It has been in the news for some time now that new operating systems are to be launched by Apple and Microsoft, with both companies claiming that their operating system is the best.

Apples Snow Leopard is due for release in September and they hope to appeal to the growing number of Apple converts; over 10 million Apple Macs were sold last year – the highest ever figure to date.

Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 7 looks still to be a major contender if the pre-ordering figures are anything to go by. Although it is not available in the shops until October 22, so many people tried to pre order this the official website  crashed, in the UK alone pre-order copies sold out in under 9 hours! However, is this a reflection of demand due to desirability or more to do with how massively unpopular Vista proved to be?

There is no doubt that both of the operating systems in contention have some nice and  impressive features. Windows 7 is all about faster performance, secure web browsing and interestingly doesn’t require as much processing power as its predecessor, plus there is support for touch screen interfaces.

Snow Leopard, which is a follow up to Leopard, has further tweaked many of the features found in Leopard and also boasts much faster performance, the desktop is very streamlined with the ability to share files even in sleep mode and can boot up and shut down in less than half the time as a Apple Mac using Leopard.

The real tester of course will be when both products are available in the open market, but it should certainly be interesting to see which operating systems grabs the crown! Will you be upgrading your operating system? Which one would YOU choose?

T-Mobile is may get  to distribute the iPhone in Britain, if speculation is to be believed.

T-Mobile who already stocks the iPhone in Germany are said to be in talks with Apple to retail the iPhone in Britain.

Orange and Vodafone are also said to be interested in getting the iPhone if Apple decides to change the way it is distributed in the UK.

As well as a retail success, the iPhone has led to an explosion in downloadable mobile phone applications. Apple said yesterday that users of the iPhone and iPod Touch have downloaded more than 1.5bn programmes since it launched its iTunes “apps” store a year ago.

Having passed the 1bn mark in April the pace of downloads has accelerated.

Have you tested out the fab iPod touch or iPhone applications??

For a long time now, it has been rumored Apple have been developing a tablet computer and as usual, Apple have always denied this.

Via sources from the electronics industry, a Chinese newspaper is now reporting that Apple will launch a tablet in October, a story from the China Times reports:

Taiwan’s high-tech supply chain companies said Apple will debut its first netbook in October; Apple will position itself to tackle the Christmas shopping season. Three corporations – Foxconn, Wintek, Dynapack have received direct orders (to manufacture the tablet) from Apple.

People are suggesting that Apple does not really want to compete with net books as netbooks are low margin products, Apple is trying to create a new type of computer product; a small touch screen tablet, a sort of large iPod Touch or maybe something else entirely different.

Long time Apple watchers have commented that when Apple denies something it normally means they are working on it.

So maybe we will see the newly back at work Steve Jobs announce a Mac Tablet in October, the iTablet or iTouch Pro maybe?

What do you think is Apple is going to launch, an Apple netbook/tablet computer?

Ps. Best wishes to Steve Jobs on his return to work after his liver transplant.

It seems that a teenagers life may have been saved thanks to her iPod diverting a bolt of lightning that hit a tree she was sheltering under during a recent thunder storm.

The teenager passed out at the time, as the electrical current travelled through her iPod headphones receiving minor burns to her chest and stomach.

The teenagers Mother said “The doctors say her iPod saved her. Her nan only bought it a few days ago. Luckily, she wasn’t actually wearing the headphones. If she had been, she might not be here today.”

A top weather forecaster said it was likely that the metal in the iPod served as a conductor. The teenager does not remember much about the incident, but is said to be upset by her destroyed iPod!

Record sales of Macs, iPods and iPhones have pushed Apple to a 14th place in Forbes magazine’s annual list of America’s fastest growing tech companies.

It is a phenomenal achievement to make the list at all considering Apple’s young age.  Apple’s annual $33 billion in revenue far exceeded every other company on the list save No. 2 Google, which had a 2008 revenue of $21.7 billion.

Each company’s rank is based on its annualized sales growth from the previous five years. Apple’s was 40 percent, Google’s 72 percent. The No. 1 company, Illumina, grew at an eye-popping 110 percent.

A supplemental article on newcomers to the list says Apple “is growing more like a technology start-up than a big company.”