Mac OSX Lion may launch Wednesday

Apple Inc. may launch its latest operating system - Mac OS X Lion - as early as this Wednesday, an Apple enthusiast site reported on Tuesday. MacRumors said Apple Retail stores started receiving final copies of OS X Lion this week, with the installations on hard drives meant for the demo computers. "This, of course, doesn't guarantee a specific launch date, but brings Apple one step closer to launch," the site said in a report. At the same time, Apple is expected to refresh the MacBook Air and Mac Mini computers around the same time as Lion's launch, the site added. It noted Apple had said OS X Lion will be launched in July, although it did not specify the date. MacRumors also pointed out Apple made the Golden Master version of OS X Lion to developers last July 1. A separate report on TheNextWeb said that there will be no retail boxed copy of Lion, with the new operating system only available via the Mac App Store. This would require users to install the most recent version of Snow Leopard first. It also cited other sources who said an overnight is expected to begin after the store closes - a lock-in where employees stay in the store overnight to learn about new products. "If the sources are right, it looks like we’ll be set for a Lion launch on Wednesday. There’s no accompanying word as to whether the heavily-rumored Macbook Air refresh will drop on the same day as Lion or several days afterwards," TheNextWeb said. — TJD, GMA News