Leopard coming Oct. 26th?

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple may be shipping it’s latest installment of OS X this month on the 26th.

While sources have requested that we not go into detail regarding the specific measures being put into place, they say the announcements are likely to arrive any time between the 22nd and 27th of the month.

Obviously, such a timeframe would coincide with Apple’s self-imposed release schedule for Mac OS X Leopard, which the company — after having delayed the software once — has promised for “October.”

As of Wednesday evening, the source code to Leopard had not yet been frozen and a Gold Master had not yet been declared. However, the operating system in recent weeks has inched closer to this status with the last full builds including only one known issue.

Historically, Apple has tapped the final Friday of the month to roll out its major operating system overhauls. For instance, it launched Mac OS X Tiger on the eve of Friday, April 29, 2005.

Sources have yet to rule out the possibility that Leopard would be accompanied by additional announcements from the Cupertino-based company.

You can pre-order a copy over on Amazon.com for $129