OS X Mountain Lion Preview
Apple took the wraps off the next version of OS X, to be called OS X Mountain Lion. Mountain Lion continues down the road first traveled by OS X Lion: the unification of iOS and Mac OS X. Apple even dropped the word Mac from the OS name, calling it OS X Mountain Lion rather than Mac OS X Mountain Lion.
Mountain Lion won't be seen in its final form until sometime in the summer of 2012. This sneak peak is mostly about bringing some additional popular iOS apps and capabilities from the iPad and iPhone to the Mac. At first blush, there appears to be little difference between the user interface in OS X Lion and this first developers' look at OS X Mountain Lion. The Mac still has all of the common interface elements you would expect, including the Dock, the Desktop, and the Finder. In fact, aside from a different default desktop image, it's difficult to tell the two OS versions apart. The most noticeable change so far seems to be in the included apps, some of which replace existing Mac versions; for instance, iChat is gone, replaced by Messages from iOS 5.
Beyond the included apps, there are some new additions to OS X that look very interesting, and some that are just fluff. We will take a look at each of the new features that Apple is highlighting. This is based on what Apple publicly announced when it released the first developers' version of OS X Mountain Lion. By the time summer rolls around, there are bound to be plenty of changes, including new features or the withdrawal of some capabilities that aren't quite working as Apple thinks they should. So stay tuned, and check back often.
iCloud, Apple's cloud-based platform, is a core piece of technology within OS X Mountain Lion. Besides serving as a multi-platform syncing system, keeping your mail, calendars, contacts, documents, and more up to date on every current and future Mac, iPad, iPhone, iOS, or OS X device, iCloud also provides you with a single login for all supported Mac and iOS services.More »
Messages is replacing the ever-popular iChat. In the initial release, Messages doesn't appear to lose any current iChat capabilities, but does add quite a bit of new features. Messages allows you to send and receive text messages, along with photos, videos, documents, and contacts, with anyone using a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 5 or later.
iCloud will keep your Messages synced, so you can move from your Mac to your iPad to your iPhone and always remain in the conversation, with a history of what's been said. And speaking of conversations, no one but you and those you invite to a Messages conversation will be able to see what you're chatting about because Messages uses end-to-end encryption to keep everything private.
Messages isn't limited to Mac and iOS devices. Messages can work with many popular messaging systems, including Jabber, Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and AIM, although not all of the features of Messages are supported on these other messaging systems.
If Messages sounds interesting to you, you don't have to wait for the release of OS X Mountain Lion to try it out. Messages is available as a beta from the Apple web site, so you can give it a whirl right away.
Warning: Messages is in beta, and it will replace iChat on your Mac. Before downloading the Messages beta, I strongly recommend that you back up your Mac.More »
Reminders is a handy application for making lists, grocery lists, to-do lists, as many different types of lists as you want. Add due dates and you will receive warnings as the due date approaches. Reminders uses iCloud to keep your Mac and iOS devices in sync.More »
Notes for OS X Mountain Lion is a handy app for jotting down anything from a quick note to a complex recipe. Each note is stored on its own tear-off ruled yellow paper, and notes can be organized and searched.
Notes supports the inclusion of images and other attachments, and will sync with your other Macs and iOS devices.More »
The Notification Center included with OS X Mountain Lion is a single location for collecting all manner of notifications, including new email messages, reminder alerts, calendar notifications, and what have you. The Notification Center provides a single place to see all of the new events that are occurring on your Mac.
It can also issue brief pop-up banners as each new notification is received, so you can quickly respond. Notification banners are temporary, going away in a few seconds, staying in place either long enough to annoy the heck out of you, or to actually be helpful when you're waiting for an answer to your email.More »
Share Sheets are a simple sharing button that can be included in Mac applications. When you have something you want to share with others, clicking the Share button will bring up a list of ways to share the document you are viewing.
Share Sheets give you quick access to sharing via Twitter, Messages, Email, and many other services, depending on the type of data you wish to share.More »
•Twitter
Twitter is now a built-in feature. With just a click of the Tweet Sheet, you can tweet directly from the app you're currently using. You can tweet links or pages from Safari, photos from iPhoto, or from any app that supports OS X Mountain Lion's built-in Tweet Sheet.
Twitter and Tweet Sheet also work with the Notification Center. If you get a mention or a direct message, you will be instantly notified of the event.More »
Game Center, the popular iOS feature that lets you play games head-to-head with others, has made its way to the Mac. The Mac version of Game Center supports larger playing fields, and better graphics, but still allows you to connect and play games with all your iOS-using friends.More »
AirPlay Mirroring lets you wirelessly connect your Mac to your HDTV via an AppleTV or other AirPlay-enabled device. Once the connection is made, your Mac's desktop will display on your HDTV. You can use AirPlay to view web sites or play games with friends, or simply watch a movie playing on your Mac on the big screen of your HDTV.
AirPlay Mirroring also works great for classrooms and presentations. Just fire up Keynotes and you're ready for the big show.More »
The purpose of Gatekeeper is to prevent the installation of malware on your Mac. At its simplest, Gatekeeper can prevent any application that doesn't originate from the Mac App Store, or from a Mac-certified developer, from being installed on your Mac. You can, of course, turn Gatekeeper off, and download and install applications from anywhere. But with Gatekeepr enabled, you can rest assured that anything you download has already been tested and contains no malware, viruses, or other nasties.
