14 DAY TRIAL // In about two weeks from now, Apple will be holding its second fall event to unveil a range of new tablets and desktop computers, as well as the long-awaited OS X Yosemite.
People familiar with Apple’s plans say the event will be held on the company’s Cupertino campus, at the Town Hall auditorium.
A more relaxed showcase
According to Code/red’s sources, Apple will hold its next special event on Thursday, October 16. It was previously rumored that the media gathering will occur on October 21.
As expected, there are some new products on the menu, including “updates to its iPad line,” and new iMacs, the sources said. It isn’t clear if Apple will only iterate the iPad Air, or if the showcase will mark the unveiling of Apple’s rumored 13-inch iPad Pro / iPad Plus.
As far as the iMac is concerned, the new models will include more powerful chips and a Retina upgrade for the 27-inch version of the all-in-one computer. The upgrade is geared towards the creative industry, but could also prove to be a good investment for various businesses, enterprise environments, and of course day-to-day personal use.
It’s also been noted that, “...this one will be a more laid-back affair held at the company’s Town Hall Auditorium in Cupertino, without any mysterious white structures and awkward one-song concerts.”
OS X Yosemite
The star of the show will be OS X Yosemite, Apple’s latest version of the Mac operating system and one of the biggest visual overhauls in years. The OS takes major cues from iOS, including flattened graphics, a warmer and lighter color palette, redesigned menus and buttons, and translucency throughout.
Yosemite brings a number of key enhancements. For instance, users in the Apple ecosystem will be able to use both the Mac and their iPhone for taking calls and writing SMS messages. All they need to do is have all those devices set up with the same iCloud account.
Handoff is also a big deal. It’s a feature that lets users automatically pass whatever they’re doing from one device to another. And Spotlight now sits front and center with a new search window and scrollable previews of each results. It makes it easier than ever to find things on the Mac, and now even looks stuff up online.
We’ll be on hand covering Apple’s every announcement on October 16, so be sure to stick around for when that happens. In the meantime, make your backups and prepare to upgrade your Mac to Yosemite for free on that very same day.