Mac OS X Lion
• Features: After numerous Developer Previews and announcements, we know at this point almost everything to know about OS X Lion’s new features. Wikipedia has a good overview.
• Back to My Mac: Expect Lion to get the iPhone and iPad’s tracking abilities in case of loss or theft. It’s mentioned all over the place in the Developer Previews, even though it has yet to be announced.
• Release: We’ve heard that Apple was distributing the Gold Master of OS X Lion internally a few weeks ago, and with Lion currently at Developer Preview 3, we know it’s very, very close to being done. Current rumors suggest it will become available on the after Steve Jobs’ keynote on Monday.
• Distribution: It is believed that when Lion is made available for purchase, it will be available for download immediately via the Mac App Store. In fact, a recent Snow Leopard update made it possible to upgrade a user’s system via the Mac App Store. In addition, OS X Lion should be available via retail channels on both DVD and USB drives.
• Price: We expect Lion to follow Snow Leopard’s pricing model, with a single-user license costing just $29.
• Server Support: Apple has already said that Mac OS X Lion and Mac OS X Lion Server will be the same software, but the latest evidence suggests that to enable Server support in Lion, you’ll need to pony up an additional fee on the Mac App Store. Considering Snow Leopard Server costs $499 for unlimited client licenses, that could end up being an expensive buy-in.
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