Name That Cat: What Breed Should OS 10.7 Be?
OS X Liger?
Now that Snow Leopard is on the prowl, thoughts turn to what Mac OS 10.7 might be called.
When it was announced that Mac OS 10.6 would be christened “Snow Leopard,” there was some speculation that Apple was running out of big cat names for its OS X versions. OS X 10.1 was Puma, 10.2 Jaguar, 10.3 Panther, 10.4 Tiger, 10.5 Leopard, and 10.6 is Snow Leopard.
More likely is that Apple wanted to emphasize that 10.6 would not be a major new features upgrade (hence the relatively modest price of $29.95), but rather pretty much a code-slimming and streamlining revision of OS 10.5 Leopard, with Power PC support excised. That would make a name somewhat similar to OS 10.5 logical (although the Snow Leopard is actually a completely different species from Leopard).
There’s no danger of Apple running out of cat names anytime soon. According to one wild cat species resource site, there are 36 distinct species of non-domestic cats, although some are concededly so obscure that they wouldn’t be suitable for an operating system moniker (Jaguarundi, anyone?).
One cat name I like is Cougar, although an objection might be that it’s a synonym for Puma, which has already been used for OS 10.1, but then so is Panther in its North American context. The largest wild cat species on this continent is variously known as Cougar, Puma, Mountain Lion, Panther, Painter, and Catamount plus reportedly several dozen other less-widely used names that have been recorded across North and South America.
If Apple wanted a particularly exotic variant, they might consider Eastern Cougar, referencing cats some contend still range in small numbers east of the Mississippi River in the U.S., and Canada — an assertion that remains to be scientifically verified.
Perhaps the most likely not-yet-used for an OS X version would be Cheetah, with the positive association of being the fastest animal on the planet. Running flat out, the fastest horses might hit about 43 miles per hour, while a cheetah can touch 70 MPH in short bursts. Earlier this month a cheetah named Sarah, whose home is the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, broke the world cheetah speed record in the 100-meter dash , covering the distance in 6.16 seconds — .06 seconds off the previous record set in 2001 by a cheetah living in South Africa.
Other Mac OS name candidates would be Ocelot, a primarily South and Central American cat that also ranges into Mexico and as far north as Texas, and the medium-sized North American Lynx and Bobcat. There’s Wildcat too, a name used by Grumman for a World War II vintage naval fighter aircraft, and of course “the king of beasts” — Lion, which for some reason hasn’t been used on an OS X version yet.
Still plenty of cat names to chose from. What’s your preference for OS 10.7?
Photo courtesy of allwest44.
Tweet This (40)
ben on September 16th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
i like cheetah.
when would you predict 10.7 to be released?
Paul on September 16th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
My vote is for OS X Garfield, or OS X Nermal, if they can get the license!
crsmit on September 16th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
minkx
crsmit on September 16th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
wot bout other wild animal names?
wolf would b good as a mac os name.
Skeptic on September 16th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
My guess would be that they’re saving “Lion” for their final version of OS X, maybe right before they switch from OS X to OS 11 (or whatever new snazzy name they’ll cook up for it). I mean, can you imagine anyone being excited upgrading from, say, OS 10.8 Lion to OS 10.9 Bobcat? Or, for that matter, even from Lion to Cheetah? You can’t beat the king. Duh.
Gil on September 16th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Cheetah was 10.0
Anonymous on September 16th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
I was going to say the same thing. Personally, I like Bobcat, Lion and Lynx.
Tm Puranen on September 17th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I hope the next generation will be of mythical creatures, like OS Elven (Eleven), or Centaur. I heard microsoft will be forming a series of antagonist mythical OS’s, like the Microsoft Sauron, or MS Ba’al Zebûb.
Carrie on September 16th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
I was thinking Lynx would be good. Nice and confusing along side Linux.
Thomas Maier on September 16th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Lion, I guess. Would be the only choise which makes sense. I don’t think that they are going to release OS 11 and they never will call it like that. what should be wrong with OS X 10.x to refresh all of it like they did after OS 9? Classic was crap. But OS X is not – so why switching? Everbody thought 10.6 would be called Lion or something and NOBODY thought of snow leopard. so why should the name be so abvious? Lioon could be… but I thing we should just wait and see.
Kevin Cassidy on September 16th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Cougar – with a photo of Cameron Diaz on the disc (if there is one)
Wahoo on September 16th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Yes OS X 10 was code named Cheetah
Francisco Delgado on September 16th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Lynx!
