Mountain Lion Release Date: July 19, 2012

Jun 18, 2012 — by: E. Werner Reschke
Categories: Predictions, Products, Rumors

Mountain Lion_Release_Date

Our source in the Bay Area (who took these WWDC pre-conference photos), has informed us that Apple's release date for OS X Mountain Lion is Thursday, July 19, 2012.

During at the WWDC 2012 Apple reminded us that they have been on a one year major iOS release schedule since 2007's first iPhone. This seems to be the plan also with OS X. No more 2-3 year wait between OS releases. Instead Apple intends to stick to an annual update cycle which continues to make Microsoft's OS release schedules looks slow if not pointless. July 19th's release date would be 364 days since OS X Lion's release (July 20, 2011).

Apple choosing July for their OS X release is a great play. WWDC will be a month old, and no new Apple announcements are likely until mid-September after school starts back up again. It will be a launch with nothing around it, pushing more interest back to the Mac. Microsoft can attempt to take some headlines with their tablet launch, but Apple looks to be able to control the headlines for quite some time.

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24 Comments

  1. jeff ~ June 18, 2012 12:44

    An annual release seems unproductive: Wait a month or two for the kinks to be worked out, spend another month, two or three for your favorite/needed software to work in harmony with the new OS not to mention finding the new drivers for any attached hardware and hoping they don't have any new kinks and all of a sudden there's a new OS coming out. #

  2. Art Vandelay ~ June 18, 2012 18:34

    I've been using the developer builds of 10.8. I also have Windows 8 preview installed on a ThinkPad. Sorry to tell you this, but Windows 8 leaps ahead of Mountain Lion. 10.8 adds in more iOS goodies. Apple's cash cow is the iPhone, and OS X is now just a way to sell more phones, which equals more profit. Its about money for Apple, not innovation. There is nothing particularly innovative in Mountain Lion. Windows 8, on the other hand, is extraordinary. The Metro apps look amazing. Functionality is vastly improved when compared to the old style Windows counterparts. Microsoft has definitely beaten Apple at the innovation game. I cant wait to order the new ThinkPad X1 and run Windows 8. My MacBook Air will be a spare computer. #

  3. Steve ~ June 18, 2012 20:35

    Actually, it will be 365 days since the release because 2012 is a leap year with 366 days. #

  4. Peter ~ June 19, 2012 03:34

    Hey Art, you are the first that I have come across to think that. I have windows 8 running under Parallels and have shown it to my son and his friends who both use Windoze, and they are horrified. Typical comments are things like "it makes me feel depressed!" #

  5. Bory ~ June 20, 2012 01:23

    I tend to agree with both Art and Peter. Admitadly I am no Apple fan boy and always been pro windows. I have never been a fan of OSX and use Bootcamp on my iMac for windows 7. I have to say what is good about the iMac certainly is it is the best built PC I have ever used, even over my own. Also people say Apple is an expensive machine. The build quality is so high and you will find it very hard if you look closely to match the spec of the highest end iMac (2011 July release) to any PC even now. I also have been using windows 8 and unfortunately I hate it. But I do hate the OSX more. I was shcoked that OS Lion actually advertised a key feature as full screen applications... I honestly thought I was looking at a pI$$ take of the release first time I saw it. #

  6. Beltran Espinosa ~ June 20, 2012 10:00

    I don't believe my eyes reading so much praise to Windows 8 and the new thing called Surface. At the presentation no one could get their hands on the device, Windows 8 is going to be another bad copy of OS X, and nobody know when the release date will be on any of the new things, and even price. It's really funy to see how lost all Apple competition is, that they come up with a lot of fuss to show a mok up of products that are not even in production. When Apple announces a new product, you can be sure they have already manufactured millions to be sold the opening day. I have to thank the friend that told me "Buy a Mac and you will happily remember my advice all your life". That's all Steve..... Balmer, you are no Jobs. #

