Apple announces Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion(apple.com)
apple.com
Apple announces Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
http://www.apple.com/macosx/mountain-lion/
357 comments
I really like where Apple is heading with OSX. With iCloud and a common set of features/services iOS and OSX are developing a very symbiotic relationship. It kind of confuses me to see people saying Apple is trying to turn OSX into iOS. It's really the exact opposite from my perspective. They are evolving OSX to be part of a future where SmartPhones/tablets are a major part of how people use technology. There has to be some degree of feature/usability parity for these devices to co-exist happily. Why should my $500 iPad have AirPlay and not my $1500 Mac? If I like using the Reminders app on my iPhone why shouldn't I have it on my Mac? I've yet to see any good argument against these features that doesn't rely pretty heavily on nostalgia or fear of change.
The tie-ins to the closed Apple ecosystem are really startling. Take someone like myself. I have no iOS devices and have friends on various operating systems and services. Perhaps I'm a minority, but this is how it breaks down for me.
iCloud - not useful, no iOS devices.
Messages - not useful, too Apple centric, I already use Adium to interface with several non-apple services.
Reminders - not useful, wont' sync to my phone. I already just use CalDAV via iCal for this.
Notes - not useful, wont' sync anywhere, I already use the much better Evernote.
Notification Center - maybe, but it only works with App Store apps of which I have few. I used to use Growl from the command line to notify me when long running computational jobs were completed, but if it's locked to App Store apps I suppose I won't be able to use it for that.
Share Sheets - maybe, but I already use Sparrow instead of Mail and Chrome instead of Safari. I use another photo hosting site that isn't Flickr and don't use Twitter.
Twitter - don't use it.
Game Center - not at all a compelling feature for me.
AirPlay Mirroring - don't have an Apple TV and prefer more open platforms for this.
Gatekeeper - this is a good idea in principle, remains to be seen if it gets in the way.
The exclusive partnering and increasingly closed Apple ecosystem is really showing. Maybe I'm a very small minority, but this direction is not in the slightest bit thrilling to me. Where are all the options to plug your own services into the system?
iCloud - not useful, no iOS devices.
Messages - not useful, too Apple centric, I already use Adium to interface with several non-apple services.
Reminders - not useful, wont' sync to my phone. I already just use CalDAV via iCal for this.
Notes - not useful, wont' sync anywhere, I already use the much better Evernote.
Notification Center - maybe, but it only works with App Store apps of which I have few. I used to use Growl from the command line to notify me when long running computational jobs were completed, but if it's locked to App Store apps I suppose I won't be able to use it for that.
Share Sheets - maybe, but I already use Sparrow instead of Mail and Chrome instead of Safari. I use another photo hosting site that isn't Flickr and don't use Twitter.
Twitter - don't use it.
Game Center - not at all a compelling feature for me.
AirPlay Mirroring - don't have an Apple TV and prefer more open platforms for this.
Gatekeeper - this is a good idea in principle, remains to be seen if it gets in the way.
The exclusive partnering and increasingly closed Apple ecosystem is really showing. Maybe I'm a very small minority, but this direction is not in the slightest bit thrilling to me. Where are all the options to plug your own services into the system?
Does Mountain Lion allow you to make apps full-screen on non-primary displays? This is the main problem I have with Lion.
Open letter to every UI designer trying to change 30+ years of usability of desktop interfaces, mouse actions and shortcuts behavior to 'iPad style' that has been out all of 3 years: DON'T!!
Is it really true that Apple didn't realize it's already used this cat in an OS X release?
OSX 10.1 Puma.
Puma, Cougar, and Mountain Lion are names for the same species of cat (Puma concolor).
OSX 10.1 Puma.
Puma, Cougar, and Mountain Lion are names for the same species of cat (Puma concolor).
OS version update for something that Windows would call an 'optional update'. Way to squeeze every drop of PR out of a few new icons Apple!
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Any evidence in the preview that they plan to have 3G in their laptops?
Already?
Is the messages beta download broken for anyone else? I would really like to send iMessages from my Mac.
Wow, that snuck out without much advanced fanfare (or I missed it).
I first glance, the main (in fact only) feature seems to be porting several iOS apps and features (notes, reminders, game center, etc.) to Mac OS X, and syncing everything together with iCloud.
There is also a Growl clone. Surprised this took so long. Then again, I personally don't like Growl, so I hope nothing depends on it being turned on.
I notice that, so far, there doesn't seem to be any new 'technologies', just (mainly) ports of iOS apps.
