ikcmrrohly: OS X Lion launching in July for $29.99

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

OS X Lion launching in July for $29.99

Apple has been talking about OS X Lion for some time already, of course, but it's now filled in most if not all of the remaining key details at WWDC. Dubbed a "major release" with over 250 new features, the OS adds things like a slew of new multi-touch gestures and full-screen apps (including iPhoto, iMovie, Safari, etc.), plus the all new Mission Control, which unifies Expose and Spaces, and the iOS-esque Launchpad application launcher. It also includes a new system-wide Resume feature that lets you pick up exactly where you left off, a new auto-save feature that automatically saves different versions of documents, the new AirDrop peer-to-peer file-sharing system, and a brand new version of Mail that finally includes a conversation view.

The big news revealed today, however, is that the OS will now only be available in the Mac App Store as a 4GB download -- which installs in place, no reboots -- and that it will run you just $29.99 for all of your authorized Macs. It will be available sometime in July, but developers can get the latest preview release today. Head on past the break for the official press release.

Update: It didn't garner much fanfare, but Apple has also revealed that Lion Server will be available as an App Store download in July as well, with it set to run you $49.99 (a veritable bargain by Server standards).

Gallery: Mac OS X Lion at WWDC 2011