Mac OS X Leopard launch in Singapore!
SoftwareThis post is coming to you several days late because my web host took the opportunity to take my site's MySQL server offline for over three days during the frantic launch time. Some warning next time Servage would be just super!
Something was brewing on Friday night here in Singapore, and it had nothing to do with nightclubs, teh tarik or the CPF contribution controversy: Apple's Mac OS X Leopard was officially launched across the island!
Now granted Apple doesn't have any official (or in local english: "branded") Apple Centres here so the responsibility for launching the new OS fell on the EpiCentre in the Wheelock Place shopping centre on Orchard Rd, the de facto Apple authorised flagship store which aside from their blasphemous Microsoft XBox 360 display is all Mac and all iPod.
At 1800hrs the OS was officially launched with a man and a very loud microphone listing all the new features followed by a presentation from a Power98FM DJ who started handing out Apple tote-bags. Alas I didn't get one!
There was plenty of stock for both the svelte single and family licensed Leopard boxes, though there was huge queues at the checkout counters and half the stock was gone by the time I left.
Following the initial fanfare there were several presentations by two people from the States highlighting the Stacks, Time Machine and Cover Flow features amongst others. There were noticeable ooh's
and aah's
from many of the people there, it's my hope that at least a few people converted to Mac that night ;-).
As with most events like this in Singapore given the geographic size of the country (or lack thereof!) and the general conservative population here the event was fairly orderly but there were plenty of people! What surprised me was the sheer volume of caucasian expats there, especially from the US, UK and Australia. At some points in the evening I felt as though I was right back in Adelaide!
You can see all the photos I took both on my camera phone and my proper camera on my Singapore Leopard launch gallery on Flickr.
