14 DAY TRIAL // Apple fans and Mac users who’ve thoughtfully secured their very own copy of Snow Leopard by pre-ordering one are now reporting that their shipping status has changed to “prepared for shipment.” If this information is accurate, Softpedia has every reason to believe rumors that the next-gen OS is shipping early, particularly on August 28 (this Friday).
Readers writing down their thoughts over at 9to5mac “have mentioned that their Snow Leopard shipments have been locked in and are still expected to arrive on August 28th,” a report on the respective website reads. “They can no longer make changes to the order,” the Mac-focused online publication explains. The reader is cited as saying, “My snow leopard disc went to 'PREPARED FOR SHIPMENT' today... can't modify or cancel it anymore...”
Apple has (for some time) been rumored to be actively producing the Snow Leopard retail discs and packaging, as well as Install / Restore discs for shipping with every new Mac starting next month. Some rumors, however, say that the Mac maker is ready to ship the software even earlier than promised, spurring a flurry of other reports speculating on the matter. Softpedia too believes this is possible, especially thanks to reports signaling a glitch on the Apple online store, as well as the actual mentioning of “August 28th” on the UK version of Apple’s site.
For buyers of its next-gen operating system, Apple has announced a $29 upgrade price from Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, and a $49 price tag for the five-license Snow Leopard family pack. Mac OS X Server 10.6 Snow Leopard is priced at $499. Buyers of a “qualifying” Mac or Xserve (systems that meet Snow Leopard requirements) before the operating system’s public release can upgrade to Snow Leopard for as little as $9.95 through Apple's “Up to Date” program.