Sep 14, 2010 12:31 GMT  ·  By

Since the early 2000s, Mac OS X has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems. Mac OS X is the successor to Mac OS 9, the final release of the "classic" Mac OS (Apple's primary operating system since 1984). On September 13, 2010, Mac OS X (ten) turned 10.

Mac OS X is a Unix-based graphical operating system. It was built on technologies developed at NeXT between the second half of the 1980s and late 1996, when Apple engulfed the company.

As Apple fans are well aware, releases of Mac OS X are named after cats. Mac OS X v10.6, for example, is referred to as "Snow Leopard". Listed below are all the major releases of Mac OS X.

- Mac OS X Version 10.0: "Cheetah" - Mac OS X Version 10.1: "Puma" - Mac OS X Version 10.2: "Jaguar" - Mac OS X Version 10.3: "Panther" - Mac OS X Version 10.4: "Tiger" - Mac OS X Version 10.5: "Leopard" - Mac OS X Version 10.6: "Snow Leopard"

Apple also produces a sever edition of Mac OS X which is basically identical to the “client” counterpart, but includes tools to facilitate management of workgroups of Mac OS X machines, as well as to provide access to network services.

Specific Mac OS X Server tools include a mail transfer agent, a Samba server, an LDAP server, a domain name server, and others.

Just as the client version of Mac OS X comes pre-loaded with every new Mac, the server edition is pre-loaded on Apple's Xserve server hardware. However, Mac OS X Server can be run on almost all of Apple's current selling computer models.

Starting with its sixth release, Mac OS X v10.5 "Leopard" and onwards, every new installment of Mac OS X gained UNIX 03 certification while running on Intel processors.

The Cupertino, California-based Apple also produces specialized versions of Mac OS X for the rest of its product range, including the iOS for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and an unspecified, bare-bones version for the Apple TV hardware.