Apple shares slip after Leopard OS delay

NEW YORK, April 13 (UPI) -- Apple Inc. shares fell in New York Friday after the company said it would delay the release of the next Macintosh computer operating system by four months.

The company earlier said the Leopard system would ship in late spring.

Apple shares dropped $1.28, or 1.39 percent, to $90.91 in late morning trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. It had traded as low as $90.50.

Apple, of Cupertino, Calif., called the delay a "tradeoff" as its staff strives to release the iPhone by its scheduled June launch date.

"Finishing (iPhone) on time has not come without a price," the company said.

Leopard will now ship in October, it said.

Apple previously poked fun at Microsoft Corp.'s struggles to complete its Vista operating system. Microsoft declined to comment on Apple's delay.

Leopard is expected to have a series of consumer-oriented features including sophisticated data backup, improved graphics and a series of new user control abilities, The New York Times reported.

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