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Briefly: large Apple flash order, 10.4.7, MS on iPod

Apple is once again garnering massive quantities of NAND flash for an upcoming product ramp. Mac OS X 10.4.7 inches further towards a release. And Microsoft says all those reports last week about it developing an \"iPod killer\" are a big misunderstanding.

Apple increases flash orders

\"Following recent signs of recovery for the price of NAND flash, industry sources are confident that the industry should break out of its low point as Apple is booking considerable capacity at chip makers,\" DigiTimes is reporting.

The overseas publication cites sources who speculate the orders are for a new version of the company\'s iPod \"probably with 8GB of NAND flash.\" Both Samsung and Hynix are said to be the recipients of the larger order.

In the report, DigiTimes also cites sources \"at memory makers\" who say OEM makers have resumed their large memory chip orders ahead of seasonal upturn. They further stated that digital audio players are once again picking up sales momentum, representing an industry-wide rebound.

Mac OS X 10.4.7 nearing release

Development of Mac OS X 10.4.7, a hefty update to Apple\'s Mac OS X \"Tiger\" operating, is believed to be winding the final stretch.

After reportedly seeding Mac OS X 10.4.7 build 8J119 (PowerPC) and Mac OS X 10.4.7 build 8J2119 (Intel) early last week, Apple followed up with builds 8J122 and 8J2122 just prior to the weekend.

The increased frequency in which the company has begun to see the software suggests a release is now imminent. The maintenance and security update will offer dozens of enhancements, with a focus on Safari, Mail, iChat and Synching, among other things.

Microsoft: There is no iPod killer

Last week, a flurry of reports claimed Microsoft had convened with eight other companies in the Far East and decided to create a new product that would stomp Apple\'s iPod. Apparently, this was the case of a translation gone bad.

\"The announcement that came out of Japan this week was simply about the Japanese launch of Windows Media Player 11,\" an unnamed Microsoft representative told PC Mag \"Due to translation issues the announcement was misconstrued to sound like Microsoft was developing a rival to the iPod; that\'s just not the case.\"

The eight companies listed in the overseas press release were simply Microsoft\'s device partners who had agreed to employ the Windows Media Player 11 technology in their products, similar to the way they did with WMP 10.