Apple’s OS X Lion was downloaded more than 1 million times during its first day of availability, Apple said on Thursday. The Cupertino-based company made the announcement just as Microsoft announced its earnings results for the fiscal fourth quarter — merely a coincidence, we’re sure. Presuming these were paid OS X purchases and upgrades, Apple grossed more than $30 million from Lion in just one day. “Lion is off to a great start, user reviews and industry reaction have been fantastic,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Product Marketing, in a statement. “Lion is a huge step forward, it’s not only packed with innovative features but it’s incredibly easy for users to update their Macs to the best OS we’ve ever made.” OS X 10.7 Lion is available now in the Mac App Store for $29.99. Apple’s full press release follows below.

Lion Downloads Top One Million in First Day

CUPERTINO, California—July 21, 2011—Apple® today announced that in just one day, over one million users bought and downloaded Mac OS® X Lion, the eighth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system. Available through the Mac® App Store™ for $29.99 (US), users are buying Lion faster than any other OS release in Apple’s history.

“Lion is off to a great start, user reviews and industry reaction have been fantastic,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Lion is a huge step forward, it’s not only packed with innovative features but it’s incredibly easy for users to update their Macs to the best OS we’ve ever made.”

Lion introduces more than 250 new features to the Mac, including 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; Launchpad, a new home for all your apps; and a completely redesigned Mail app.

Available in 123 countries, the Mac App Store brings the revolutionary App Store experience to the Mac so you can find great new apps, buy them using your iTunes® account, download and install them in just one step. The Mac App Store offers apps in Education, Games, Graphics & Design, Lifestyle, Productivity, Utilities and other categories. Users can browse new and noteworthy apps, find out what’s hot, see staff favorites, search categories and look up top charts for paid and free apps, as well as user ratings and reviews. The Mac App Store is built right into Lion and available for Snow Leopard® users through Software Update as part of Mac OS X version 10.6.8.

It wasn’t exactly a secret, but now the proverbial big cat is out of the bag. Apple has just updated the company’s best-selling computer product, the MacBook Air with a Core i5/i7 option, better storage, Thunderbolt port, and finally, a backlit keyboard (again). Mac minis are updated as well, at long last bringing them up to speed with current processors and features.

The other big story is obviously OS X Lion which is Apple’s most iOS-like release yet, and it slowly starts to bridge PC and post-PC devices. Lion is a major OS update with more than 250 new features, and it’s available for $29 through the Mac App Store starting now.

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The Apple Store is down, though it looks like 9to5Mac has spoiled the surprise. According to the Apple blog, here are the leaked specifications for the new Apple products launching this week:

• Mac mini Base model: 2.3GHz CPU with 2GB of RAM, and 500GB of storage
• Mac mini: 2.5GHz CPU with 4GB of RAM, and, 500GB of storage
• Mac mini server: 2.0GHz CPU, 4GB of RAM, and two 500GB hard drives
• MacBook Air 11″: Base model: 1.6GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage
• MacBook Air 11″: 1.6GHz CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage
• MacBook Air 11″: Built to order model: 1.8GHz CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage
• MacBook Air 13″: Base model: 1.7GHz CPU, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage
• MacBook Air 13″: 1.7GHz CPU, 4GB of RAM, 256GB of storage
• MacBook Air 13″: Built to order: 1.8GHz CPU, 4GB of RAM, 256GB of storage

The Mac minis are reported to run new Intel Sand Bridge chips, while the MacBook Airs run Intel’s Core i5 and i7 processors. Launching alongside the new MacBook Airs and Mac minis are a new Apple display, though the only difference seems to be the name, rebranded as the Apple Thunderbolt Display, and the ability to have a VESA-compatible mount for them. We’ll see in only a couple hours, and these new models could go on sale as early as today.

[Via 9to5Mac]

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Apple news site MacRumors on Friday discovered images of a new LED Display on Apple’s website. While the OS X Lion wallpaper could have meant that these are simply new product shots as opposed to an updated model we’re looking at, the URL of the image features the recently revealed part number “MC914.” This part number corresponds with a number seen in a recent leak that identified multiple forthcoming refreshed Apple products. The new LED Display will be nearly identical to the current model, though it will include a Thunderbolt I/O port for connectivity to Mac computers. Apple’s upcoming mid-2011 MacBook, MacBook Air and Mac mini refreshes are all expected to include new Thunderbolt ports as well.

