Apple's OS X Lion Golden Master First-Attempt Imminent?

Apple is reportedly readying a Golden Master release of OS X Lion, the next iteration of the company's Mac OS. However, while a Golden Master build is normally one step away from a complete, public release, there's talk that this particular version is only GM1 in what will be several phases of release. According to TechCrunch's sources, the upcoming OS X Lion GM1 will be the first attempt at a bug-free and full-performance version of the software.

If the bugs are truly absent then it could mean Apple's release schedule accelerates, however that's unlikely to be the case. OS X Lion is expected to see its full release in the summer, potentially around WWDC 2011 which is expected in early June. A developer preview was pushed into the wild last month, complete with full-screen app support, pinch and double-tap zoom in Safari and a document saving system called Versions.