14 DAY TRIAL // A new Mountain Lion seed is out from Cupertino just two days after the release of the last beta, indicating that development is winding up. The final (public) version of OS X 10.8.3 should hit our Software Updaters relatively soon.
Just a couple of days after seeding build 12D43 to developers, Apple has released build 12D44, adding a single increment to the development of OS X 10.8.3.
History has shown that such rapid successions in seeding indicate a near-final build. For all we known, 12D44 could well be the build ending up in the Mac App Store.
Developers receiving OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3 Build 12D44 are asked to focus their testing skills on the same core areas of the operating system as before: AirPlay, AirPort, Game Center, Graphics Drivers, and Safari.
“OS X Mountain Lion Update 10.8.3 is an update to OS X Mountain Lion 10.8,” says Apple.
“Please be aware that you will not be able to revert back to your previous system after updating. Please install this update on a system you are prepared to erase if necessary,” it adds.
Developers using the new “OS X Software Update Seed Configuration Utility” must choose “Software Update” from the Apple menu to install the new seed.
Those who don’t have the utility installed yet can log into their Apple Developer account and download the software.
“After running the installer, the Mac App Store will open automatically. Click on the Updates panel and OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3 build 12D38 will now be available for download,” says the Mac maker.
With Christmas approaching, we doubt Apple will have time to fiddle around with new builds, so we’re putting our money on 12D44 being the last developer seed for OS X 10.8.3 testing.