[Via MacRumors]

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We’ve already heard that new MacBook Air and Mac Pro models are on the way, and now there’s a report that Apple is poised to refresh its MacBook and Mac mini computers in the near future, too. According to 9to5 Mac, Apple will soon launch a new MacBook, part number MC914LL/A, with Thunderbolt I/O ports and a faster processor. Similarly, the Cupertino-based firm is expected to refresh its Mac mini line with new server model and standard models. There’s a possibility that a third built-to-order model will be available with a faster processor, too. According to 9to5 Mac the model numbers are:

MC936LL/A – J40, ULTIMATE – USA – Mac mini Server
MC815LL/A – J40I, BETTER – USA – Mac mini standard configuration
MC816LL/A – J40, BEST – USA Faster Mac mini

The last time we heard this rumor we learned that the Mac mini refresh could happen as soon as this August.

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Apple just took the wraps off of its new 3TB Time Capsule automatic wireless backup hard drive. The company said that it will continue to offer a 2TB version of its Time Capsule alongside the new 3TB version, and it doesn’t look like there are any other differentiating specs. Apple appears to have also quietly updated its Airport Extreme product with support for up to 450Mbps file transfers over both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, and the website has also been refreshed a bit. The 2TB Time Capsule drive is now available for $299 and the new 3TB model will set you back $499.

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Apple is poised to release updated models of its Mac Pro and Mac mini computers at the end of July or the first week of August, according to Tweets from one CNET editor. Both families are expected to be updated with Intel Sandy Bridge processors as well as the new Thunderbolt I/O ports. Unfortunately, there still isn’t a whole lot of information on what other hardware or changes will be offered in the refresh, but CNET does say that the new computers will be preloaded with OS X Lion. The rumor is in line with the Cupertino-based firm’s past refresh history: Apple last updated its Mac Pro line on July 27th, when it introduced its new 12-core models, and the Mac mini was last refreshed on June 15th, 2010.

[Via 9to5 Mac]

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A new rumor cites an anonymous “inside source” in suggesting that Apple plans to launch its Mac App Store one week from today, on December 13th. According to the rumor, Apple CEO Steve Jobs wanted to launch the new App Store today — and developers were reportedly told to have submissions ready by today — but delays pushed the launch back to next week. First announced last month, the Mac App Store will be OS X’s equivalent to the iOS App Store; a one-stop-shop for software that simplifies the process for users and developers alike. The Mac App Store will not be the only authorized point of OS X distribution like the iOS App Store, of course, but it is expected to quickly become an integral tool for OS X software distribution.

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Alright, Apple fans. Time to drop everything and rush to your Mac of choice, as Apple has just released OS X 10.6.4. Ranging in size from 314MB to 641MB, the update brings forth a bunch of assorted fixes that “enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac.” We’re not expecting any surprises with this one, but if we spot anything you know we’ll be back. Hit the jump for the official changelog.

The 10.6.4 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard. It includes Safari 5 and general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac, including fixes that:

• resolve an issue that causes the keyboard or trackpad to become unresponsive
• resolve an issue that may prevent some Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications from opening
• address issues copying, renaming, or deleting files on SMB file servers
• improve reliability of VPN connections
• resolve a playback issue in DVD Player when using Good Quality deinterlacing
• resolve an issue editing photos with iPhoto or Aperture in full screen view
• improve compatibility with some braille displays

As iPhone 4 pre-orders kicked off, visitors to Apple’s website were greeted with a teensy surprise this morning, as the Mac mini has received its long-rumored long-efresh. Milled out of a solid chunk of aluminum, $699 base model comes with an 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, 320GB HDD, and a NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics card. As expected, HDMI has replaced the DVI port (the Mini DisplayPort is still there) and a SD card reader now joins the four USB 2.0 ports and sole FireWire 800 port. If there’s no need for an optical drive in your life or if you just want something in the way of a compact server, there’s also the option of scraping it entirely and a nabbing a unit with a 2.6GHz processor, dual 500GB HDDs and 4GB of RAM for $999.

