14 DAY TRIAL // OS X 10.9 is coming out at WWDC 2013 with a bit of delay, as Apple was supposed to issue a beta to developers by now. But that doesn’t mean Apple’s next major cat isn’t on track for release.
According to sources speaking on condition of anonymity with 9to5mac, the new Mac OS includes major Finder enhancements, like “application such as tags and tabbed browsing modes.”
Users running OS X Snow Leopard, Lion, and even Mountain Lion (the latest Mac OS) currently have to rely on third-party solutions for that.
OS X 10.9 will solve this problem (at least for power users) once and for all, according to these people.
Safari will be enhanced with “a redesigned backend for improved page loading, speed, and efficiency,” while the Spaces function will allow (again, power users) to put a full-screen app on a different monitor.
Some UI changes will definitely trickle in this summer when OS X 10.9 is unveiled, but they won’t be major, these people cautioned.
Another thing worth mentioning, “Apple has been testing a new multi-tasking system for OS X that is similar to the quick-app-switcher function on iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches.”
The new system would “pause” some applications, freeing resources for other apps to use when they’re frontmost. It’s not an ideal setting, but maybe Apple has a few aces up its sleeve that we don’t know about.
If done right, the change would translate into longer battery life on MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs.
However, the report adds, “It is unclear if this feature will make the cut for 10.9′s public release.”
Apple has confirmed that it will unveil a new OS X version at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference this summer.
The launch is likely to be accompanied by iOS 7, the next major release of the company’s mobile OS.