Viticci and his team have published a 120 page, $7 PDF review of Mountain Lion. I was lucky enough to help them get it out the door, and I have to say, it’s pretty great.
The best part? The team is donating a third of the money to the American Cancer Society.
Which is freaking awesome.
The new version of OS X from Apple — dubbed Mountain Lion — is now ready for download from the Mac App Store for $19.99.
Lion, the OS it replaces, was in many ways a new chapter when it comes to OS X versions. Lion was the first version to be available as a digital download. Requiring 10.6 Snow Leopard to be installed, Lion was a $29 download from the Mac App Store.
(Apple did offer Lion on a USB key in-stores for $69, but I digress.)
Notably, Lion brought many iOS features “back to the Mac,” as Apple claimed. Features such as Launchpad, the App Store, full-screen mode, gestures and more made the Mac feel more like home to the legions of iOS users considering Apple’s desktop platform for the first time.
(For kicks, check out my Lion review from last year over on Macgasm.)
So, does 10.8 carry that theme forward? Or does Mountain Lion back away from the “iOS-ification” of OS X?
Tonight would be a good time to make sure your backup is updated.
Here are the high points:
There’s more:
Dan Frommer:
Apple has long been fortunate to have an excited fan base promoting its products and helping lure first-time buyers. But did you know that Apple used to distribute free collateral to help its biggest fans spread the message?
That’s what this is: The 1997 MacAdvocate CD-ROM, full of “why Mac?” presentations, free software and games, Apple TV commercials, and more. It came out shortly after Apple acquired NeXT, but before Steve Jobs had really started remaking the company around products like the iMac or iPad.
Counting is hard.
This whole story is still crazy to me, but its good to see Apple’s got it under control.
This is one of those commands that just makes life a little bit easier for the power user.
Gruber:
The big thing to remember about the iPhone 4 is that it’s the first CDMA iPhone. No way it’s going to disappear from the lineup, because now Apple could offer a “free” iPhone on Verizon and Sprint, too.
The iPhone 4 would be one heck of a free (on contract) device.
On a related note, I’m shocked at how many people go in to AT&T and still come out with a 3GS in 2012.
Benj Edwards:
With its innovative form factor, advanced operating system, and a then-unparalleled suite of integrated software, the iMac G4 led a new generation of consumer-grade Apple desktops that brought continued financial security to Apple during a time of transition—just as its iPod line began to heat up.
I still kick myself when I think about the day I sold mine.
Yesterday, I announced System Extension, a members-only magazine for 512 Pixels. I built the first edition in Apple’s iBook Author program, which is simply stunning.
Except for the terms of service.
As numerous people have pointed out to me, I cannot charge directly for an .ibooks file.
Turns out, I can’t give an .ibooks file away as part of a subscription, either.
In short, if you collect money in any way with an .ibooks file, Apple wants their cut.
Future versions of System Extension might have to be in PDF form after re-reading this. Which kinda sucks.