Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion: Release & Review

The Apple OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion has recently been released to developers and is scheduled to be introduced to the public this coming summer. According to reviews, this latest version apparently does not have the considerable changes that were observed with Lion ( OS X 10.7). There have been a wide range of improvements in the OS X 10.8 update, many of which will definitely be appreciated by iPad and iPhone users. This latest version of the OS X has been brought close in line with iOS. There is the integration of the iCloud; as such, different services and apps can be synced across any OS X or iOS device. When the Mountain Lion is made available this summer, iCloud users will have an easier time in syncing their documents between iOS devices and Macs. All other components such as Contacts, Mail, Calendars, Notes, and other services and apps will also work well with iCloud in Mountain Lion. Because the iChat has been replaced by the iMessage service, users can expect a cross-platform service that will allow users of Macs, iPads, and iPhones to chat with each other. This can also enable unlimited messaging, with which you can include attachments of up to 100MB. Game Center, the social gaming platform, has also made its move to Macs, allowing for multiplayer games and voice chat across Mac, iPad and iPhone users. In addition, the integration of AirPlay Mirroring helps detect an Apple TV and enables users to transform their Macs into game consoles. The Reminders app that is well known from iOS has also been made available for the Apple desktop, keeping users in track with dates and lists. Notes can also be pulled out of email and use it as its own app, allowing you to drag and drop attachments to Notes while formatting them in terms of fonts and lists, to name a few. Gatekeeper has also been integrated to protect Mac OS X users against threats by running the apps that are detected to be safe. On the whole, the OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion may not have all the features that were integrated in the OS X 10.7 as expected by many. Nevertheless, this latest version may just be a big step in moving forward with Apple’s OS. The company has not yet released the official price for the Mountain Lion, although it is likely that it will be priced similar to its predecessor.