Jasper Van Proeyen on September 17th, 2009 at 7:09 am
I’m with Francisco :-)
alvin on September 16th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
ceiling cat http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmh/3890998676/
Matheus Dentinho on September 16th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Pussy Cat would be nice…
oren on September 16th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
For a more punk-rock approach, how about Alley Cat? (cues old lounge tune)…
SimplyGuy on September 16th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard.
Next version: “Deaf Leopard”. Can’t wait…
alex Peterson on September 16th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Lion seems like the only viable name they’ve got going for them…
Liger or Tigon would have a Lion + Tiger hybrid connotation that doesn’t make a lot of sense…
Ocelot could be the name of a Tablet OS since it’s a smaller cat? I think Lynx and Bobcat sorta have the same idea, smaller cats for a lighter operating system. They original Tablet OS would probably be called Bobcat because nobody’ll care about the name when the tablet is released. “Bobcat” doesn’t exactly strike awe into the hearts of fanboys.
Maybe they’ll make up a cat name… Or just switch to types of apples, red delicious, swiss, grannie smith.
JAMiUs on September 16th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
OS X 10.7 – LOL Cat
justelise on September 16th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
I’m not really all that concerned about naming conventions for the rest of the 10.x line. I’m wondering what Apple is gonna do for the 11.x line. I’m thinking since there is the Apple -> Pixar -> Disney -> Marvel Comics link, Apple could branch out into Marvel characters. Hulk, Phoenix, Storm, etc.
Joe on September 17th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Awe man. I never actually thought of the connection to Marvel after the Disney merger. Off topic for this post, but maybe this could mean the first step toward offering digital comics, perhaps via iTunes? :)
AJ on September 16th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Given that the next iteration of OS X will be older and more attractive, I’m going to have to go for Cougar too!
Michel on September 16th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Smelly cat ofcourse, with Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) on the cover of the disc.
Chris Ryan on September 16th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Tiddles The House Cat
pooper on September 16th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Mcgee!
Aaron Smith on September 16th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
They should definitely save Cougar for 10.9, when the OS is a bit older…
Aaron Smith on September 16th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
How about Toonces!
They could do a simultaneous roll out with iTunes 10 (X?) and offer a complete collection of Saturday Night Live in the Store, with special features narrated by everyone’s favorite cat, Toonces!.
adobe on September 16th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Lynx or Clouded Leopard
Facu on September 16th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
What was the name of the cat that appears in Shrek??
Jasper Van Proeyen on September 17th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Puss in boots ^_^
Patricia on September 16th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I like cougar best cause they’re death on four paws! Cheetah rocks, too. Lynx is a smaller but very lovely cat worthy of small upgrade to OS.
joecab on September 16th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
No more cats. The groundwork has been laid down. It’s time to go up to 11.
(Also, I thought naming 10.5 Leopard to enable them using Snow Leopard for 10.6 was an ingenious bit of planning. I’m sure it was intentional.)
Mike on September 16th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Civet cat?(jk)
Tuttle on September 16th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
There’s Wildcat too, a name used by Grumman for a World War II vintage naval fighter aircraft…
So if fighter aircraft make it OK how about Tiger II?
Gazoobee on September 16th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Lion just sounds lame to me. I bet they will go with repeating one of the older “good” ones but with a prefix like the “snow” in Snow Leopard, or one of the thousands of local variants of cat names like “BobCat” that aren’t really cat names at all, but still sound cool.
I agree with “justelise” in that better yet would be dropping the whole Cat thing altogether and starting fresh. Nothing says tacky like packages with leopard spots or tiger stripes. ;)
My vote for something new would be baryons of something. Like OS-X “Proton” or OS-X “Lepton.”
Herb on September 16th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Though it’s not in the species, how about Polecat. Ferocious little buggers.
zah zah on September 16th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
How about pussy cat?
cory2107 on September 16th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
well snow leopard was 10.6 and the average os x lasts what? a year and a half? so before it is time for a new os it will be 2011. os x came out in 2001 and apple said it would last ten years, so that makes os 11 due in 2011, so there probably won’t be a 10.7.
Galley on September 16th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
My vote goes for the most beautiful of the big cats: Amur Leopard, but I don’t think they want another Leopard. My second choice would be Ocelot.
ktech on September 16th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
My idea if its based on 10.6 then black leopard.
