AppleInsider reports that Apple will make the switch to a new kind of digital distribution for its operating system upgrades by releasing the software first through its new Mac App Store

The Mac App Store, available to all users running the most recent version of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, will become the de facto method for obtaining the Lion upgrade, people familiar with the matter have revealed. Users will be able to upgrade instantly without the need for physical media by purchasing Lion through the Mac App Store.

  Apple to release Mac OS X Lion through Mac App Store