Cupertino says we have about one month to go before we get downloading

Jun 12, 2012 07:50 GMT  ·  By

Apple has announced that OS X Mountain Lion will be available in July from the Mac App Store as a $19.99 (€16) upgrade to customers running Snow Leopard or Lion.

Don’t let the numbering fool you, because OS X 10.8 is actually the ninth major version of Apple’s desktop OS.

It brings more than 200 new features, according to its makers, including the new Messages app, Notification Center, system-wide Sharing, Facebook integration, Dictation, Power Nap, AirPlay Mirroring, Game Center and Gatekeeper, for enhanced security.

iCloud is a key component of the OS. Apple says it’s built right into the foundation of Mountain Lion, making it easier than ever to keep your content up to date across all your platforms.

“The pace of innovation on the Mac is amazing, OS X Mountain Lion comes just a year after the incredibly successful launch of Lion,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

“With iCloud built right in and the new Notification Center, Messages, Dictation, Facebook integration and more, this is the best OS X yet,” added Schiller.

Some of the new features confirmed by Apple during yesterday’s keynote address include Dictation, Power Nap, and Facebook integration.

Power Nap is something our readers might want us to elaborate on, since its name doesn’t exactly describe the feature.

What it does is it keeps your Mac up to date while it sleeps (per Apple’s press release):

“Power Nap automatically refreshes Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Notes, Photo Stream, Find My Mac and Documents in the Cloud, and when plugged in, downloads software updates and backs up your Mac using Time Machine.”

It only works with the newer MacBook Pro with Retina display and the second and third-generation MacBook Air.

Customers buying a new Mac with OS X Lion starting today will be eligible for a free upgrade to Mountain Lion when it ships next month.