It think if apple entered the cheap netbook market they could make lighter os’s for them and name after house cats. like mac house cat series
Richard on September 16th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
How about Bengal? Or more common house cat names like siamese or tabby? Or Mau?
Jim on September 16th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Article fails to reference the current common usage for cougar, which wouldn’t be flattering. Lion is the next best candidate but I agree it should be the swan song. Lynx and bobcat are the best mainstream choices before lion.
Robert on September 16th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
SaberTooth. You once thought it was a goner, but they brought it back with a vengeance!
Andrew on September 16th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Mac OS X Morris
iphonerulez on September 16th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Catsup.
Bill on September 16th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Felix the Cat?
Cat in a Hat?
Ramón on September 16th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Felix
Rob on September 16th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Def Leopard!
domi on September 16th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Hilarious that while talking of big cats, the author should concentrate on American fauna.
Brian Hogg on September 16th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
According to Walt Mosspuppet, OS 10.7 will be known as “Hairless Siamese.”
tony on September 16th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I don’t know about 10.7 but 10.8 should be Octopussy.
Nils on September 17th, 2009 at 2:20 am
Octopussy is great, it could mark a transition to another habitat. Actually I think Apple will change to marine-borne life with the next Gen OS.
OS11 Lobster should be the first one.
Steve Mills on September 16th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Let’s just get rid of code names, especially if people continue to use them after release. Use the damn numbers!
-grouchy software architect
Mr-d on September 16th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
If they want to go with more kinds of leopard there is always amur leopard http://korta.nu/ad69.. then we have my favourite the Serval wich is an african wild cat http://korta.nu/439d
Gray Eagle on September 16th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Lioness. After all, the male lion takes after Microsoft, living on everyone else’s initial labors. The Lioness does the hunting and brings home the dinner. The Lion then enjoys the fruits of her ingenuity, skill and originality – - having done nothing himself except to usurp her labor.
Ben Fox on September 16th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
No idea what OS X should be named in the next version, but I personally would like to call Windows 7 “Lolcat”.
;)
Ben
carl bergfors on September 16th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Sabretooth for the last iteration of OS X
Carl
Dyxlesic on September 16th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I like Lynx.
Lions aren´t felines, so lions don´t like Mr. Jobs.
Mister Ron on September 16th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
The problem with using “Lion” is that it sounds like “lyin’” –I don’t think Apple’s PR people would want something like that floating around. “Cheetah” sounds like “Cheater” as well, but maybe that would be pretty positive for some folks.
Remember when Apple had multi fruit-colored iMacs? They didn’t bother with a yellow “banana” color because people would call it a “lemon.”
David on September 16th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Cheshire Cat – with a big grin!
ZEDenterprizes on September 16th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
I’m thinking that they should go with “Sabertooth” something ferocious and mysterious, but also rooted in the strength of the past…
Then again, maybe picking an extinct animal might not have positive connotations… ;-)
James Bond on September 16th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
The Apple Blog deleted my entry. It was a perfectly legitimate entry…
Please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pussy_Galore
gloria on September 16th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Cougar!! Yes, same as puma, panther, mt. lion, but I think more commonly understood by those who don’t understand the reason for the various names. This is our American Lion and that makes it extra special to me. My two cougars have American Indian names for that reason.
Scopie on September 16th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Don’t limit yourself to current species. I like Sabertooth.
Count Pollen on September 17th, 2009 at 1:36 am
Me too! Let’s show some fangs to Win7 !
Twist on September 16th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
I think 10.0 was Puma while 10.1 was Cheetah (because it was faster). I know Wikipedia says that it was the other way around but I think it might be wrong. Either way more amateur blogging hour from the guys at The Apple Blog don’t even try to get their facts straight or do any real work anymore. Next up a comparison piece that is really only a list of features for a few similar products, like this one.
Davis John on September 16th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
While there are so many cat species out there, quite a few of them are small or medium sized cats. I wonder if Apple would want to chose the name of a smaller sized cat which could bring in the impression of the new version being something inferior.
Btw, I believe Cheetah was the codename for OSX 10.0.
