Apple Holding New Mac Hardware Updates Until OS X Lion Launches?

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AppleInsider reports that it has received word that Apple is holding back on releasing updated Mac models in order to wait for work on OS X Lion to be completed. Apple is reportedly "so pumped up" about Lion that it wants to ship the new machines with Lion preinstalled rather than forcing users to upgrade on their own once the new operating system is released next month.

For instance, new Thunderbolt-enabled Sandy Bridge MacBook Air models expected to go into production this month have been ready and waiting for some time, according to people familiar with the matter. But management is currently unwilling to usher the new models into the market with the current Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard operating system.

Instead, the Mac maker is said to be locked on waiting till it can image the new notebooks with a Gold Master build of Lion so that buyers are afforded the latest and greatest Apple experience.

Thunderbolt-equipped Mac minis and LED Cinema Displays are also said to be on hold as Apple puts the finishing touches on OS X Lion.

os x lion advances even further
Apple has only announced that OS X Lion will launch in July, declining to share an exact release date so far. The release will be a Mac App Store exclusive, and will be priced at $29.99. Through the Lion Up-to-Date program, users who purchase or have purchased a Mac between June 6th and the official Lion release will receive a free upgrade to Lion.

Consequently, Apple's desire to hold back on releasing updated Macs is not related to saving customers money on the upgrade but instead seems focused on offering customers the latest and greatest software experience right out of the box and removing any inconvenience associated with upgrading.

Related Roundups: Mac mini, MacBook Air, Apple Pro Display XDR
Tag: appleinsider.com
Buyer's Guide: Mac Mini (Neutral), MacBook Air (Neutral)
Related Forums: Mac mini, MacBook Air, Mac Accessories

Top Rated Comments

asdf542 Avatar
asdf542
132 months ago
Despite all of the doom and gloom theories that get posted on these forums, I personally can't wait for Lion.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrono1081 Avatar
chrono1081
132 months ago
Apple is all about the user experience and I think many people would be mad if they bought a new machine and then had to upgrade a few weeks later to a new OS.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mex4eric Avatar
mex4eric
132 months ago
LED Cinema Displays?

The Cinema Displays need an OS?????
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yvan256 Avatar
Yvan256
132 months ago
I'd rather see a Mac mini upgrade with Thunderbolt, a Core i5/i7 CPU and a dedicated GPU with its own RAM at the cost of removing the optical drive. If you need one, the MacBook Air external drive works fine with the unibody Mac mini.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
goodcow Avatar
goodcow
132 months ago
It's a fact that any .0 software release, especially Apple's, is going to be full of bugs, so this doesn't sound like a very good idea.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jav6454 Avatar
jav6454
132 months ago
I see their point.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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