14 DAY TRIAL // Developers making a living by coding software for the Macintosh install base are being advised to prep their apps for OS X Lion, the latest revision to Apple’s Mac OS.
Apple has sent out an email to developers encouraging them to start testing their software against the Golden Master builds of both OS X Lion, and Xcode.
Devs are being urged to submit their apps as soon as possible for review.
Apple has confirmed that Lion will be made available in its final form this month.
According to the latest rumors, Lion and Xcode 4.1 Final may even drop as early as Thursday, this week, alongside an updated range of Macintosh computers.
However, since programmers are only now being given the heads up, the timeframe for reviewing and approving Lion apps for the rumored Thursday launch seems extremely short.
The message addressing developers worldwide reads:
OS X Lion, the eighth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system, will soon be available to millions of Mac users around the world. Submit your Lion apps for review now so they can be on the Mac App Store when Lion ships this month. Be sure to build, test, and compile your apps using Mac OS X Lion GM Seed and Xcode 4.1 for Lion GM seed prior to uploading your binary to iTunes Connect.
Cupertino has also introduced Xcode 4.2 Developer Preview. By labeling Xcode 4.1 GM (Golden Master), we can expect the developer toolset to become available on the Mac App Store in its final form relatively soon.
Xcode is used not only for creating Macintosh applications, but also applications that run on Apple’s iOS platforms, like the iPhone and iPad.
New Mac OS and iOS enhancements always means there’s something new to be had in Xcode.
The Apple-authored development toolkit is a five dollar download from the Mac App Store. The current version accessible to non-Apple developers is 4.0.2.
Xcode is a 4GB+ download that currently requires Mac OS X 10.6.6 (Snow Leopard) or later.