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Computerworld - Pre-orders for Apple Inc.'s Snow Leopard regained the top positions on Amazon.com's software bestseller list today after Apple announced that it would start selling the operating system upgrade at the end of this week.

As of 3:30 p.m. Eastern time today, the $29 Snow Leopard and the $49 Snow Leopard Family Pack were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, on Amazon's software sales chart. The $49 Family Pack provides licenses for five Macs.

Although Amazon has been taking pre-orders since early August, Apple's own e-store, as well as other online resellers, only kicked off theirs sales today. Apple does not rank its software sales on its site, although it does provide sales rankings for its Mac, iPod and iPhone lines.

Snow Leopard, or Mac OS X 10.6, had grabbed the top two spots on Amazon's bestseller list within days of the giant online retailer making the operating system available for pre-order. Since then, however, both packages had slipped, with the $29 single license often holding down the No. 3 position.

Windows 7, which is slated for an Oct. 22 release, had grabbed the lead spot on Amazon's software bestseller list when two editions were heavily discounted during a two-week sale earlier this summer. However, Microsoft Corp.'s new operating system was absent from the chart today. Windows 7's best showing today was at No. 31, for the $119.99 Home Premium Upgrade.

Microsoft's highest-placed product was Office Home and Student 2007, at No. 3. Amazon is selling the $149.95 application suite for just $69.99.

Earlier today, Apple confirmed rumors that had been circulating for the past two weeks by announcing that Snow Leopard would launch Friday, Aug. 28.

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