OS X Mavericks
OS X Mavericks, officially released as Mac OS X 10.9, was announced on June 10, 2013, at the WWDC 2013 and became available for download on October 22, 2013. This version of the Mac OS X operating system marked a significant shift in naming conventions, moving away from big cats to locations in California, specifically inspired by Mavericks, a surfing location known for its large waves near Half Moon Bay.
Features and Enhancements
- Memory Management: OS X Mavericks introduced Compressed Memory to better manage RAM usage, allowing the system to compress inactive memory rather than purging it, thus making more memory available for active processes.
- iCloud Keychain: This feature enabled users to save and sync passwords, credit card information, and other secure information across devices through iCloud.
- App Nap: It allowed apps to reduce their activity when not in use, thereby conserving system resources.
- Timer Coalescing: To reduce CPU power consumption, Mavericks improved the timing of system events, allowing multiple events to happen together.
- New Apps:
- iBooks for Mac was introduced, allowing users to read books directly from their desktops.
- Maps app for Mac, leveraging the same technology used in iOS, providing turn-by-turn directions and Flyover views.
- Multiple Displays: Enhanced support for multiple displays, including individual spaces for each monitor.
- Notification Center: Upgraded with new capabilities like calendar events, weather, and stocks.
- Enhanced Finder: Included new tags, tabbed browsing, and a revamped file preview system.
System Requirements
The minimum requirements for OS X Mavericks were:
- Mac models from mid-2007 or newer
- 2GB of memory
- 8GB of available disk space
- Some features required an Apple ID and internet access
Reception
OS X Mavericks was well-received for its performance improvements, especially in power management and memory usage. Critics praised the introduction of new features like iCloud Keychain and the Maps app. However, there were initial concerns regarding battery life on some MacBook models, which Apple addressed with subsequent updates.
Legacy
OS X Mavericks set the stage for future releases like OS X Yosemite with its focus on integration with iOS. It was also the last version to use the "Mac OS X" branding before the transition to simply "OS X" in the subsequent release.
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