14 DAY TRIAL // In addition to Versions, a function that makes snapshots of documents in time, Apple’s forthcoming Mac OS X Lion boasts a new feature called “Auto Save”. It also saves stuff as you go, but goes beyond just saving a backup copy as a failsafe method.
While great for preventing lost work, the typical auto-save function built inside pretty much every Mac and Windows iteration is not as reliable as Auto Save in OS X Lion.
Rather than saving an alternative copy of a file at certain time intervals, the function saves documents to the same file, as a series of differential changes.
Not only does this save disk space, but it also eliminates the need to remember to save a file before quitting the application you're working with - say, Apple's Pages for Mac OS X.
While a normal “save as” allows the user to create several versions of a file to ensure that each attempt is kept for later work, Auto Save offers the same benefit without cluttering your desktop.
It allows you to select which version of the saved file you want to revert to, including its original form.
A ‘lock’ option prevents inadvertent changes from being saved and automatically locks documents after two weeks.
Auto Save is an exclusive feature of Lion, the eighth major version of Mac OS X.
As the successor to the current Snow Leopard, Mac OS X Lion is Apple’s first attempt at combining the best elements that make up iOS (the mobile operating system powering iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices) and those that comprise Mac OS X, the company’s desktop OS.
“We’re taking our best thinking from iPad and bringing it all to the Mac with Mac OS X Lion, available in summer 2011,” reads Apple’s promo over at www.apple.com/macosx/lion/.
In addition to the rather small feature previewed by Softpedia today, Lion brings major new enhancements like Launchpad (a place where users gain instant access to all their apps), Full Screen Apps, Mission Control (an advanced Expose), new gestures and animations and more.
Lion is launching this summer. Skim through the related links below for more ‘Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Features’ coverage.