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Back on June 30th we reported a source in the SF Bay Area had informed us that Mac OS X 10.7 Lion would be released on July 6th. The reasons for the launch date made sense so we posted it but with a big "RUMOR" in front of the article. July 6th came and went. No OS X Lion.

The next day 9to5 Mac had information stating it was their sources claimed July 14th for the release date. July 14th came and went. No OS X Lion. Now we read the 15th and the 19th, maybe the 22nd, how about the 31st? What's going on here? How has Apple kept the launch date of OS X Lion so secretive?

The main reason is because Mac OS X Lion is a total software launch. There is no external distribution, no shipping, no warehousing and no delivery to stores. Everything is software and inside Apple's control. A couple of us here at T-GAAP have said semi-jokingly that Steve Jobs can change the date anytime he wants. If a rumor guesses, "July 19th is launch date" then Apple easily make it the 18th or the 20th. Once OS X Lion is ready and on Apple's servers, a distribution date can be chosen by flipping a coin or spinning a wheel. Moreover it can be changed on a dime with little repercussion. As a British colleague of mine likes to say, "It is truly brilliant". Brilliant indeed.

The only issue that might make a launch date more solid and less flexible, is if OS X Lion launches with some new hardware — like a new MacBook Air, as some are suggesting. Because getting hardware through distribution and into stores for a specific date is important, so then would Lion be fixed to said date. It's certainly possible that Lion could launch first and then hardware, but not the other way around.

Nevertheless, Apple has done a tremendous job in keeping this launch date quiet. The only way to know when the launch date is would be to guess — and guess all the remaining days in July! Touché Apple!

Related Articles

• Rumor: Apple's Lion To Launch On Wed. July 6th
• OS X Lion: Goodbye Dock

4 Comments

1. ocbizlaw ~ July 15, 2011 17:35
   Apple is making a mistake in not giving a firm launch date. Yes, there are many reasons that they don't need to give a firm launch date. The problem is that in not doing so, Apple is projecting the idea that it has no idea when Lion OS X will be ready, whether or not that is actually true. I've been running OS 10.7 GM version for a couple of weeks and their are still a few bugs. I think Apple is projecting that they are feverishly working to get it ready by July 31. They'd like to get it out earlier, but they just can't get it right. And if it comes out with any bugs, or does not come out by July 31, it's going to look really bad. Also, I'm not entirely sure it is going to live up to the expectations that have built up. I will say, however, that it does have some nice features.
2. GP ~ July 15, 2011 19:36
   I beg to differ. Apple isn't giving any such impression, at least not to me, I think Apple is building the fervor of 1st adopters to a fever pitch. (I'm one of them.) And all OSes have bugs, so gimme my Lion and let it roar! (Of course, I do have a Snow Leopard partition waiting in reserve like all good 1st adopters should.)
3. The Cappy ~ July 17, 2011 14:54
   Note Apple has an earnings report next week. Apple frequently unveils new products right after one of those. As far as I can recall, though, they've never done it right before. As soon as we knew about the earnings report, no one should have been expecting Lion this week. @ocbizlaw: I think you're wrong (and kinda whiny). The message that Apple is sending is "In July." They're also sending out the message that they're in the driver's seat as far as when it's released, and that's how it should be. They like to make sure their products are polished. All the expectations about Lion are based on having shown its features in action. So if you get it and you're disappointed, you probably just weren't paying attention... and that's not their fault ;-) I think it will feel more different than any recent update, because of the full-screen mode and the new document features (if you use Word, you'll be disappointed because you won't see MS take advantage of the new features until 2035 or so). (Anybody who's really impatient: become a Mac developer and download the GM. It'll cost $99)
4. Peter ~ July 19, 2011 11:12
   Thanks for the info

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