  7. Beltran Espinosa ~ June 20, 2012 10:06

    I don't believe my eyes reading so much praise to Windows 8 and the new thing called Surface. At the presentation no one could get their hands on the device, Windows 8 is going to be another bad copy of OS X, and nobody know when the release date will be on any of the new things, and even price. It's really funy to see how lost all Apple competition is, that they come up with a lot of fuss to show a mok up of products that are not even in production. When Apple announces a new product, you can be sure they have already manufactured millions to be sold the opening day. I have to thank the friend that told me "Buy a Mac and you will happily remember my advice all your life". That's all Steve..... Balmer, you are no Jobs. By the way, Windows depresses me to the point to look for some Prozac. #

  8. Don Scott ~ June 29, 2012 12:59

    Ballmer made jokes about the the original iPhone before it rolled out. MS Chief of their phone division railed on about how Apple should release version 5 of the iPhone and how it was a "mistake." How many iPhone 4s's shipped in the first 3 days after the sales lines opened? Microsoft is clueless. I dropped my long standing partnership with them and moved over to the company with vision. It is quiet possible that Steve would have called Metro sh--. #

  9. Odd Herdebjuv ~ June 30, 2012 01:49

    I run OS X and Win 7 (bootcamp) on my iMac and I must say I find it unnecessary to choose sides; both os have their pros and cons and as a user/consumer I am happy to enjoy the benefits of both. For this reason I look forward to both the Mountain Lion and Win 8... #

  10. Nicklas Ansman ~ June 30, 2012 03:03

    Actually it would be exactly 365 days between releases as 2012 is a leap year. #

  11. ezekiel walsh ~ June 30, 2012 07:42

    actually its 365 days. you forgot to account the leap year adding an extra day making it 365 #

  12. Patrick Segovia ~ June 30, 2012 09:39

    About Art's comment: I work in the IT field and you can't stop progress. Windows 8 will have slow acceptance into the business market because Windows 7 is good enough and is already ingrained into the infrastructure. I don't think Windows 8 is the next best thing since sliced bread as Art would have you believe. After working with both OSs it is evident that Mac OS X is more elegant, powerful and versatile then Windows 8. These competing OS releases from both companies will help move technology forward, and I'm glad they are both on the horizon, but I don't want to get sidetracked here on a debate. Anyone how would prefer a ThinkPad X1 over an iPad really lacks discernment and taste. I have been using an X1 these past few months and it is thicker, wider, a lot of wasted space and worst of all it is flaky (does not work constantly well). Let's hope that X1 carbon will be a better product. I recommend that folks enjoy playing with both OSs, but when it comes to picking the best hardware and software, well then it's still going to be a Mac running OS X. #

  13. Harry ~ July 01, 2012 13:49

    I have been a user of Windows for a long long time, I run a large network and would often say why spoil a good network with a MAC? I now find myself sat in front of one in my living room and to be fair I like it. I also at work sit in front of a Win 8 setup and must say I like that just as much, am unsure of the use on business desktops and I may not be as quick to move all of my clients over to it like I did with Win 7. I don't think its fair to say Apple have a one year release cycle (or 364/ 365 if we must!) as Mountain Lion is like an MS R2 update rather than a whole new OS. Also harping on about who copies who is old news and has happened both ways round. MS builds a hardware agnostic OS and with Win XP/ 7 and from using 8 (yes Vista was not one of them) they have done what they have set out to do. Apple makes an OS to work on a limited set of hardware so don't have the same issues as MS on that front. MS dipping its toe in to producing hardware in the form of a surface tablet is its way of saying its sick of being let down by OEMs and has by doing this made them think about what is expected not only for an OS to run, but also what the end user should be entitled to much like Apple has done for a long time. This can only be a good thing for us all, Apple needs some competition in the tablet arena and I really hope MS nail it. I also feel the same about desktop OS's Apple need to make an OS's that puts pressure on MS this keeps the technology/ software moving forward. #

  14. adrian ~ July 02, 2012 01:24

    C'mon apple fan boi and gurls! you started on windows, why hate now? because you can afford expensive apple stuff and hate windows? C'mon! assemble a PC on a price of Apple computers and lets see the performance and all others things and stuff that you do to prove that OS X is superior & use a legit copy of OS not the downloaded one. Apple built the OS and approved the hardware. Do Microsoft do that stuff, No! HP, Dell, Lenovo, build the PC and use Windows as their OS, Know the difference? #

