The Snow Leopard referred to here is not actually some exotic animal, but is the name of the latest operating system for Mac - also known as Mac OS X 10.6.

At this stage, Snow Leopard is only compatible with Intel Macs, so if you’re currently using a PowerPC, you miss out for now.

Snow Leopard has not been designed to completely overhaul your operating system. Apple is selling it as a $39 upgrade to enhance the current Leopard operating system. However if you need to buy the standalone Snow Leopard package, it will set you back $229 for a package that also includes iLife and iWork.

The main reason to upgrade to Mac OS X 10.6 is the improvements to the interface, which makes everything much easier to use and find. These include:

* Expose, which lets you find whatever you’re looking for on your desktop visually, is now accessible from the Dock so you can click and hold on the icon then cycle through open applications using the Tab key.
* The Dock also allows you to drag files from program to program using the Dock.
* Stacks has had a significant upgrade, including the addition of a scroll bar and the ability to access Folders within Stacks.
* Safari 4 includes a Top Sites function.
* QuickTime X has had several tweaks, including easy sharing with Apple devices (your iPhone, iPod etc); the ability to record video from your webcam very easily; and a cleaner user interface.

Another major feature is the inclusion of support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. This means you can now connect with Microsoft Exchange servers - essential if you need to connect with your work servers, for example, which nearly all run off a Microsoft platform. This means you can now check your email, access global address lists and create meetings using iCal.

Buy cheap software on sale

By Caroline Warnes

Apple iWork ‘09 is the latest productivity suite for Mac users and features some significant updates to its core functions.

Those core applications are Pages (word processing, similar to Word), Keynote (a presentation program, similar to PowerPoint) and Numbers (a spreadsheet program, similar to Excel).

Pages: New features include a full-screen view, dynamic outlines and support for EndNote X2. Information added to Pages from Numbers is updated automatically when changes are made to the original Numbers document.

Keynote: New templates for common spreadsheets have been added, formulas have been simplified and the function browser has been upgradaed.

Keynote: New animation and transition effects have been added. Magic Move allows greated automation of graphics and text. 3D effects have also been improved.

Another new feature tied to the release is iWork.com, an online sharing site that lets you share your documents online so other users can comment on them (but not edit). It also lets you download in either iWork, Office or PDF format. iWork.com is free at this stage.

iWork ‘09 files are compatible for Office users and it can be installed on most newer Macs. Pricing starts from $129 for the standard iWork pack and $169 for the family pack.

Click here to find offers on iWork from retailers near you, or try it for free for 30 days here.

By Caroline Warnes