Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Mac OS X Snow Leopard (version 10.6) (also referred to as OS X Snow Leopard) is the seventh <a href="/facts/Software_versioning/EP8VXAUU">major release</a> of <a href="/facts/MacOS/Y93vVpTm">macOS</a>, <a href="/facts/Apple_Inc./oTJYta3k">Apple</a>'s desktop and server <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating system</a> for <a href="/facts/Macintosh/8GhnXTK0">Macintosh</a> computers.
Snow Leopard was publicly unveiled on June 8, 2009, at Apple’s <a href="/facts/Worldwide_Developers_Conference/hEjVWkoo">Worldwide Developers Conference</a>. On August 28, 2009, it was released worldwide, and was made available for purchase from Apple's website and retail stores at the price of $29 USD for a single-user license. As a result of its low price, initial sales of Snow Leopard were significantly higher than its predecessors, which had prices starting at $129 USD. The release of Snow Leopard came nearly two years after the launch of <a href="/facts/Mac_OS_X_Leopard/UmXw4H5x">Mac OS X Leopard</a>, the second longest time span between successive Mac OS X releases (the time span between <a href="/facts/Mac_OS_X_Tiger/q6vKCpvq">Tiger</a> and Leopard was the longest).
The goals of Snow Leopard were improved performance, greater efficiency and the reduction of its overall <a href="/facts/Memory_footprint/wnS6TgpY">memory footprint</a>, unlike previous versions of Mac OS X which focused more on new features. Apple famously marketed Snow Leopard as having "zero new features". Its name signified its goal to be a refinement of the previous OS X version, Leopard. Much of the software in Mac OS X was extensively rewritten for this release in order to take full advantage of modern <a href="/facts/Macintosh/8GhnXTK0">Macintosh</a> hardware and software technologies (<a href="/facts/64-bit_computing/AgvkQHkM">64-bit</a>, <a href="/facts/Cocoa_(API)/p10p5aFI">Cocoa</a>, etc.). New programming frameworks, such as <a href="/facts/OpenCL/ns8y6np7">OpenCL</a>, were created, allowing software developers to use <a href="/facts/Graphics_processing_unit/PTK1RQVp">graphics cards</a> in their applications. It was also the first Mac OS release since <a href="/facts/System_7/IwLKo2sX">System 7.1.1</a> to not support Macs using <a href="/facts/PowerPC/DqmM9y50">PowerPC</a> processors, as Apple dropped support for them and focused on <a href="/facts/Apple%25E2%2580%2593Intel_architecture/1GpN0gWz">Intel-based products</a>. As support for <a href="/facts/Rosetta_(software)/9snj5mV4">Rosetta</a> was dropped in <a href="/facts/Mac_OS_X_Lion/CHyxXg8X">Mac OS X Lion</a>, Snow Leopard is the last version of Mac OS X that is able to run PowerPC-only applications.
Snow Leopard was succeeded by OS X Lion (version 10.7) on July 20, 2011. For several years, Apple continued to sell Snow Leopard at its online store for the benefit of users that required Snow Leopard in order to upgrade to later versions of OS X. Snow Leopard was the last version of Mac OS X to be distributed primarily through <a href="/facts/Optical_disc/vjVDB1GH">optical disc</a>, as all further releases were mainly distributed through the <a href="/facts/Mac_App_Store/uYr7slD4">Mac App Store</a> introduced in the Snow Leopard 10.6.6 update, or <a href="/facts/Apple_Software_Update/7uDAhFUz">Apple Software Update</a>.
Snow Leopard is the last version of Mac OS X that supports the 32-bit <a href="/facts/Intel_Core_Solo/lwa8VSdT">Intel Core Solo</a> and <a href="/facts/Intel_Core_Duo/lwa8VSdT">Intel Core Duo</a> <a href="/facts/Central_processing_unit/Jxp1bqMV">CPUs</a>. Because of this, Snow Leopard still remained somewhat popular alongside OS X Lion, despite its lack of continued support, mostly because of its ability to run PowerPC-based applications.
Snow Leopard is also the last release of Mac OS X to ship with a welcome video at first boot after installation. Reception of Snow Leopard was positive; see the section below.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard open-in-new

Mac OS X Snow Leopard