14 DAY TRIAL // An Apple staffer speaking on the basis of anonymity has revealed that OS X 10.7, the latest version of Apple’s Mac OS, is "most likely" to come this week, and late too.
The IB Times quotes the source as saying that, although many web sites have pinned the release on July 14th, it is "most likely" to coming "late” this week.
The source said Lion was ready to go, as far as they (the Apple employees) could tell and that it will also mark the launch of Apple’s new MacBook Air computers with Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt connectivity.
"It doesn't make sense to release hardware without the software," the source said.
The low-voltage Sandy Bridge chip helps improve battery life by taking over some graphics processing, in addition to central processing, thus cutting the need for other chips, this staffer said.
It’s not just the MacBook Air that Apple is refreshing, many analysts have speculated.
Some sources even claim to have learned from trustworthy sources that new white MacBooks, Mac minis and Mac Pros are on the launchpad with the same Intel enhancements, and OS X Lion.
Developers enrolled with Apple’s $99-a-year program have already received what is referred to as OS X Lion GM, or Golden Master.
The GM is usually the final version of a given piece of Apple software, and this GM build of Lion is likely stamped on the SSDs and HDDs of the newly-upgraded Macintosh computers.
When it’s released to the public, Mac OS X Lion will be available as a $29 upgrade from Mac OS X Snow Leopard (version 10.6).
Users will need a valid Apple ID and a compatible Mac configuration to download the new OS from the Mac App Store - the only place it can be obtained (at least on day one), according to the Cupertino technology giant.