Build 10D561 Signals Mac OS X 10.6.3 Imminent Release

Reports have emerged saying Apple has issued yet another test build of Mac OS X 10.6.3, the latest maintenance and security update for its Snow Leopard operating system. Seeded to developers earlier this week, Mac OS X 10.6.3 Build 10D561 focuses on Bluetooth, Graphics Drivers, iChat, QuickTime, and USB, and lists no known issues.

A MacNN report says the new build is approximately 716MB in size, considerably smaller than the previous build (10D558), which weighed in at precisely 737 MB, people familiar with the software say. iPhoneInCanada chimes in, citing unnamed reports as saying that the build also focuses on the following areas of Mac OS X:

- Compatibility issues with OpenGL-based applications;
- Performance improvements for 64-bit Logic;
- Changes to QuickTime X that increase reliability and improve compatibility and security;
- Printing reliability and compatibility with third party printers;
- Issues patched that prevented files from copying to Windows shares;
- Issues patched with recurring events in iCal when connected to an Exchange server;
- Issues patched that prevented files with the “#” or “&” symbols in their names from opening in Rosetta.

The notes appear strikingly similar to those documented by build 10D558, issued last week, which said the update brought performance improvements for 64-bit Logic; changes to QuickTime X that increased reliability, improved compatibility and addressed security; improvements for printing reliability and compatibility with 3rd party printers; and fixed compatibility issues with OpenGL-based applications.

Now, more than ever, leaked details regarding Apple’s development cycles indicate that Mac OS X 10.6.3 is rapidly approaching a public release. “Labeled 10D561, the build makes no significant enhancements, suggesting that it is instead an attempt to massage the code before a final release,” the aforementioned MacNN report adds. Softpedia itself would like to point out that Apple has been listing no known issues for the past four seeds of Mac OS X 10.6.3, while the latest three have seen little to no differences in the “changes” segment. Focus areas are also looking to be narrowing down to the same key elements. Finally, the latest incremental release is actually smaller in size than its predecessor, somewhat confirming MacNN’s beliefs that Apple is now trimming the software at the ends, preparing it for the public release.