Much has changed for Apple in the two - and - a - one-half years since it publish the Tiger update to OS X. The caller ’s iPod music musician and iTunes Store go along to enjoy a throttlehold on their respective securities industry . Apple also move its computer hardware over to Intel - built processor and premise a novel nomadic telephone , the iPhone , that ’s grab a tremendous amount of medium attention .

So amid all that activity , where does its latest OS X update , Leopard , fit in ? Do n’t be shoot by Apple ’s ever - widening business interests , analysts say — the Mac OS remains a vital part of Apple ’s overall strategy . And Mac OS X 10.5 in picky figures to wager an crucial part in the caller ’s on-going success .

“ Mac OS X is primal to Apple ’s content of the desegregation of hardware , computer software and services , ” said Ross Rubin , music director of depth psychology at securities industry - inquiry firm NPD . “ Given the focus of consolidation it ’s easy to lose cut of the constituent of that scheme . Without the Mac OS , the figurer is just a pretty Windows automobile . ”

JupiterResearch Vice President and Research Director Michael Gartenberg agrees : “ It is n’t quite as gimcrack in a class that fetch us new iPods and the iPhone , but it ’s no less significant . ”

While few would indicate about the importance of this O X update to Apple ’s fate , how to measure whether Leopard is a achiever or not is less clear . Apple report that it sold two million copies of Leopard in its scuttle weekend , but not everyone rising slope to the next version of an operating arrangement all at once . There ’s also the question of factorisation in the sales of Macs that fall pre - instal with OS X 10.5 .

Measuring Leopard

NPD ’s Rubin say there are a few ways to estimate the achiever of an operating organization . First , you could front a the sales of package retail copies . you’re able to also take care at the percentage of the customer base that has upgraded after a certain catamenia of time — a form that would take into account sales of new hardware shipping with Leopard . last , you may take care at the number of third - party developer that make apps to take advantage and further the platform .

Looking historically at Apple ’s operating system gross sales offer some insight into how Leopard might get along in the next twosome of months .

According to NPD ’s retail point - of - sales event data point , during the first two months after Tiger ’s button , Apple saw a 30 - percent addition of unit shipments for OS X 10.4 than it did for OS X 10.3 over the same period . Tiger unit shipments increased by 100 percent over OS X 10.2 ’s two - month sales figures .

That data comes with some caveat , however . It only includes boxed copies of the OS update and does not take into write up any version of the operating system that shipped pre - install on a desktop or laptop . Also , Apple has steadily expanded the number of its retail locations since the 2002 press release of Jaguar , giving users keen access to view and purchase the software .

With boxed copy of operating arrangement sale clearly on the hike , how can Mac gross sales touch on adoption of Leopard ? It should have a huge effect — a look at Apple ’s most recent quarterly resolution shows a spectacular gain in Mac sales .

Apple sold nearly 2.2 million Macs in its fiscal fourth - quarter , an all time quarterly record for the company . In that three - month full stop , Apple introduced updates to its iMac and Mac mini air . Not coincidently , desktop cut-rate sale jumped from the preceding quarter , up to 817,000 from 634,000 . laptop computer sales climb from the third fourth part as well , with the company sell 1.34 million units in the 4th tail versus 1.13 million in the prior three calendar month . The fiscal fourth - quarter marked the first full tail of sales since updated its MacBook and MacBook Pro lines in May and June , respectively .

Eyeing Vista

Apple enjoys contrasting OS X with Microsoft ’s operating organization — think back to Steve Jobs ’ 2006 developers conference keynote where he exact Apple was retain Leopard feature under wraps so that they would n’t find their style into Vista . But for all playfulness had at Microsoft ’s expense , not even the most ambitious Apple executive would expect OS X 10.5 to outsell Vista , which serves a much larger customer base .

Nevertheless , the Windows operating organization persist an authoritative point of equivalence for Apple ’s OS XTC efforts , NPD ’s Rubin says . “ It ’s an obvious benchmark for them , and it ’s one they allude to often,”he enounce .

And that ’s more true than ever , after Apple ’s replacement to Intel processor . “ It ’s the first [ OS ten acclivity ] to plunge on Intel , ” Rubin added . “ There is a sensation that the Intel transition made the Mac more attractive to Windows users — this ascent really allows those user to see a Mac upgrade for the first prison term . ”

And that could give Apple an chance to make a strong first opinion — specially in brightness level of the uneven chronicle of Windows upgrade . “ Apple controls the ironware and engineering science like FireWire , which helps when upgrading , ” said Rubin . “ mostly upgrading versions of the Mac OS has been far less complex than upgrade from say XP to Vista . ”

“ We are not going to see users have a new Mac and asking if they can downgrade like we saw with Vista users , ” said JupiterResearch ’s Gartenberg .

The vox populi of individual user will be an authoritative equipment driver for Leopard ’s success , grant to one industry psychoanalyst . While Forrester Research show many hoi polloi do n’t know that much about operating systems , the typical Mac user is different .

“ In the caseful of the Mac , the user community of interests is very influential , ” said Forrester Research psychoanalyst J.P. Gownder . “ The response of Apple enthusiasts will help influence the bombilation . ”