Apple previews Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, bringing iOS features 'Back to the Mac'
Inspired by innovations in the iPhone and iPad, the next version of Mac OS X, dubbed "Lion," will bring iOS features to the Mac platform, including multi-touch gestures, the App Store and Home screens, coming Summer 2011.
Features of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion highlighted by Jobs Wednesday include:
Multi-touch gestures
App Store
App Home screens
Full screen apps
Auto save
Apps resume when launched
Apple said Lion, shipping next summer, is inspired by many of iPad?s software innovations. Today?s sneak peek highlighted just a few of Lion?s features, including the Mac App Store, a new way to discover, install and automatically update desktop apps; Launchpad, a new home for all of your Mac apps; system-wide support for full screen apps; and Mission Control, which unifies Exposé, Dashboard, Spaces and full screen apps into an innovative new view of everything running on your Mac, and allows you to instantly navigate anywhere.
"Lion brings many of the best ideas from iPad back to the Mac, plus some fresh new ones like Mission Control that Mac users will really like,? Jobs said in a press release. "Lion has a ton of new features, and we hope the few we had time to preview today will give users a good idea of where we are headed."
Multi-Touch
Jobs said that touchscreens don't work when in front of a user, which is why devices like the iPhone and iPad are successful. Given that, Jobs said Macs will stick with products like the trackpad and Magic Mouse for input.
"This is how we're going to use multi-touch on our Mac products," he said.
Mac App Store
Lion will bring the Mac App Store, which, like on iOS, will include one-click downloads, free and paid downloads, and revenue sharing with developers. The Mac App Store will also include automatic updates, and software will be licensed for use on all personal Macs.
Apple said the Mac App Store brings the App Store experience to OS X, making discovering, installing and updating Mac apps easier than ever. Like on iPad, you purchase apps using your iTunes account and they download and install in just one step. App updates are delivered directly through the Mac App Store, so it?s easy to keep all of your apps up to date. The Mac App Store will be available for Snow Leopard within 90 days and will be included in Lion when it ships next summer.
A demo showing off the Mac App Store showed off the ability to purchase and install Pages with just one click. Applications can also be added to the Launch Pad, which can be selected from the Mac OS X Dock and brings an iPad-style grid of icons and pages onto the screen as an overlay.
Mission Control
Jobs also announced a new feature, Mission Control, which allows users to view anything running on a Mac and instantly navigate to anywhere. He said this will combine existing features, like Expose, with new ones like full screen.
Apple said that Mission Control presents you with a unified view of every app and window running on your Mac, so you can instantly navigate anywhere. Mission Control also incorporates the next generation of Exposé, presenting all the windows running on your Mac grouped by application, alongside thumbnails of full screen apps, Dashboard and other Spaces.
Mission Control clusters alike apps, making them easy to select when in Mission Control.
LaunchPad
Launchpad makes it easier than ever to find and launch any app. Similar to the Home screen on iPad, you can see all the apps on your Mac elegantly displayed just by clicking the Launchpad icon in the dock. Apps can be organized in any order or grouped into folders, and you can swipe through multiple pages of apps to find the one you want.
Lion includes system-wide support for full screen applications. With Lion, you can enter full screen mode with just one click, switch from one full screen app to another with just a swipe of the trackpad, and swipe back to the desktop to access your multi-window applications.
"I wish we had another hour and a half to show you more," Jobs said at the conclusion of Wednesday's presentation. "We'll unveil this over time as we get closer to releasing it."
Features of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion highlighted by Jobs Wednesday include:
Multi-touch gestures
App Store
App Home screens
Full screen apps
Auto save
Apps resume when launched
Apple said Lion, shipping next summer, is inspired by many of iPad?s software innovations. Today?s sneak peek highlighted just a few of Lion?s features, including the Mac App Store, a new way to discover, install and automatically update desktop apps; Launchpad, a new home for all of your Mac apps; system-wide support for full screen apps; and Mission Control, which unifies Exposé, Dashboard, Spaces and full screen apps into an innovative new view of everything running on your Mac, and allows you to instantly navigate anywhere.
"Lion brings many of the best ideas from iPad back to the Mac, plus some fresh new ones like Mission Control that Mac users will really like,? Jobs said in a press release. "Lion has a ton of new features, and we hope the few we had time to preview today will give users a good idea of where we are headed."
Multi-Touch
Jobs said that touchscreens don't work when in front of a user, which is why devices like the iPhone and iPad are successful. Given that, Jobs said Macs will stick with products like the trackpad and Magic Mouse for input.
"This is how we're going to use multi-touch on our Mac products," he said.
Mac App Store
Lion will bring the Mac App Store, which, like on iOS, will include one-click downloads, free and paid downloads, and revenue sharing with developers. The Mac App Store will also include automatic updates, and software will be licensed for use on all personal Macs.
Apple said the Mac App Store brings the App Store experience to OS X, making discovering, installing and updating Mac apps easier than ever. Like on iPad, you purchase apps using your iTunes account and they download and install in just one step. App updates are delivered directly through the Mac App Store, so it?s easy to keep all of your apps up to date. The Mac App Store will be available for Snow Leopard within 90 days and will be included in Lion when it ships next summer.
A demo showing off the Mac App Store showed off the ability to purchase and install Pages with just one click. Applications can also be added to the Launch Pad, which can be selected from the Mac OS X Dock and brings an iPad-style grid of icons and pages onto the screen as an overlay.
