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Apple announced a new version of OS X, Mavericks, at its WWDC. OS X is no longer named after felines. Instead, California locales will inspire names for upcoming versions of the Macintosh operating system. While the naming scheme is new, the operating system demoed at the WWDC looks a lot like Mountain Lion. Apple holds true to small, incremental changes in OS X. There is some speculation that the Mac operating system has yet to undergo the same makeover as iOS 7. Jon Ive is also in charge of OS X design, after all. The OS is scheduled to debut in the fall, giving Apple time to redesign the user interface. I expect it to look much like iOS 7.
This article examines the new features in OS X Mavericks. We’ll also take a look at what’s missing in this release.
Apple announced that there are now 72 million Macs. While this is only a fraction of Microsoft Window’s market share, they pointed out that Windows 8 is not getting much adoption. The Mac is now the best-selling personal computer. Of course, when you add up all Windows PC sales from different vendors, there are still more Windows machines being sold.
The Mac, while gaining ground, has never been about market domination. The Mac is growing market share in the home and office, but it remains the choice for many software developers, recording engineers, video editors, and graphic designers. For most people, the inexpensive Windows PC still gets the job done, at a fraction of the price. Many people are opting out of computers and choosing tablets instead.
New Features
Mavericks looks much like Mountain Lion. The 3D dock is still central to the design. There have been some changes. Skeuomorphism has been stripped from this release. The Calendar is no longer bound in virtual leather. It looks like the iOS 7 Calendar. No other skeuomorphic apps (Contacts, Notes) were shown, suggesting that Apple hasn’t had time to redesign them. Linen has also been removed, in favor of a simple grey background.
Finder has undergone a major overhaul that most users will appreciate. Finder now has tabs. This makes it much easier to move files between folders. Simply drag the file over the tab, and the tab will open. Then drag the file to a folder. One can also keep AirDrop open in a tab for easy transfers. (continue…)