During a special event last week Apple introduced the next version of its operating system for Mac, a new Mac App Store, a new version of iLife, Facetime for Mac, and a new line of MacBook Air notebooks.
Apple offered a sneak peek of Mac OS X Lion, the eighth major release of its operating system. Shipping next summer, Lion is inspired by many of iPad’s software innovations. This introduction highlighted just a few of Lion’s features, including the Mac App Store, a new way to discover, install and automatically update desktop apps; Launchpad, a new home for all of your Mac apps; system-wide support for full screen apps; and Mission Control, which unifies Exposé, Dashboard, Spaces and full screen apps into an innovative new view of everything running on your Mac, and allows you to instantly navigate anywhere.
Apple said its Mac App Store brings the revolutionary App Store experience to OS X, making discovering, installing and updating Mac apps easier than ever. Like on iPad, you purchase apps using your iTunes account and they download and install in just one step.
App updates are delivered directly through the Mac App Store, so it’s easy to keep all of your apps up to date. The Mac App Store will be available for Snow Leopard within 90 days and will be included in Lion when it ships next summer.
Another software to be upgraded is iLife ’11, a major upgrade that gives Mac users even more great ways to create and share photos, movies and music, the company said. iPhoto ’11 has a whole new look, with stunning full screen modes for Faces, Places and Events. iMovie ’11 makes it easier than ever to edit videos and quickly transform them into fun theatrical trailers for easy posting online. GarageBand ’11 introduces new ways to improve your playing and create great sounding songs with Flex Time and Groove Matching. Free with every new Mac, iLife ’11 is available as an upgrade for existing users.
The company also announced the public beta of FaceTime for Mac, an entirely new application that allows Mac users to video call iPhone 4 and iPod touch users as well as other Macs. Featuring an easy to use interface, FaceTime for Mac automatically uses the address book contacts so there’s no need to create special buddy lists, and it works seamlessly with the built-in camera and mic on Mac notebooks, iMac and Apple LED Cinema Displays.
On the hardware side Apple unveiled an all new MacBook Air, the first of a next generation of notebooks which will replace mechanical hard disks and optical drives with internet services and solid state flash storage. The company said these next generation notebooks are faster, with solid state flash storage is up to twice as fast as hard drive storage; more reliable because hard drive crashes are eliminated; and lighter and smaller, since solid state flash storage is up to 90 percent smaller and lighter than hard drives.
Available in 11-inch and 13-inch models and weighing as little as 1 kg, the new MacBook Air is Apple’s lightest and most portable notebook ever. MacBook Air uses the same solid state storage technology as iPad to deliver instant-on responsiveness, up to seven hours of battery life and up to 30 days of standby time.
Apple products are available from the iCentre, the Authorised Service Provider for Apple in Malta.
www.icentre.com.mt