Leopard may ship October 26th

Apple may be gearing up to release Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) on October 26th according to information from sources at Apple Inc. AppleInsider reports that the announcements are likely to arrive any time between the 22nd and 27th of the month. Though the operating system has not yet achieved golden master status, recent builds have seen very short known issue lists. In fact, the latest build lists only one known issue, with Apple asking developers to test delivery of printer drivers through the Software Update mechanism. Apple has traditionally used the final Friday of the month to roll out major Mac OS X upgrades.

In Late-August, a copy of Apple's Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard introduction video surfaced on YouTube, displaying the company's traditional "Welcome" message in numerous languages set atop a deep-space theme. A simple techno beat accompanies a warm introduction for new Leopard users when installation completes.

In April, Apple said that development of the iPhone would delay Mac OS X Leopard until October because the company has devoted more of its resources toward development of the mobile device. At the time, the company said that while it plans to have all Leopard features completed by early June, quality control would add a few more months to the development cycle.

Filed under: Apple