The newest update of the popular Apple operating system OS X, named Snow Leopard, hit the stores on Friday. Originally slated for September, Apple made a last minute change of plans to advance it by a month, presumably to garner a potential market lead over its competitor Window’s much anticipated Windows 7 release slated for this October.

The update that is only available in a DVD, and not for download, is priced $29 in US and £25 in the UK. For users of the old Intel-based Mac, running on Tiger OS, the new updates could set them back by $169 (£129 in the UK). The package comes packed with other applications among others iWork, the Apple’s version of Microsoft Office, Quicktime player, and an antivirus.

Even though the public response for the new offering from Apple was relatively muted, computer experts’ points out that the new OS is better tweaked and thinner in terms of disk space it takes post installation. The new version also comes better interfaced to accommodate softwares’ of third-party developers than its predecessor.