Apple’s Leopard operating system imminent

Apple Inc will release the latest version of its Macintosh operating system on 26 October.

The new software, called Leopard, is being released after a four-month delay. This was attributed to the diversion of software development resources to the company’s iPhone, which was launched in June.

Leopard will retail for around $129 for a single user, while a family pack, which can be installed on up to five computers, will cost around $199.

The system benefits from several new features, including a file back-up function called Time Machine. Email and instant message functions have also been improved and users can now preview documents or files without launching a separate program.

Compared with Microsoft, Apple is quick off the mark with upgrades to its operating system. Leopard is the sixth version of OS X in as many years, while there was a five year gap before Microsoft released its latest OS - Windows Vista.

Apple’s online store is now accepting pre-orders for Leopard.