Apple may name its next version of OS X 'Lynx'
Apple will continue its catty theme of OS X names by referring to OS X 10.9 as Lynx, claims a new report.
Mac OS X 10.9 could be dubbed "Lynx," says blog site AppleScoop.
The rumor sounds plausible. It would continue Apple's trend of naming its OS after ferocious felines. Over the past few years, OS X has leaped from Leopard to Snow Leopard to Lion and then to Mountain Lion.
However, the intel is decidedly second-hand.
The information comes from a "reliable source" who claims to have talked to someone inside Apple. The person reportedly saw some internal papers that indicated Apple was finalizing the name of OS X 10.9. But the source couldn't say when Apple would actually decide on the name or reveal it to the public.
Lynx, however, is on the list of available names for OS X. Way back in 2003, Apple trademarked several related names, including Lynx, Cougar, Leopard, and Tiger, MacRumors reported at the time. The company has already bagged Leopard and Tiger, so both Lynx and Cougar are still available.
A name can sometimes prove tricky, even one that's trademarked. Apple was sued by computer retailer Tiger Direct in 2005 over use of the name Tiger. But the judge eventually found in favor of Apple.
AppleScoop suggests that Apple may unveil its name for OS X 10.9 at next year's Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
Little is known about the next flavor of OS X at this point, though Apple may import a couple of features from iOS. A report out today from 9to5Mac says that OS X 10.9 will include the voice assistant Siri and support for Apple Maps. Based on the increased pace of the last two updates, the new OS could debut next year.