14 DAY TRIAL // Apple on Wednesday offered a new test build of OS X Mountain Lion to select customers enrolled with the company’s AppleSeed customer seeding program. OS X 10.8.2 Build 12C35 asks testers to focus on core areas of the operating system, including Messages, Safari, Reminders, and Facebook integration.
The Cupertino giant sent a message to testers saying “New OS X 10.8.2 Build Available.”
The Mac maker follows with another message that states, “A pre-release build of OS X Mountain Lion Software Update 10.8.2, built 12C35, is now available for download at appleseed.apple.com.”
Apple says testers can install the OS X 10.8.2 (12C35) combo update on OS X 10.8.0 GM (Golden Master), OS X 10.8.1 Build 12B17 or later, as well as over a previously installed 10.8.2 seed build.
This week’s 12C35 build is the second 10.8.2 beta since development kicked off on this upcoming Mountain Lion release.
Weighing in at 671MB, OS X 10.8.2 Build 12C35 contains no known issues and arrives with a focus area that includes Messages, Facebook, Game Center, Safari, and the Reminders app.
People enrolled with Apple’s official developer program are seemingly being put on hold with each new AppleSeed release that initially targets select customers who have the potential to offer valuable feedback to Apple.
The next-in-line approach with developers seems to be geared towards faster bug fixing, to reduce the number of seeds necessary for a final, bug-free release.
At the moment, Apple may still require a lot of testing to assess the widespread battery drainage issue in OS X Mountain Lion.
While the official OS X 10.8.1 release managed to increase the autonomy of some MacBooks, real-life tests indicate that the problem persists.
Apple is expected to roll out OS X 10.8.2 around the iOS 6 launch, in order to provide syncing compatibility with the company’s line of iDevices. OS X 10.7.5 is expected to do the same for Lion customers.