Apple Launches OS X Lion Via Mac App Store

As officially announced just yesterday, Apple today has launched OS X Lion, which is now available [App Store] exclusively via the Mac App Store. Priced at $29.99, OS X Lion is Apple's next-generation operating system for the Mac platform. OS X Lion Server [App Store] is also available as a $49.99 add-on to the basic Lion install.

OS X Lion brings a number of new features to the Mac, including an iOS-like application launch screen known as Launchpad, full-screen apps, a new combined interface for Dashboard, Expose, and Spaces known as Mission Control, enhanced Multi-Touch gestures, and improvements to a number of core applications such as Mail.

Some of the amazing features in Lion include: new Multi-Touch® gestures; system-wide support for full screen apps; Mission Control, an innovative view of everything running on your Mac; the Mac App Store, the best place to find and explore great software, built right into the OS; Launchpad, a new home for all your apps; and a completely redesigned Mail app.

“Lion is the best version of OS X yet, and we’re thrilled that users around the world can download it starting today,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Lion makes upgrading a Mac easier than ever before; just launch the Mac App Store, buy Lion with your iTunes account, and the download and install process will begin automatically.”

Apple previewed OS X Lion for developers several times over the last nine months, and has been seeding developers with Lion builds since early this year. Apple announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference early last month that Lion would ship sometime during the month of July, and the company seeded the golden master version to developers on July 1st.