Gatekeeper is not a malware detector or antivirus system. It uses the Apple Developer ID program, which provides a unique ID string to each registered Apple developer. If the ID isn't present, Gatekeeper will let you know that the app you're downloading hasn't been verified or has been tampered with.More »
Mountain Lion won't be seen in its final form until sometime in the summer of 2012. This sneak peak is mostly about bringing some additional popular iOS apps and capabilities from the iPad and iPhone to the Mac. At first blush, there appears to be little difference between the user interface in OS X Lion and this first developers' look at OS X Mountain Lion. The Mac still has all of the common interface elements you would expect, including the Dock, the Desktop, and the Finder. In fact, aside from a different default desktop image, it's difficult to tell the two OS versions apart. The most noticeable change so far seems to be in the included apps, some of which replace existing Mac versions; for instance, iChat is gone, replaced by Messages from iOS 5.
Beyond the included apps, there are some new additions to OS X that look very interesting, and some that are just fluff. We will take a look at each of the new features that Apple is highlighting. This is based on what Apple publicly announced when it released the first developers' version of OS X Mountain Lion. By the time summer rolls around, there are bound to be plenty of changes, including new features or the withdrawal of some capabilities that aren't quite working as Apple thinks they should. So stay tuned, and check back often.
•iCloud
iCloud, Apple's cloud-based platform, is a core piece of technology within OS X Mountain Lion. Besides serving as a multi-platform syncing system, keeping your mail, calendars, contacts, documents, and more up to date on every current and future Mac, iPad, iPhone, iOS, or OS X device, iCloud also provides you with a single login for all supported Mac and iOS services.More »
•Messages
Messages is replacing the ever-popular iChat. In the initial release, Messages doesn't appear to lose any current iChat capabilities, but does add quite a bit of new features. Messages allows you to send and receive text messages, along with photos, videos, documents, and contacts, with anyone using a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 5 or later.
iCloud will keep your Messages synced, so you can move from your Mac to your iPad to your iPhone and always remain in the conversation, with a history of what's been said. And speaking of conversations, no one but you and those you invite to a Messages conversation will be able to see what you're chatting about because Messages uses end-to-end encryption to keep everything private.
Messages isn't limited to Mac and iOS devices. Messages can work with many popular messaging systems, including Jabber, Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and AIM, although not all of the features of Messages are supported on these other messaging systems.
If Messages sounds interesting to you, you don't have to wait for the release of OS X Mountain Lion to try it out. Messages is available as a beta from the Apple web site, so you can give it a whirl right away.
Warning: Messages is in beta, and it will replace iChat on your Mac. Before downloading the Messages beta, I strongly recommend that you back up your Mac.More »
•Reminders
Reminders is a handy application for making lists, grocery lists, to-do lists, as many different types of lists as you want. Add due dates and you will receive warnings as the due date approaches. Reminders uses iCloud to keep your Mac and iOS devices in sync.More »
•Notes
Notes for OS X Mountain Lion is a handy app for jotting down anything from a quick note to a complex recipe. Each note is stored on its own tear-off ruled yellow paper, and notes can be organized and searched.
Notes supports the inclusion of images and other attachments, and will sync with your other Macs and iOS devices.More »
•Notification Center
The Notification Center included with OS X Mountain Lion is a single location for collecting all manner of notifications, including new email messages, reminder alerts, calendar notifications, and what have you. The Notification Center provides a single place to see all of the new events that are occurring on your Mac.
It can also issue brief pop-up banners as each new notification is received, so you can quickly respond. Notification banners are temporary, going away in a few seconds, staying in place either long enough to annoy the heck out of you, or to actually be helpful when you're waiting for an answer to your email.More »
•Share Sheets
Share Sheets are a simple sharing button that can be included in Mac applications. When you have something you want to share with others, clicking the Share button will bring up a list of ways to share the document you are viewing.
Share Sheets give you quick access to sharing via Twitter, Messages, Email, and many other services, depending on the type of data you wish to share.More »
Twitter is now a built-in feature. With just a click of the Tweet Sheet, you can tweet directly from the app you're currently using. You can tweet links or pages from Safari, photos from iPhoto, or from any app that supports OS X Mountain Lion's built-in Tweet Sheet.
Twitter and Tweet Sheet also work with the Notification Center. If you get a mention or a direct message, you will be instantly notified of the event.More »
•Game Center
Game Center, the popular iOS feature that lets you play games head-to-head with others, has made its way to the Mac. The Mac version of Game Center supports larger playing fields, and better graphics, but still allows you to connect and play games with all your iOS-using friends.More »
•AirPlay Mirroring
AirPlay Mirroring lets you wirelessly connect your Mac to your HDTV via an AppleTV or other AirPlay-enabled device. Once the connection is made, your Mac's desktop will display on your HDTV. You can use AirPlay to view web sites or play games with friends, or simply watch a movie playing on your Mac on the big screen of your HDTV.
AirPlay Mirroring also works great for classrooms and presentations. Just fire up Keynotes and you're ready for the big show.More »
•Gatekeeper
The purpose of Gatekeeper is to prevent the installation of malware on your Mac. At its simplest, Gatekeeper can prevent any application that doesn't originate from the Mac App Store, or from a Mac-certified developer, from being installed on your Mac. You can, of course, turn Gatekeeper off, and download and install applications from anywhere. But with Gatekeepr enabled, you can rest assured that anything you download has already been tested and contains no malware, viruses, or other nasties.
Gatekeeper is not a malware detector or antivirus system. It uses the Apple Developer ID program, which provides a unique ID string to each registered Apple developer. If the ID isn't present, Gatekeeper will let you know that the app you're downloading hasn't been verified or has been tampered with.More »
