50 reasons not to buy an iPhone

Apple today announced that its delayed next-generation operating system, Mac OS X Leopard, will go on sale at 6pm on Friday, October 26.

In April, the iPod maker was forced to push back Leopard’s release date from June to ensure the timely release of the highly anticipated iPhone.

At the time, analysts said they expected the move to hit Apple's software revenues by about $150 million (£74 million) this year and said there could be a knock-on effect on sales of its Mac computers.

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Apple says the £269 phone, player and internet surfer comes tied to a £35 a month contract with network operator O2

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The delay to Leopard, the sixth major upgrade to Mac OS X since 2001, was all the more galling for Apple after the jibes it angled at Microsoft when Vista, its rival operating system, was put back two years.

Leopard, which will cost £85, will include more than 300 new features. The one Apple has flagged most so far is a new desktop layout dubbed “Stacks”, which the company claims makes it easier to keep you computer screen uncluttered.

The software will also include a redesigned search tool – Finder – that lets users quickly browse and share files between more than one computer.

Apple is also highlighting Quick Look, “a new way to instantly see files without opening an application”; Spaces, “an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them”; and Time Machine, “an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac”.

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