Apple Inc.’s latest operating system software, Snow Leopard, will go on sale this Friday.
The Mac OS X version 10.6 software will debut at Apple’s retail stores and authorized resellers nationwide. Apple’s online store is now taking pre-orders.
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Users of Mac OS X Leopard can upgrade to the latest version for $29 for single users and $49 for a family pack of five users. For Apple owners using the Tiger operating system on an Intel-based Mac, switching to Snow Leopard costs $169 for single users and $229 for a family pack.
Consumers who buy a qualifying Mac between June 8 and Dec. 26 can purchase the Snow Leopard upgrade for $9.95. Users must request an upgrade within 90 days of purchase or Dec. 26, whichever comes first.
Snow Leopard’s features include a more responsive Finder, mail that uploads messages faster, QuickTime X with a redesigned player and a more crash-resistent Safari browser.
Apple said Snow Leopard is half the size of the previous version, freeing up to 7 gigabytes of drive space when installed. It requires a minimum of 1 gigabyte of RAM and runs on Macs using an Intel processor.
Snow Leopard also works with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.
Shares of Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple rose $1.26 to $170.48 in morning trading.
