Apple: Leopard, Leopard Server launch Oct. 26

Apple made it official. Mac OS X Leopard will go on sale Oct. 26. The company separately announced Leopard server.

First, Leopard. The OS upgrade will go on sale at 6 p.m. local time at Apple retail stores and resellers. As David Morgenstern noted Leopard is likely to drive a hardware upgrade cycle for Apple.

Leopard is the sixth major release of the Mac OS X operating system. Leopard features 3D Dock with Stacks, a new Finder and Time Machine. In a statement, Apple CEO Steve Jobs threw a dig at Vista and said in a statement that "everyone gets the 'Ultimate' version, packed with all the new innovative features, for just $129."

Separately, Apple announced that Mac OS X Leopard Server will also go on sale Oct. 26. Leopard Server includes Podcast Producer, to publish shows on iTunes, Wiki Server and iCal Server. Apple touted Leopard Server's ease of use including Server Assistant to configure applications and network settings easily. Apple said it aimed to simplify the management of groups. It also includes a Server Status dashboard widget to remotely monitor activity and usage.

Leopard Server will run $499 for a 10-client edition and $999 for an unlimited client version. The unlimited Leopard Server is included with Apple's Xserve rack-mount server hardware also.