Looks very ho hum to me, but then again I have an android phone, so iOS syncing doesn't really interest me.
I first glance, the main (in fact only) feature seems to be porting several iOS apps and features (notes, reminders, game center, etc.) to Mac OS X, and syncing everything together with iCloud.
There is also a Growl clone. Surprised this took so long. Then again, I personally don't like Growl, so I hope nothing depends on it being turned on.
I notice that, so far, there doesn't seem to be any new 'technologies', just (mainly) ports of iOS apps.
Looks very ho hum to me, but then again I have an android phone, so iOS syncing doesn't really interest me.
Feature rundown:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/mountain-lion/features.html
One of the more interesting bits is at the - they're supporting a bunch of China specific services.
http://www.apple.com/macosx/mountain-lion/features.html
One of the more interesting bits is at the - they're supporting a bunch of China specific services.
is there a specific reason they needed to update the entire OS for this ? Most of the new features are actually apps, and the rest wouldn't really justify a major version change.
No mention of an OpenGL update. Still waiting out this stone age here...
Apple, as usual, really seems to be getting it right. The feature list looks super promising as a nextstep (sorry, had to) in unifying mobile with desktop. It's nice to see that the desktop OS is not being abandoned but instead updated to better reflect a consumers preference for mobile (with good reason). Microsoft has also got it right by tying their Metro interface in Windows 8 to the Windows Phone OS. The attempt, however, falls short in that it is not really unifying the two platforms but instead providing a common interface and feel. In order to truly unite desktop with mobile, I believe you need to go beyond providing a common interface and really integrate the components so they exist to the user simultaneously instead of in parellel. This is just another verification (and in my opinion, a big one) that mobile is taking the reigns and is the future.
Right, so they've completely trashed the interface.
It looks like an enormous distraction box. They should top it off with a widget for HN ;)
It seems like the OS is either defaulting to allowing only only App Store applications or at least only (Apple-)signed applications: http://www.apple.com/macosx/mountain-lion/security.html
It's still possible to turn this off, but I have a feeling that we should enjoy our freedom to run GNU grep instead of BSD grep for as long as it lasts.
It's still possible to turn this off, but I have a feeling that we should enjoy our freedom to run GNU grep instead of BSD grep for as long as it lasts.
I wish anything that uses Growl can use notifications out of the box. it's just not going to happen is it?
I hope it'll be a free update.
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I'm not sure if this matters or not, but the submitted title calls it "Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion", and 10.8 is indeed the version number I would expect; yet this number is nowhere to be found, neither on Apple's page nor in Gruber's announcement. Instead, it's just called "OS X Mountain Lion" everywhere. I wonder if they dropped the version number, or are downplaying it? But for what reason?
But they've already had a "Puma" release. Will "Cougar" be next?
Side note: panthers are technically black leopards or jaguars.
Side note: panthers are technically black leopards or jaguars.
But where is the Mac Touch hardware ? you could see for a while where touch was it and we have these nice laptops and big iMac displays but we will use a mouse ?! I really want my next imac to be a docking station with a tear away tablet
Windows 8 is definately banking having this sort of hardware in laptops and displays being available. You dont do Metro on the desktop unless you think that kind of hardware will be available in some form at launch. Metro with a mouse is hideous, even for Microsoft...
Windows 8 is definately banking having this sort of hardware in laptops and displays being available. You dont do Metro on the desktop unless you think that kind of hardware will be available in some form at launch. Metro with a mouse is hideous, even for Microsoft...
-I'd probably pay $30 for the Airplay feature alone.
-I don't know how Apple thinks they can push these web-enabled apps that only work on their platforms. A chat app that basically only lets you interact with Apple customers is kind of comical.
-Gatekeeper won't win over any Apple critics, but it's actually more flexible/open than what a lot of people feared was coming (ie "App Store apps only").
-Notifications and system-wide share buttons are nice touches. I wonder if the share button will be limited to a few Apple-approved services.
You can get the Messages application in beta form here:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/mountain-lion/messages-beta/
How is the iCloud focus going to effect corporate adoption? If you are a large company can you host your own iCloud service on company resources? Does/will apple provide a sas70 for big corporate users?
"OS X Mountain Lion arrives this summer. With all-new features inspired by iPad, the Mac just keeps getting better and better."
Am I the only person that doesn't want an ipad on the desktop?
Am I the only person that doesn't want an ipad on the desktop?
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