We are receiving reports from readers that invitations to join Apple’s AppleSeed Software Customer Seeding Program are hitting people’s in boxes today. This comes as rumors are ramping up about the imminent release of iCloud, Mac OS X 10.7.2, iTunes 10.5, ATV updates and the iPhone 4S/5.
According to the emails forwarded to us:
OS X Lion Software Update Invitation
Apple invites you to participate in a software seeding project. Our program, Apple Software Customer Seeding, provides customers with access to pre-release software so that they may explore new features, perform early compatibility testing, and submit feedback to Apple engineers. We have selected you, based on a referral and/or prior participation in our program, to assist us in testing an upcoming release of an OS X Lion Software Update. You must have OS X Lion 10.7, build 11A511 or 10.7.1, build 11B26. Please follow the directions below to complete the invitation process.
Apple is doing the right thing since the changes coming this Fall are significant and they probably don’t want a repeat of the MobileMe fiasco a few years ago. We urge anyone that receives this invitation to join the program and take part in this opportunity if you are comfortable with beta testing. It is important and we are very happy to see Apple doing this. Kudos to Apple for going the extra mile by including a wider range of beta testers outside of developers who may only focus on their own problems.
The AppleSeed program isn’t new and it isn’t the only way to report bugs or to make suggestions about Apple products. You can report bugs if you are a registered developer at bugreport.apple.com and you can leave feedback at apple.com/feedback. Apple does listen so users can use both venues to help improve future Apple products.
We don’t know about you, but we are getting excited about what Apple has in store for us in the next one or two months. Although we know we’ll be seeing a new version of iTunes, Mac OS X Lion, iOS for the ATV, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and a new product called iCloud — we still don’t really know what the new iPhone or iPod touch will be like.
David W. Martin has more than 20 years of experience in the industry as a programmer, systems and business analyst, author, and consultant. David has written for CNET’s iPhoneatlas.com, MacLife.com, CultofMac.com, BYTE.com and recently for aNewDoman.net. He comes to Cult of Mac’s website with deep knowledge and passion for the all things Apple. Follow David on Twitter @david_w_martin or see what he’s up to now at davidwmartin.com.
17 responses to “Apple Opens Up AppleSeed Software Customer Seeding Program For Lion”
I just got a $829.99 iPad2 for only $103.37 and my mom got a $1499.99 HDTV for only $251.92, they are both coming with USPS tomorrow. I would be an idiot to ever pay full retail prices at places like Walmart or Bestbuy. I sold a 37″ HDTV to my boss for $600 that I only paid $78.24 for. I use  http://l-k.be/9l
I got the invite. Haven’t responded yet. I’m still running Snow Leopard on my Macs due to all the problems reported with Lion so far (trouble connecting to *AFP servers*?? Really??). I don’t have a spare machine to mess around with Lion builds that may be even more broken.
Ditto.
for some reason when I got the invite I immediately thought it was spam…Â
boo. i didn’t get an invite. :(
I got the email, but I’m waiting until I read something from Apple saying they have actually added consumers to this program.
Explore new features? Â I’d be happy if they saw fit to add a few of the old ones back. Â LoL
This Lion is taking a little more getting used to than I initially thought. Â
I’m in the same boat. Got the invitation, but I can’t afford to be messing about with beta versions of the OS on my main (and only) Mac.
The fact that they are making the release more “public” indicates that it is probably pretty solid.