Mission Control
Jobs also announced a new feature, Mission Control, which allows users to view anything running on a Mac and instantly navigate to anywhere. He said this will combine existing features, like Expose, with new ones like full screen.
Apple said that Mission Control presents you with a unified view of every app and window running on your Mac, so you can instantly navigate anywhere. Mission Control also incorporates the next generation of Exposé, presenting all the windows running on your Mac grouped by application, alongside thumbnails of full screen apps, Dashboard and other Spaces.
Mission Control clusters alike apps, making them easy to select when in Mission Control.
LaunchPad
Launchpad makes it easier than ever to find and launch any app. Similar to the Home screen on iPad, you can see all the apps on your Mac elegantly displayed just by clicking the Launchpad icon in the dock. Apps can be organized in any order or grouped into folders, and you can swipe through multiple pages of apps to find the one you want.
Lion includes system-wide support for full screen applications. With Lion, you can enter full screen mode with just one click, switch from one full screen app to another with just a swipe of the trackpad, and swipe back to the desktop to access your multi-window applications.
"I wish we had another hour and a half to show you more," Jobs said at the conclusion of Wednesday's presentation. "We'll unveil this over time as we get closer to releasing it."
Comments
THE MAC!!!!!
Mac App Store = NOT THE ONLY WY TO GET APPS ON
THE MAC!!!!!
Hence the pejorative 'panic'.
This would explain why the downloads page on the apple.com has been slowly hidden away.... Not surprised they did this, basically the same as apple.com/downloads except different interface and no update only downloads.
Except now Apple are taking money and hosting them and providing automatic installation etc. Hardly the same is it? It's a list of apps, that's about all that is the same.
Now I have to share profits of my software with Apple. Steve you just lost your mind. As a developer of software if I have to share revenue with Apple on software I write for the Mac, I'll just pass the cost to the user and/or stop developing for the Mac.
I completely agree! Apple is abusing of their costumers and developers!
They are doing multi touch smart on the Mac. They have realized that it isn't very ergonomic to do a touch screen though. This should syraighten out those pinning for a touch screen iMac.
2.
App store for the Mac will be a huge step forward for small time developers. It should provide for an explosion in Mac apps.
I know some fear a walled garden on the Mac but I don't think Apple is that stupid. They, that is Apple understand the wide array of needs of their users. In any event this looks like a nice refinement of OS/X and I'm looking forward to hearing more details.
Now I have to share profits of my software with Apple. Steve you just lost your mind. As a developer of software if I have to share revenue with Apple on software I write for the Mac, I'll just pass the cost to the user and/or stop developing for the Mac.
Then don?t use it, and be left behind.
Now I have to share profits of my software with Apple. Steve you just lost your mind. As a developer of software if I have to share revenue with Apple on software I write for the Mac, I'll just pass the cost to the user and/or stop developing for the Mac.
For apps sold through the Apple Store, the developer gets 70% of a lot. Selling these same apps through their own websites, they got 100% of a little. Oh, pray tell when will Apple stop? Helping developers dramatically increase their earnings. It's downright evil!
I got my fullscreen button, ha!
Then don?t use it, and be left behind.
That's the problem. Lose 30% of your income, or be left behind.
Mac App Store = NOT THE ONLY WY TO GET APPS ON
THE MAC!!!!!
But a great way for 99% of the people. The ability to find all (most) apps in one place, and to manage these apps (updates) is sure to benefit both end users and developers. The price of apps will probably drop yet developers should see at least as much money (at least as when the apps are sold through brick and mortar stores). I am also willing to bet that app sales will shoot up as a result of the app store. Maybe not heavy expensive apps like Adobe, MS and the like, but all the small great apps that aren't always easy to find out there in the wild.
Now I have to share profits of my software with Apple. Steve you just lost your mind. As a developer of software if I have to share revenue with Apple on software I write for the Mac, I'll just pass the cost to the user and/or stop developing for the Mac.
Go to cnet's download.com where it is free. The app isn't hosted there but the end result is pretty much the same, app is on my computer.
It looks like Spaces as we know it was eliminated from Lion. Spaces was my favorite feature of Leopard, and I never use Exposé or Dashboard currently. I'll be sorely disappointed if they make it only useable with full screen apps.
Don't worry. If Spaces goes you'll be able to pick up a cheap replacement at the App Store
Now I have to share profits of my software with Apple. Steve you just lost your mind.
My god are you nuts? Where else can you find a distributor that handles everything for you and takes so little of the selling price? Really think about it, apple didn't go this route on a lark they have seen how app store has drawn developers to iOS. Thus a Mac app store to reap the same benefits.
As a developer of software if I have to share revenue with Apple on software I write for the Mac, I'll just pass the cost to the user and/or stop developing for the Mac.
Of course you will that is called business. How ever there is no indication that you will have to distribute this way, but if you don't I think you will quickly discover that it will be a mistake not to be on app store. Get into app store and you will move a lot more product.
Frankly your hostility seems to be very misplaced and lacking of business sense.
Dave
Now I have to share profits of my software with Apple. Steve you just lost your mind. As a developer of software if I have to share revenue with Apple on software I write for the Mac, I'll just pass the cost to the user and/or stop developing for the Mac.
I completely agree! Apple is abusing of their costumers and developers!
At no point did he say that the Mac App Store is the only way to install software on Lion. This is an addition to normal outlets.
I can't imagine people downloading things like Adobe Suite, especially with ISPs starting to cap downloads.