Apple’s highly anticipated Mac OS X 10.5, or Leopard, operation system launch is officially scheduled for 6PM on Friday, October 26. Even though the official roll out isn’t until the end of the month, the Cupertino based company started offering pre-order sales on Tuesday. 
Leopard will include several new features including Time Machine, a built-in automated bata backup system; Spaces, a feature that groups applications on different “virtual desktops” that users can switch between; Quick Look, which lets users see the contents of a document without requiring them to have the creating application; a redesigned Finder with Cover Flow folder browsing, and more. The new version will also include updated versions of iChat, iCal, Mail, and Front Row.
Mac OS X 10.5 is available for pre-order at the Apple retail Web site for US$129. Five user family packs are priced at $199. Customers that purchased a new Macintosh computer on or after October 1 will be able to upgrade to Leopard for $9.95.