14 DAY TRIAL // Mac OS X, the operating system powering Apple desktop and laptop computers, is officially 10 years old today.
Although originally launched as Mac OS X Server 1.0 sometime in 1999, the desktop-oriented version, or Client version (as Apple calls it) of Mac OS X was only released in 2001, on March 24 - precisely 10 years ago.
Dubbed "Cheetah", Mac OS X v10.0 was the first Apple desktop OS to be named after a big cat.
Subsequent releases of the revolutionary OS included Puma, Jaguar, Panther… and so on, until Apple launched the still widely used Leopard and Snow Leopard versions.
The forthcoming major release of Mac OS X (10.7) is dubbed Lion, and it beautifully blends Apple’s iOS mobile operating system with the desktop OS the company is so very proud of.
But all this couldn’t have been achieved without Bertrand Serlet, the brains behind many of the core innovations in Mac OS X.
Sadly, Apple is forced to see him go, according to an official announcement that hit the wires just yesterday.
Serlet went on record to say “I want to focus less on products and more on science,” this being the main reason for his departure.
The Apple exec still has an executive profile page on the company’s website, where viewers can learn more about the Senior Vice President of Mac Software Engineering.
According to Apple’s official announcement, the software guru joined the computer company in 1997.
Ever since, he has been involved in “the definition, development and creation of Mac OS X, the world’s most advanced operating system,” his employers say.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s vice president of Mac Software Engineering, will assume Serlet’s responsibilities and report to CEO Steve Jobs, Apple said.
In celebration of Mac OS X turning 10, we give you a short clip (via John Gruber, of Daring Fireball) from one of the best Apple presentations featuring Bertrand Serlet as he relentlessly takes jabs at Microsoft’s Windows Vista.
Invited by Steve Jobs on stage at WWDC 2006 to talk about the evolution of Mac OS X, Serlet is visibly pleased to get a chance to talk about their work with the desktop OS, and how Microsoft shamelessly copied key elements to promote their own new version of Windows.
Happy birthday Mac OS X, and godspeed Mr. Serlet!