Apple online store listings blunder suggests earlier ship date for Snow Leopard

Apple teased us once again last night when it mistakenly listed Snow Leopard Mac Box Set ($169) on its online store, offering to deliver within 24-hours and effectively the biggest hint yet the OS may ship sooner than promised.

The listing was removed following a call to Apple’s online sales team, MacRumors informs. Available in Single User and Family Pack editions, the Mac Box Set combines Snow Leopard with iLife 09 and iWork 09.

Mac users looking to upgrade from OS X 10.4 Tiger to Snow Leopard will require the boxed set (or a copy of Leopard), as the Snow Leopard must be installed on Macs already running Leopard.

Apple didn’t comment on the blunder, but most commentators now think the new OS could go on sale as soon as next week, perhaps shipping on August 28, some claim.

August 15 saw images of the Snow Leopard packaging leak online. August 12 saw Snow Leopard GM 10A432 released to developers, thought to be the Gold Master of the OS and a definite hint that the software could ship in advance of its originally-promised September ship date.