Apple has released some news about the Mac OS X Lion. This is the latest Apple operating system that may be installed in all Macs. This does not include the iPad or iPhone by the way. The last operating system release was in 2009 with Snow Leopard. Snow Leopard has been a pretty solid operating system, improving up the previous version, Leopard.
First of all, this operating system will only cost $30. Compare that to $200 – $300 on the Windows 7 operating system support license. Also, if you still have Leopard or Snow Leopard, you can upgrade to Lion if you’d like. It is expected to be released in July, but no further specifics were provided. Don’t you know by now that Apple is full of surprises?
Here’s the curveball: The only place you can buy Lion is online via the App Store. That’s right. No physical CD or DVD or store-bought disk. Apple is really pushing its apps store here. Here’s the cool factor: you can pretty much install as many Lion operating systems as you’d like. You just need to associate your Apple ID you used to purchase the operating system. That means your whole family of 3, 4, or more can have Lion installed for only $30!
Can you install Lion on your current Mac? Your Mac must have an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i7, or Xeon processor to run Lion. Basically, if you bought your Mac mid-2006 or earlier, you’re out of luck. If you bought your Mac on or after June 6, 2011, then you automatically qualify for a free copy of Lion. But, make sure you request this within the mandatory 30 days of the purchase date.
Okay, everything sounds good so far, but is Lion worth the time and little money needed here? Here is a quick list of the most notable Lion support features:
- Full screen app – Use any program to the width of the screen.
- AirDrop – Wirelessly share files with other computers, even without a wireless network.
- Launchpad – Move around your icons just like you would on your iPad or iPhone.
- Mission Control – Use trackpad gestures to see all your files and apps all at once.
- Mail – Email looks just like Outlook and has built-in Exchange 2010 support.
As a change, the Mac server operating system will not be bundled into Lion as Apple previously stated. Instead, you can buy Lion Server as a separate purchase for $50. This is also a considerable price decrease since the previous Snow Leopard Server went for $999. Apple support is still consistent with its original statement that the Lion Server OS can turn your regular Mac into its own server. It is unclear how this will happen.
Due to its low cost and breadth of tech features, the Lion operating system is a great purchase or upgrade.