Apple unveiled the latest desktop operating system, OS X Yosemite, at the special event Thursday, complete with redesigned UI, updated iWork and deeper integration with iOS, for free.
Apple, the renowned smartphone maker, released the most advanced desktop operating system for its iMac and Mac computers on Thursday. The latest OS X Yosemite brings a series of improvements to the popular Mac software. After the much overhauled OS X 10.9 Mavericks, the tenth iteration of the Mac OS brings an updated iWork suite, plethora of new feature and a refreshed UI much in line with the popular iOS mobile computing software.
Yosemite allows users to answer calls and sends and receives messages with an iPhone placed within a range. The feature was demonstrated during Thursday's event, where the tech giant unveiled the new iPads and a high-end 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display.
The overall design of the Mac UI carries a fresh look. According to Apple, new features like window sidebars show hidden content behind active window and new app icons and fonts make the l appearance more appealing.
"OS X Yosemite is the most advanced version of OS X we've ever built, with a brand new design, amazing Continuity features and powerful versions of the apps you use every day," Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, said in a press statement. "OS X Yosemite ushers in the future of computing, where your Apple devices all work together seamlessly and magically."
Apple explained the new features and the improvements to the existing ones in an all-new Yosemite update. The company said new Continuity features allow seamless integration with Mac and iOS, like Handoff syncs information across all devices to carry out operations from any device. AirDrop has been updated to work between Mac and iOS.
The Notification Center is updated with multiple useful widegets such as Calender, Stocks and social networks for quick access. The Safari browser offers better performance and consumes less power while browsing. Apple also updated iWork with new UI and offers iCloud integration.
Unlike the Windows OS updates, Apple makes its software available to all Mac and iMac users free of cost. It can be downloaded on Macs launched in 2009 and later from the Mac App Store. For a step by step guide on how to get the new OS X version, Apple has updated the support page with instructions.
