as the likely launch data for OS X 10.8, known as Mountain Lion, based on 's actions last year, when it debuted the predecessor, OS X Lion, the day after the company's second-quarter earnings call.

Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's chief financial officer, announced the release date during the early minutes of that earnings call with Wall Street analysts Tuesday. Oppenheimer did not name a time Wednesday for Mountain Lion's release.

Last year, to its Mac App Store in the early morning of July 20.

Although Apple said that it would ship Mountain Lion in July, it had declined to set a date.

Apple provided a of Mountain Lion -- the label some developers use for software that has been completed and is ready to ship -- on July 9, but did not offer a follow-up.