Apple today announced they are releasing OS X Mavericks, the 10th major desktop operating system release, as a free upgrade for all Mac users. Previous OS X software upgrades had cost $29.99. Apple is changing the game when it comes to software upgrades with an aim to get all Mac users on the latest operating system. The move clearly puts even more pressure on Microsoft to lower its Windows 8 pricing.
Despite being free, OS X Mavericks is loaded with 200 new features including iBooks and Maps, a new version of Safari, enhanced multi-display support, new Finder Tabs and Tags. Mavericks also includes new core technologies that boost performance and improve the battery life of your Mac. Timer Coalescing and App Nap intelligently save energy and reduce power consumption. Compressed Memory automatically shrinks inactive data to keep your Mac fast and responsive. Mavericks also delivers significant performance enhancements for systems with integrated graphics through optimized OpenCL support and dynamic video memory allocation.
Features:
- iBooks, which gives you instant access to your iBooks library, more than two million titles in the iBooks Store, and works seamlessly across your devices;
- Maps, which brings powerful mapping technology to the desktop and lets you plan a trip from your Mac and send it to your iPhone for voice navigation on the road;
- a streamlined Calendar that estimates travel time between appointments, and provides a map with weather forecast;
- a new version of Safari with Shared Links, which helps you find what’s new on the web by consolidating links shared by people you follow on Twitter and LinkedIn;
- iCloud Keychain, which safely stores your website usernames and passwords, credit card numbers and Wi-Fi passwords and pushes them to your trusted devices so you don’t need to remember them;
- enhanced multi-display support, which makes using multiple displays easier and more powerful, with no configuration required;
- interactive Notifications, allowing you to reply to a message, respond to a FaceTime call or even delete an email without leaving the app you’re using;
- Finder Tabs, which help unclutter your desktop by consolidating multiple Finder windows into a single window with multiple tabs; and
- Finder Tags, a powerful new way to organize and find your files located on your Mac or in iCloud.
“Mavericks is an incredible release, which introduces significant new apps and features, while also improving the performance and battery life of your Mac,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “We want every Mac user to experience the latest features, the most advanced technologies, and the strongest security. We believe the best way to do this is to begin a new era of personal computing software where OS upgrades are free.”
Pricing & Availability
OS X Mavericks is available today for free from the Mac App Store. Any Mac capable of running OS X Mountain Lion can also run Mavericks. You can upgrade to Mavericks for free directly from OS X Snow Leopard, Lion or Mountain Lion. For a complete list of system requirements and compatible systems, please visit www.apple.com/osx/specs. OS X Server 3.0 requires Mavericks and is available from the Mac App Store for $19.99 (US).
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