Top 10 Mac OS X names Apple hasn’t used yet

Apple likes to name its Macintosh computer operating system releases after felines. Its latest, announced Wednesday, is Mac OS X Lion.
Earlier releases of Mac software were named Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard.
Could Apple be running out of feline names for new operating systems? I say no.
When it comes to wild cats, Apple still hasn’t used lynx, serval, ocelot or caracal.
In August 2009, when Mac OS X Snow Leopard was released, I suggested – tongue in cheek – 10 possible cat names it had overlooked, including Felix, Morris, Salem, Toonces and Mr. Mistoffelees from the musical “Cats.”
I followed that post with five more possible names, including Cowardly Lion, Tigger, Hobbes and Mr. Bigglesworth from the “Austin Powers” movies.
Here are 10 more possible cat names (all new!) for upcoming Mac OS X releases.
You’re welcome, Apple.

1. Sylvester

Sylvester would be the perfect name if Apple intends to use some of its $51 billion cash stockpile to acquire microblogging service Twitter.
Why?
Because Sylvester is always trying to devour Tweety.

2. Courteney Cox

Following her recent separation from husband David Arquette, Courteney Cox, the 46-year-old star of ABC’s “Cougar Town,” is now the world’s hottest available cougar.
Bonus: Apple CEO Steve Jobs is on the board of the Walt Disney Co., which owns ABC, and is the company’s largest individual shareholder.

3. Simba

Like Steve Jobs at Apple, Simba was ousted from his pride only to return triumphant.
And once again, since Simba is a character from Disney’s “The Lion King,” Jobs has an in.

4. Socks

With former Vice President Al Gore on Apple’s board of directors, using the name of President Clinton’s famed cat, Socks, would be a nice throwback to the Clinton-Gore era. Plus, he was the most likable character from the White House in those days.

5. Crookshanks

Steve Jobs likes to refer to Apple’s products as magical. So how about naming some software after Hermione Granger’s cat from the “Harry Potter” series of books about a boy wizard.

6. Chester Cheetah

Now that Apple is in the advertising business with its iAd platform, it might want to sell the name of its next Mac operating system release to Frito-Lay.
With Mac OS X Chester, it could advertise the software as extra crunchy and delicious.

7. Pussy Galore

By choosing the name of secret agent James Bond’s “Goldfinger” flame, Apple can tout a product that’s stacked (with features) and goes both ways (runs Windows as well as Mac programs).

8. Liger

Just as a liger is a hybrid mix of a lion and a tiger, Mac OS X Liger could combine parts of two different Mac products to create something unusual.

9. Bagheera

Who wouldn’t want a big panther looking out for them in a dangerous world?
It’s a jungle out there.
The character of Bagheera from Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book” (1894) is in the public domain. But Steve Jobs would have to pull some strings to use Disney’s version of him.

10. Snowbell

Why Snowbell from “Stuart Little”? Because he’s so darn cute!