14 DAY TRIAL // According to the latest news around the Web, Apple has released a new build of its Mac OS X 10.5.8 Leopard to developers. The new build, 9L30, comes only five days after the previously seeded Build 9L29, and seems to be one of the latest iterations of the platform that the company pushes towards developers before the final version of the operating system becomes available.
Mac OS X 10.5.8 Leopard Build 9L30 includes only “a fix for a prior issue where the system occasionally did not not [sic.] wake from sleep correctly with certain external monitors,” as AppleInsider reports. At the same time, it seems that this build doesn't sport any known issues, which would suggest that it might be the last pre-release flavor of the OS.
Moreover, Apple has reportedly asked developers to focus mainly on several key technologies, among which we can count only two forward-facing applications: Automator and iCal. In addition, the final release of the Mac OS X 10.5.8 Leopard is expected to come with final touches to the “software's underlying service technologies with a particular focus on networking and syncing.”
The fact that there is only a single documented change included in Mac OS X 10.5.8 Leopard Build 9L30 and that there are no listed issues with the platform might suggest that the company is working on pushing the OS on the market before the release of its upcoming Mac OS X 10.6. Also known as Snow Leopard, the 10.6 platform is slated for a September launch.
The close launch of the Mac OS X 10.5.8 is also suggested by the fact that Nvidia released a series of drivers for the platform only two weeks ago, which were designed to be installed on the machines prior to OS X 10.5.8. At that time, an Apple spokesperson confirmed that the new drivers were meant for those who planned on updating to the yet unreleased version of the OS.