苹果将推出速度更快的新操作系统

　　Apple Inc.'s new operating system, dubbed Snow Leopard, is designed to mimic one of the big cat's prominent characteristics: speed.

　　Scheduled for release in September, Snow Leopard is expected to be the fastest operating system to date from the Cupertino, Calif., company. 

　　Macintosh computers running Snow Leopard will shut down as much as 75% faster than those running Leopard, the current Macintosh operating system, according to Apple's Web site. Computers running the software also will wake from the low-power sleep mode twice as fast as those running Leopard. The system is as much as 55% faster at joining wireless networks.

　　Snow Leopard's sprint to stores and the Internet will come as Apple positions its well-regarded operating system for a challenge to Microsoft Corp., which is preparing the latest version of its ubiquitous Windows operating system. That program, Windows 7, is getting strong reviews, though questions remain as to how quickly it will be adopted. Many viewed its predecessor, Windows Vista, as a miss with businesses and consumers.

　　Windows 7 is to be launched Oct. 22. 'We're hearing positive feedback from consumers, enterprises, reviewers and industry experts that confirms Windows 7 is on track to deliver what our customers have been asking for' in a new operating system, a Microsoft representative said. Operating systems control the key functions of computers.

　　Apple's Snow Leopard has about 100 major come-hither features or refinements. The operating system will push the boundaries of what can be done with track pads, the part of a laptop's console used to control the on-screen cursor. With Snow Leopard, any Macintosh notebook computer with multitouch track pads will support three- and four-finger gestures, as they are known in the computer industry.

　　Gestures include swiping three fingers together either left or right to advance through a series of downloaded Web pages. Four fingers swept upward on the track pad clean a crowded desktop.

　　Apple spokesmen declined to comment.

　　Snow Leopard isn't particularly pricey. It will cost $29 to upgrade a Mac to Snow Leopard from Leopard, and $49 for five computer upgrades within the same family. The software also will ship with every new Mac.

　　Because of the low price tag, Snow Leopard won't directly contribute much to Apple's top line. Apple is counting on Snow Leopard to entice people to buy more of its computers, especially its laptops.

　　Those machines have relatively large profit margins that have helped propel Apple's profit and stock price. The shares have risen 91% this year. The stock fell 1.1% to $162.83 on the Nasdaq Stock Market at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

　　Snow Leopard puts Apple in 'pole position' to capture market share for notebook computers, Collins Stewart analyst Ashok Kumar said in a recent note. The analyst has a 'buy' rating on the stock.

　　苹果公司(Apple Inc.)名为Snow Leopard的新操作系统旨在延续这家巨头最突出的特点之一：速度。

　　Snow Leopard预定9月推出，据信将会是苹果迄今推出的速度最快的操作系统。

　　苹果网站上说，运行Snow Leopard系统的Macintosh电脑关机速度比运行现有操作系统Leopard的电脑快75%。运行该系统的电脑从低耗能的睡眠模式启动的速度是运行Leopard的两倍。连接无线网络的速度最多快55%。

　　苹果赶着推出Snow Leopard并在网上发布,这给正准备推出其普及率极高的Windows操作系统最新版的微软(Microsoft Corp.)带来了挑战。微软的Windows 7操作系统获得了好评，但对于人们能多快接受它还存在疑问。许多人认为Windows 7的前身Windows Vista对于企业和消费者来说都是个失败之作。

　　Windows 7将于10月22日发布。微软的一名代表说，客户、企业、评测人士和业内专家都给出了正面反馈，证明了Windows 7将会达到客户一直以来对新操作系统的要求。操作系统控制着电脑最重要的一些功能。

　　苹果的Snow Leopard有大约100项主要的诱人功能或精妙设计。该操作系统将会扩展触控板的功能，触控板即笔记本电脑控制台用于控制桌面指针的元件。安装了Snow Leopard系统后，带有多重触控板的Macintosh笔记本电脑将会支持多点触控。

　　可用的触控手势包括，同时用三个手指向左或向右挪动可以浏览一系列已下载的网页。四个手指在触控板上向上拖拽可以清理过于拥挤的桌面。

　　苹果发言人拒绝置评。

　　Snow Leopard不算特别昂贵。Mac电脑从Leopard升级到Snow Leopard只需29美元，5组授权的家庭装仅为49美元。新出厂的Mac电脑也会预装Snow Leopard.

　　由于Snow Leopard价格较低，因而不会直接为苹果的利润做出太大贡献。苹果希望Snow Leopard能吸引人们购买其生产的电脑，尤其是笔记本电脑。

　　苹果电脑的利润率相对较高，帮助提振了苹果的利润和股价。苹果股票今年已上涨91%。该股周二在纳斯达克市场跌1.1%，至162.83美元。

　　Collins Stewart分析师库马尔(Ashok Kumar)在最近的一份报告中说，Snow Leopard令苹果处于有利地位，可以抢夺笔记本电脑的市场份额。他给苹果股票的评级为“买进”。