Apple is also quietly killing off the “Mac” part of the OS X name. Apple typically holds events to reveal new versions of Mac OS X, so the fact that the company quietly unveiled the OS today is yet another sign that this isn’t a huge release. For the most part, the new OS looks the same, but it also includes apps that first appeared on iOS, deeper integration with iCloud, as well as the Notification Center and Game Center from iOS.ĭevelopers can get their hands on Mountain Lion today in a preview release, but the rest of us will have to wait until this summer for the software. The California-based company sold a record 5.2m Macs in the quarter ending in December, up 26% from the same quarter in 2010.Like OS X Snow Leopard, Mountain Lion (technically OS X version 10.8) is being positioned as a minor upgrade over last year’s Lion release. The new software will go on sale from the Mac App Store in late summer this year, Apple said. 'I don't really think anything Microsoft does puts pressure on Apple,' he said. Like Apple's Mountain Lion, Microsoft has borrowed features popular on smartphones running its Windows Phone system.Ĭook denied to the Wall Street Journal that Microsoft was keeping the heat on the world's most valuable company.

Microsoft is expected to release its new operating system, Windows 8, later this year. 'Anywhere where that makes sense, we are going to move that over to Mac.'Ĭook did not rule out the possibilty of Apple using the same microprocessor chips in its iPhones, iPads and Mac computers, saying: 'We think about everything. 'We see that people are in love with a lot of apps and functionality here,' Cook told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Thursday. It will also introduce AirPlay mirroring, meaning Mac owners will be able to stream video content from their computer to a TV using Apple TV.Īpple said the Messages app will replace iChat and will allow users to send unlimited messages, photos and videos from their computer.Īpple chief executive Tim Cook said the latest release brings the Mac software closer to the iOS system on the iPhone and iPad. The new operating system will be compatible with iCloud, Apple's cloud-based storage system for music, films and other media. Mountain Lion will introduce popular iOS apps such as Messages, Notes, Reminders and Game Centre to the Mac for the first time. 'The developer preview of Mountain Lion comes just seven months after the incredibly successful release of Lion and sets a rapid pace of development for the world's most advanced personal computer operating system.' 'The Mac is on a roll, growing faster than the PC for 23 straight quarters, and with Mountain Lion things get even better,' said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing.

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