Purchasing rMBP now - will come loaded with Mountain Lion?

I wanted to purchase the new rMBP, but I was waiting for Mountain Lion to be released so that Mountain Lion comes already loaded on my computer.

Now, I am going away to college on August 16th, so really, I'd want to be able to have my computer by the time I head off to college and as of now, Apple Store's website says 3 - 4 weeks (I need to order it online because I want to upgrade my RAM from 8 GB to 16 GB).

So what do you guys think? If I order it now, by the time it comes in 3 - 4 weeks, it will be pre-loaded with Mountain Lion? Or is that a risk depending on when Mountain Lion is released vs. my computer shipped? Or is waiting for Mountain Lion a silly thing to do as the update will be seemless/not a big deal at all and if I don't order it within the next week, I am risking not getting my Computer in time?

Order now. You'll get Mountain Lion free no matter what, and it's a pretty painless process to install, particularly on a clean computer.

It's probably a toss-up whether you'll get Moutain Lion or not. It seems likely that it will be released before the end of the month, but when that image gets pushed to machines is anyone's guess. And even if you do end up with Lion, that may be a blessing in that you can wait out any 1.0 bugs if they pop up.

Ordering now gets you in the queue, and there's virtually no downside to not having a copy pre-installed.

Buy now would be my advice. All macs sold after the announcement get a free upgrade to Mountain Lion.

If you get your Mac before the release date, just wait to set it up until the new OS is released of you worry about starting to download things that are not yet ready for the new OS.

With internet recovery and the forums here, you don't need to depend on physical media like in years past. In fact, reselling a Mac that can run the old OS is slightly more valuable since the buyer could use that legacy software if they want options to not be forced onto Mountain Lion. It's an odd edge case, but having options is of value.