Mac OS X 10.6.5 Software Update Getting Closer, with New Developer Seed Out

Apple has released the eight build of Mac OS X 10.6.5 to developers eight days after the previous seed, according to various reports.

Developers note that Mac OS X 10.6.5 build 10H562 is 615.9MB in size as a delta update and contains five focus areas and no known issues, according to a report by World of Apple.

The seed notes are presented as follows:



Known Issues
- None

Focus Areas
- 3D Graphics
- Printing
- QuickTime
- Time Machine
- USB Devices

For roughly four beta builds now, Mac OS X 10.6.5 has exhibited no known issues, while each new build contained virtually unchanged seed notes, in what appears to be a beta focused strictly on a reduced number of areas.

Mac OS X beta development cycles generally span no more than two months, but exceptions have been recorded.

If history is any indication, Apple should release the issue-free Mac OS X 10.6.5 no later than the first week of November.

Apple is also known to be focusing developer resources on Mac OS X Lion, the next-generation operating system for desktop and notebook Macs. This makes it imperative that development unwinds quickly for remaining Snow Leopard updates.

Lion is set to ship with an enhanced UI, as well as several key features like Launchpad and Mission Control, when it’s officially released to the public this summer.

In order to properly introduce Lion to the world, Apple used an approach similar to that of announcing Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6), one year before the OS was actually scheduled to debut.

Cupertino execs promise to have Lion ready by the end of Summer 2011, which is actually a shorted waiting time, compared to the run for Snow Leopard last year.

But, until Lion is out, Snow Leopard remains the major focus for all Mac users out there. Remember, look for OS X 10.6.5 in your Software Updaters sometime soon.


Update: article updated to correct a refernce to the presumed upcoming release of Mac OS X 10.6.5.