In 2001, Apple let the world know that they were cat people by releasing version 10.0 of their operating system and naming it Cheetah. In the eight years since Cheetah, we’ve seen Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger and Leopard. Now, slated for release this Friday the 28th, is the newest member of the feline operating system family: Snow Leopard.
When I first heard that Apple was naming the new version of OSX Snow Leopard, it felt like a bit of a stretch. Although it sounds like a small update to Leopard, Apple usually deals with small updates with a second decimal point–not a new name. For example when Apple updated Tiger for the Intel/IBM split, they called their update 10.4.4—not Bengal Tiger. So Snow Leopard is clearly different enough to get its own name.
Biologically speaking, it’s interesting to note that while leopards are in the same genus as tigers and lions (panthera); snow leopards are in their own genus (uncia). Anyway, enough taxonomy for now.
So while Apple is on to their seventh cat, I wanted to go ahead and give them a little head start on number eight. With the cheetah, puma, jaguar, panther, tiger and leopard taken–how many well-known feline predators are still available to become the face of operating systems?
Lynx: The Lynx is a cool looking cat with a great name. They’re primarily found in the high altitude forests of Canada and Siberia. The Eurasian Lynx (pictured above) also happens to have a sweet beard and sideburns. Since there’s an ‘X’ at the end, I’m honestly surprised Apple hasn’t used this one yet.
Bobcat: The bobcat could be a suitable face for an operating system. They’re highly adaptable hunters found throughout North America. The only problem is, at around 20 pounds, they’re slightly diminutive compared to the other Apple cats. The last thing a bobcat wants to be is tiger food.
Wildcat: The wildcat might be a viable option. Although it sounds a little unwieldy for an operating system, the wildcat is the mascot of 19 American universities and a recently popular pro football offense. If college kids think wildcats are cool, Apple is bound to be within earshot.
Lion: You would have to imagine that at some point, Apple would turn to the king of the jungle. The problem is, you can’t just name any operating system upgrade after a lion. Do you know what happens when you piss off lions? I can’t say for certain, but I’m sure it involves thrashing, eviscerating and not living to talk about it. Maybe since ‘lion’ is so close to l-ion (lithium ion), it might be a better name for the battery to rule all batteries. Apple can make one of those, right?
Cougar: The cougar, which is actually a puma, is also an option—unless you’re talking about that 40 year old at the end of the bar with the smoky eye shadow. You should probably stay away from her.
Lesser-known cats: If Apple really wanted to test the limits of the feline family, they could consider employing ocelots, margays, caracals or servals. While these cats rarely venture into the business world, Apple has a lot of sway and might be able to coax them out of the bushes.
House cats: While they’re cute and might enjoy playing with the box that an operating system comes in, house cats have clearly found their niche on YouTube. They have about as much celebrity status as all of the other cats combined which is probably why their agent won’t return any of my calls.