Amid a swathe of new releases today, Apple has announced its OS X Yosemite desktop operating system is now available as a free upgrade for Mac users from the Mac App Store.“Redesigned with a fresh, modern look”, Yosemite seeks to further tie together the Apple ecosystem of products, featuring a number of Continuity features designed to make “Mac and iOS devices perfect companions”.
Handoff, for example, automatically passes what users are doing from one device to another, such as writing an email or surfing the web, while AirDrop now works between Mac and iOS, allowing sharing of content across devices.
Another feature sees SMS messages, which previously only appeared on iPhones, now automatically appear in Messages on users’ Macs and other iOS devices, with users also able to make and receive iPhone calls via Macs.
Apple states streamlined toolbars make more room for users’ content and use translucency to reveal additional app content while scrolling.
Other translucent elements, such as window sidebars, are designed to take on the feel of the desktop picture, providing a sense of what’s hidden behind the active window.
App icons “have a clean, consistent design”, while a new system font “improves readability on every Mac and looks stunning on a Retina display”.
“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 senior vice president of software engineering, commented.
“OS X Yosemite ushers in the future of computing, where your Apple devices all work together seamlessly and magically. It’s something only Apple can do, and it’s available today.”
Meanwhile, Apple has also announced an update to its Mac mini, adding a number of new features to the compact-sized desktop.
The Mac mini will now come with fourth generation Intel Core processors, integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000 and Intel Iris Graphics, which Apple states are up to 90 per cent faster than the previous generation, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Thunderbolt 2, while every new model will run on Yosemite.
The updated Mac mini begins shipping today, with the 1.4 GHz Mac mini priced at $619, the 2.6 GHz Mac mini $869, and the 2.8 GHz Mac mini $1,249.