Leopard at all. A confirmed report states that the $29 upgrade disc will even work on a newly formatted drive, despite Apple’s implications of otherwise. Although this might end up breaching a ToS agreement, savings of over $100 by skipping the official Snow Leopard box set and still getting the full-blown OS makes upgrading difficult to resist. What to expect? Quicker startup, shutdown, and application speed, full 64-bit and multi-core support, OpenCL, better Universal Access support, and support for Microsoft Exchange.

[via Apple]

Snow Leopard disc packaging leaked

It looks like the packaging for Apple’s next major release, Snow Leopard, has been leaked on the internet, hinting to us that launch time is coming up quick. While there’s no official release date yet, you can wager a hefty sum that it’s going to be released at the upcoming September event, or as some sources even indicate, earlier. The packaging itself on the other hand shows a change of design to depict an actual snow leopard on the cover, ditching the X logo. As far as Apple’s history in design consistency goes, it’s uncertain that this will be the final disc packaging.

[via MacRumors]