Andrew on September 16th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Cougar would be the name for the last update for the intel machines as we know them. Always wanting to hooked up with the latest and greatest, but forever on the wrong side of history.
kirbatron on September 17th, 2009 at 1:10 am
OS X 10.7: Hippopotamus
OS XI: Steve Jobs
Count Pollen on September 17th, 2009 at 1:35 am
As Snow Leopard is already smaller and more optimized (streamlined) I think I would go for smaller cat names if I were Apple. Lynx, for example.
Jaguar Tiger and Leopard and Uncia (Snow Leopard) are in the Genus Pathera (as is Lion, but that has obviously been skipped). If the next veriosn of OS X is also a “minor” upgrade, it could be called Cloud Leopard, also being funny because more and more of our data will be in de clouds in the near future.
Small cats:
Lynx Genus:
Lynx
Caracal
Bobcat
But what will happen after OS X 10.9 ??
Dog species? Firsty version being Beagle of course (intelligent, speedy and loyal)
Let’s wait and see.
\CountPollen
Philippe Legrain on September 17th, 2009 at 2:20 am
Lynx, Definitively!
Richard Dalziel-Sharpe on September 17th, 2009 at 2:52 am
Lots of luvly suggestions above but I hope that Apple save Lion for the final version of os X (10). After all lions are famed as kings of the beastie world, why not save it for what will by then without doubt the King of the OSes.
What comes after that, who knows? Planets, constellations are other manifestation of power and the universe, Roman or Greek gods, maybe, but a a name that conjures up a vision of the place where Apple will be by then.
Xander on September 17th, 2009 at 3:31 am
Ocelot’s been the running joke for the next version of OSX for years. Lynx works, they look awesome. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lynx_lynx2.jpg
Peter on September 17th, 2009 at 4:01 am
(Play him out) Keyboard Cat???
Or I CAN HAZ CHEEZBURGERS?
Miao for Now.
PeterSW
kris on September 17th, 2009 at 4:25 am
How about ‘Top Cat”.
Remember him?
Joe Anonymous on September 17th, 2009 at 5:24 am
Nittany Lion
Michael on September 17th, 2009 at 6:08 am
Cougar – the Apple OS for “older” women. ;-)
Dave on September 17th, 2009 at 6:18 am
OS X Garfield would be nice. :)
Emanuel Sá on September 17th, 2009 at 7:05 am
Is it certainly Mac Os X 10.7 Hello Kitty. that thing is taking over the world :O
Jonathan on September 17th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
For OS X 10.7 I say either lynx or lion.
Jonathan on September 17th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
or OS X 10.7 Tabby
that works too.
Shane Curran on September 18th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Cheetah was OS 10.0 I think 10.7 will be either lion or lynx………or Sabertooth!!! ha ha
Rick on September 18th, 2009 at 4:47 am
My vote’s for Ocelot
Mike O on September 18th, 2009 at 9:24 am
I still vote for Liger. It’s like a cross between a Lion and a Tiger. It’s pretty much my favorite animal.
theuncle on September 18th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
My gestalt: Going for Lynx. It’s sexy.
Then bigger cats can follow, like Sabertooth.
And when OSX is more mainstream than Windows:
Tabby (facetiously) will get the votes of the vast middle.
Of course there’s place for Lion,
and like Snow Leopard, that could be supplanted by:
Winter Lion.
(Peter and Katherine, where are you?)
Howie Isaacks on September 19th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
They haven’t used Lion yet. Maybe Apple will eventually start using another naming convention. The cat names were only supposed to be internal names in the first place. Macintosh was also an internal code name. Fortunately, the name stuck, or else we might be using computers called Allegro, or Bicycle… or some other dumb name. When Jeff Raskin left Apple, Steve Jobs tried to get rid of the name ‘Macintosh’, but the engineers on the Mac team wouldn’t use the new code names.
Check out folklore.org for an interesting story about this. Lookup the story called ‘Bicycle’.
Brent on September 19th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
How about LOLZCat
John on September 21st, 2009 at 11:14 am
There’s always Sabertooth (or Sylvester if you are more domestically oriented).
Truc on September 23rd, 2009 at 11:45 am
How about Mexican Hairless
sam on October 18th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I would call it either Cheetah or Liger
Stephen on October 25th, 2009 at 7:07 am
Lion Or Sabertooth :)
Jérome on November 8th, 2009 at 12:18 am
I’m sorta digging Mac OS 10.7 Sabre Tooth! I know it’s an extinct species it just sounds so badass… If not, Lynx sounds cool too!
CQ on November 10th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
How About Snow Kitten?