  15. Phillip ~ July 02, 2012 16:17

    Its not about being a "fanboi" or girl. I worked in video production, laying out catalogs for a mail order warehouse on an old Powermac 9600, I'm talking ancient. The boss bought me a brand new Gateway with all the bells and whistles, dead within 3 months, so it was back to the old Powermac to keep production up. We buy new Dells for the office, and why not, order me a new Dell with all the bells and whistles.... 6 weeks, and I am back to the old faithful. Finally we upgraded the Powermac to a G4, worked flawlessly running Quark Express and Flightcheck... Fast forward to 2006, the computer was still a workhorse. I ended up buying guy 2007 iMac, been doing the same type of work till this day. You can say what you want about people paying a high price, but I guarantee you spent more than I have on your PC's in the past 5 years than I have on my iMac. #

  16. Bory ~ July 03, 2012 01:38

    I have to say a variety of comments there. However to adrian, I used to build my PC's and well and that was my job for a long time. You are right cost was always cheaper, however the July 2011 iMac Spec. I actually couldnt build a PC with equal quality components for the same or less money. I had the 3.4ghz i7 iMac 27" with AMD 6900 (remember this is not the mobile chip like in previous iMacs)I could not build the same PC for cheaper in anyway with Windows 7 (x64 Home Premium) However you can still put together a cheap PC for less with good performance very true. I find OSX disappointing though and use Windows 7. I was shocked with Mountain Lion... I mean full screen applications was a feature? All that did was bring to my attention it wasn't already there. Windows has had that since 95! #

  17. denny ~ July 03, 2012 10:29

    It would of been nice if they kept mobileme going until this release. Otherwise I have to go without my devices being synced or buying Lion for three weeks to be able to use iCloud and then turn around and re-buy Mountain Lion ?? #

  18. Mark ~ July 03, 2012 15:59

    I agree with phillip, my 2010 macbook $1899 lasted 2 years of being dropped, brought all around the world in carry cases, been in minus degree temperatures and lasted, never a problem, the macbook with all the dents and scratches then sold on ebay for $880. I recall my last windows/toshiba laptop that i bought for 3000 , had cracked plastics 3 years old sold for 99 cents on ebay, only 1 person bidded the build quality is expectional. when your in the OS and everything runs smooth 2 years on, you know its a good thing #

  19. Sockman ~ July 03, 2012 16:24

    It's actually 365 days... 2012 is a leap year... #

  20. ioswoody ~ July 03, 2012 22:38

    I still have a MacBook that I purchased 5 years ago, upgraded the Drive and the RAM and does well for the kids! I also work in IT and we HAVE to use Windows/IE and we are rolling out new machines very 18 months to 2 years (these are not cheapies either) I still have 7+ year old Mac Mini's in service!! (That are used all day/everyday) #

  21. Mark H ~ July 04, 2012 01:30

    If there is a way to make something more complicated than it needs to be, Microsoft WILL find it. Apple, on the other hand, makes sensible products for sensible people. #

  22. james ~ July 08, 2012 14:20

    i use windows 7 on my iMac (bootcamp) and the only use i see for windows is games, for my work (photography, movies and music) i use adobe, final cut and pro tools, and windows is.. (not impossible, but more slow) windows 8 is for home use, not for professionals, they are gonna loose a lot of money i think... osx ML is happening the same, not for professional use... #

  23. casey ~ July 09, 2012 15:49

    OS X is a much better operating system than Windows, and has much more capability, even with the new release of Windows 8, which seems more like a mobile operating system than one for a computer. #

  24. maxheadspace ~ July 22, 2012 05:36

    Well, July 19th came and went. No Mountain Lion yet. Still waiting. I know there were a lot of folks disappointed with the changes in Lion, but I'm excited about this shift and eagerly await Mountain Lion. #

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