• August 24, 2009

Apple is launching its 10.6 Mac operating system, Snow Leopard, on Friday. Users can upgrade from Leopard, its last OS, for $29. Apple has positioned it as an under-the-hood upgrade with new capabilities that will not be so obvious to users, and thus not worth the usual $129.

The company sent an email to current customers on Aug. 24 alerting them to the new OS' availability. They are invited to pick it up at the Apple store, or if they place their order by Aug. 26, it will be delivered to them on Friday. Users with more than one Mac can upgrade up to five with the Snow Leopard Family Pack for $49. Or they can get the Mac Box Set and upgrade Mac software with Snow Leopard, iLife '09, and iWork '09 for $169.

The email describes the system as "the world's most advanced operating system. Finely tuned, Mac OS X Snow Leopard is a simpler, more powerful, and more refined version of Mac OS X." It delivers enhancements, next-generation technologies, support for Microsoft Exchange Server and new accessibility features.--Tanya Irwin