We all know that OS X Lion is due in July, and with more than a quarter of the month already behind us, speculation continues to swirl as to exactly when Apple will pull the trigger on the big cat -- which is looking like next week, according to a variety of leaked retail plans.
AppleInsider is reporting that Apple has apparently notified retail stores of some prep work ahead of what is expected to be the launch of OS X Lion next week, with refreshed MacBook Air models followed closely behind it. Of course, OS X Lion will arrive exclusively on the Mac App Store as a download-only event, so what kind of preparation would the Apple Stores need to do since there’s nothing for them to sell? As it turns out, quite a bit.
According to a source with access to Apple’s internal retail news network, “a bulletin posted to the system this week is advising store management to perform RAM upgrades to certain Mac models on the showroom floors by Sunday, July 10th at the latest -- presumably in preparation for those models to be upgraded with Lion shortly thereafter.”
Apple Stores are also planning for customers who want to take them up on their offer to visit with their Macs in order to download the 4GB OS X Lion installer using the store’s free Wi-Fi, particularly those users on metered internet plans or without access to broadband. Those customers can also “receive assistance in becoming familiar with some of Lion’s more prominent enhancements.”
Of course, the arrival of OS X Lion will also bring some new signage at the Apple retail locations, with another source claiming their location was notified Wednesday of a new “overnight planogram shift” coming next week. Such overnights are traditionally held prior to new product introductions, with employees working throughout the night to change product displays, window signage and other tasks that would be too disruptive during business hours.
For now, the guessing game on when OS X Lion will get unleashed is anyone’s guess, but we’d be surprised if you don’t see it by the end of next week, barring any last-minute bugs that would require seeding another gold master build to developers.
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(Image courtesy of AppleInsider)