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If you or anyone you know were planning on picking up a Mac mini over the weekend (don’t laugh, we’re serious), you might want to hold off because AppleInsider has it on good authority that the teensy weensy computer rig is due for a refresh in the coming weeks. AI is reporting that multiple independent sources who order Mac minis in large quantities were either instructed to order only what is urgently needed or wait a few weeks. One educational institution had its order fulfilment estimate changed from several days to June 14th. Two months ago AI reported that prototype Mac mini’s spotted by Apple employees had the DVI port swapped out for a HDMI port and the inclusion of NVIDIA’s MPC89 chipset. The last Mac mini refresh took pace last in October.

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The iPad is such a hot commodity that, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky, U.S. sales of the slab-let have likely outpaced sales of Apple’s Mac computers. After a series of retail checks, which found most iPad retailers out of stock of the 3G model and very few Wi-Fi models left, Abramsky believes Apple is moving approximately 200,000 iPads a week versus 110,000 Macs. Abroad, where only recently customers were able to put in pre-orders, Abramsky believes Apple received orders for over 600,000 units. When all is said and done for calendar year 2010, the RBC analyst is predicting that Apple will have sold some 8,130,000 iPads. Not bad for gadget that costs, at the very least, $499. Could the iPad eat into Mac sales? Yes, to the tune of 25% according to the analyst. However, the drop in Mac sales didn’t diminish Abramsky’s price targets: $350/share with revenues of $59.7 billion for 2010. Yikes!

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We’d say so! From $59 to $7,000, if you want an Apple product, there’s a pretty darn good chance you’ll be able to pick something in your price range. Simply brilliant. Full size image link after the break…

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Its been a while since Apple updated their consumer line of Macbooks and iMacs — don’t even get us started on the Mac Mini — so it comes as no surprise that when the store when down this morning there was some new hardware hiding behind the curtain. The updated Macbook now has a thinner form factor, familiar plastic body construction with cleaner beveled edges, multitouch trackpad, and will feature a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The biggest performance increase would have to be in the graphics department, a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR2 SDRAM (shared) is now powering the 13.3″ screen. The revamped iMac will still have its svelte, familiar form but will now pack a 21.5-inch LED back lit display and sport a 3.01 or 3.33 GHz Intel C2D processor. Not fast enough for you? Upgrade to the 27-inch LED display and you can rock out with the quad-core Intel i5 running at 2.66 GHz or the i7 running at 2.8 GHz. The iMac will have 4 DIMM slots and support up to 16GB of memory. The Mini got a pathetic quick refresh in March but hasn’t seen any major form-factor or feature upgrades in recent year (yes, years). The new Mac Mini, gets the same neglect.  Although it does get the same 256MB 9400M NVIDIA chip as the new Macbook the thrills pretty much end there.  Upgraded hard drive storage and L2 cache just aren’t that exciting. Last, the best always comes last, the Mighty Magic Mouse. How about some gesture-based GUI navigation for your carpal tunnel? The Magic Mouse supports two fingered scrolling, swiping, and other advanced gestures all without the use of buttons.  Check  out the hotness!

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What better way to start off a work week than to completely ignore all of your responsibilities and order up a new OS for your computer? That’s right ladies and gents; tips came in droves earlier this morning to let us know that the Apple Store went down in the wee hours. Well it’s not yet back in action but Apple’s Mac OS page is up and it now bears info on the OS upgrade Mac users have been clamoring for… OS X 10.6, a.k.a. Snow Leopard. It was due to arrive in September but the final beta was issued way ahead of schedule so Apple apparently decided to launch it early. It’s definitely a smart move if you ask us — allow students to upgrade just before the new semester starts, as opposed to a week or two into their term when the panic finally sets in. Snow Leopard can be pre-ordered now and it will begin shipping this Friday, August 28th. The new OS will run you $29, as we’re sure you recall, and Family Packs run $49.

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