Amid the flurry of news surrounding Apple's updated line of MacBook Pros, the company also announced today that it's one step closer to launching Mac OS X Lion.

Starting today, software developers will be able to get their hands on Mac OS X Lion. The developer preview is available to members of Apple's Mac Developer Program, and will give folks time to create programs that take advantage of Mac OS X Lion's new features before it hits store shelves.

Apple first announced Mac OS X Lion last year. The next version of Apple's operating system will deliver several new features, including Mission Control, which shows what's running on a given Mac, and Launchpad, which displays the user's many apps to help them find what they want to boot up. Apple says that Mac OS X Lion "takes some of the best ideas from iPad and brings them back to the Mac."

Mac OS X Lion will also come with support for Apple's Mac App Store. That marketplace launched last month to Mac OS X Snow Leopard users. Those running previous versions of Apple's operating system aren't able to access the App Store.

Mac OS X Lion is expected to launch this summer.