OS X Mountain Lion
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You're the Pundit: What's the killer Mountain Lion feature
When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is Mountain Lion. This week, a developer preview was released and Apple updated its site with a list of upcoming features. They range from an iOS-inspired Notification Center to Game Center support to integrated Twitter. Which of these is the killer feature that will help define the new platform and set it apart from earlier operating systems? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your predictions. %Poll-73554%
OS X Mountain Lion to be download-only, USB stick going the way of the dodo
Last time around, Apple was cognizant not everyone has broadband to download a 4GB OS, offering solace to those with slow internet with a (pricey $69) USB stick alternative. Times change though, as Cupertino's confirmed to Pocket-lint that the recently unveiled OS X Mountain Lion won't be offered with a physical counterpart. Apple's reasoning? "It was an interesting test, but it turns out the App Store was just fine for getting the new OS." So there's that. High time you took the plunge and upgraded to broadband apparently, or contemplated moving within the vicinity of an Apple Retail Store's willing WiFi. That or you could just buy a new machine. Your call.
Game Center coming to OS X Mountain Lion
Since its introduction to iOS 4.1 back in 2010, Game Center hasn't evolved much. Other than dumping Game Center onto iPad later that same year, Apple has been content to just let it linger there. Now almost two years later, Game Center will finally be on every Apple product you own. There is no escaping it.Our sister site Engadget got some hands-on time with the upcoming OS X update, OS X Mountain Lion, dissecting it down to the molecule. Of particular note to gamers is the availability of the Game Center app on the OS X platform, including all of its major features: voice chat, leaderboards and online multiplayer. The iOS service has over 100 million registered users.
Apple drops the 'Mac' from OS X Lion, Mountain Lion (update: began at WWDC)
Clearly, cats are in. But Mac, it seems, is out. Apple has quietly dropped the Mac name from its latest OS X Mountain Lion operating system, while also retroactively changing the Lion branding on its website. While it's clearly a marketing move and won't affect the user experience, it looks like Cupertino is further defining the line between hardware and software -- Mac is hardware, OS X is software, and that's the end of that. Apple purists will need to download the developer preview of Lion to see the change reflected on the OS side of things, though that could always change with 10.7.4. Hit up the source link to see for yourself.Update: After reviewing our WWDC coverage, it looks like Apple began referring to its latest operating system as "OS X Lion" last summer, as you can see in the banner just past the break.
Apple unleashes OS X Mountain Lion Preview to Mac Developer Program
You may still be purring your way through our in-depth preview, but Mountain Lion is now officially out of the bag, with Apple releasing a preview version of its latest OS X to the members-only Developer Program. If you're up to date on those $99/year dues, you can head on over to the Member Center to get your OS 10.8 fix, and start checking out those shiny new Messages, Reminders, Notes and Notification Center apps. Or kick up your feet and bring your desktop to the big screen with AirPlay Mirroring. If you have the Apple-approved credentials to proceed, you can find all that and more by making your way over to our source link just below.
OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 in-depth preview
Apple OS X Lion (10.7) review Apple's OS X Lion USB sticks now available online for $69 Apple updates EFI firmware on 2010 Macs: offers Lion internet recovery, not much else You can bid farewell to the days of Apple's theatrical OS reveals -- at least until OS 11 rears its head, anyway. In the meantime, the outfit has seemingly been content to strip away more and more pomp and circumstance with every subsequent big cat release. Lately, the company has settled into an evolutionary release schedule, eschewing full-fledged makeovers in favor of packing in lots of smaller changes, many of them quite granular indeed. It's a trend that can be traced as far back as 2009's OS X Snow Leopard (10.6), a name designed to drive home the point that the upgrade wasn't so much a reinvention of the wheel as a fine tuning of its predecessor, Leopard. The arrival of Lion (10.7), though, marked a full upgrade. With features like Launchpad and Mission Control, it seemed like it might be the last version Cupertino dropped before finally pulling the trigger on operating system number 11, and perhaps transitioning to something with an even stronger iOS influence. Right now, at least, the company's not ready to close the book on chapter X, but it is giving the world a first peek at 10.8. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Mountain Lion.
