Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 2nd Sep 2008 16:38 UTC
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Member since:
2008-09-05
Thom-- interesting article, but I have to agree with the other grammar nerds here. 'Mac OS X' is correctly pronounced 'Mac OS Ten' which certainly does not end with an 's' sound. Thus, the correct possessive is 'Mac OS Ten's' or, in written form, 'Mac OS X's'.
If the pronunciation was X (like the letter X), then either way would be considered correct. However, 'The Elements of Style'-- which is an excellent little guide on how to write well-- says in Rule #1 under 'Elementary Rules of Usage' to always end singular possessives in an 's, regardless of the final consonant. I personally follow the 'Elements of Style' rule, rather than the 'whatever you want' rule I was taught in school.
Using an 's in this case is probably the best bet, since there are two commonly-used pronunciations of Mac OS X (the correct 'ten' and incorrect 'X'). The 's is right in both cases; the ' is only right in one of the two.
Anyway, forgive us for nitpicking and keep up the great work :-).