Following the success of Microsoft’s Windows 7 pre-order launch on Amazon.com, Apple has released Mac OS X Snow Leopard for pre-order sales on the popular e-commerce site.
Apple’s latest update to the Mac OS X operating system is now available on Amazon for $29 for the single-user license, or $49 for a five-license family pack. Current users of Mac OS X version 10.5 are eligible for the much-anticipated upgrade. Snow Leopard will officially hit store shelves in September.
Amazon is also selling box sets that include Snow Leopard, iWork and iLife for $169.
Finally, Amazon is selling Mac OS X Server 10.6 Snow Leopard for $499. The latest server upgrade is reportedly a major improvement to the server operating system.
The Pre-Order Phenomenon
Although Apple is making its latest operating system available via Amazon, the company isn’t offering the deep discounts that made the Windows 7 pre-orders successful during the initial launch in June.
Amazon.com offered discounts of 50 percent or more on pre-orders of Windows 7, with limits of three copies per customer on the Home Premium and Professional upgrades. Amazon sold the upgrade for Windows 7 Home Premium for $49, less than half the $119 suggested retail price. The Windows 7 Professional upgrade sold for $99, half the retail price. Windows 7 pre-orders are still selling on Amazon, but not with the same discounts.
Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, said the Snow Leopard upgrade is already inexpensive at $29. He doesn’t expect Apple to see the huge volume of pre-orders, in part because there isn’t as much in cost savings.
“Selling these kinds of products on pre-order is kind of tough. People will pre-order something that looks like it’s going to be in short supply or because they want to be one of the first to get it,” said Enderle. “I would…