Apple delays OS X release to 2001

NEWS Apple has delayed the release date of its next-generation operating system Mac OS X from Summer 2000 to early 2001. Speaking at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Jose this week, Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, gave no reason for the six-month addition to the already delayed schedule, but did announce that the first beta version of the OS would be available in the summer via a free download. OS X was received in equal degrees of admiration and horror when an early developer version was demoed at the Macworld conference in January this year. Its Aqua interface attracted the brunt of the criticism with many accusing the company of abandoning the "traditional feel" of the Mac, and of hyping appearance over functionality. In his keynote, Jobs demoed a new version of Aqua, which features in the fourth preview developer release of the OS.