Transitioning your Mac from Mountain Lion to Apple's new OS X 10.9 Mavericks

Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
Apple has unleashed the ninth point release of its OS X desktop operating system with nary a big cat in sight, but that does not mean users migrating from Mountain Lion to Mavericks will find an update devoid of differences. To help ease users' transition to the new operating system, AppleInsider details some of the biggest user-facing changes.

OS X 10.9 Mavericks


Finder finally finds tabs

Finder's new tabs in the ">newly released Mavericks update are nearly identical in function and appearance to Safari's implementation, with minor tweaks to better suit local file manipulation.

Adding tabs to a Finder window is simple. Safari's Command+T shortcut has been brought in, and the recessed "+" button on the right side of the window is also held over from the web browser.

Users can still open multiple Finder windows, each with a distinct set of tabs. Those who find themselves with more windows open than they would like can easily consolidate them into a single window using the "Merge All Windows" command from Finder's "Window" menu.

Moving files between tabs is easy as dragging-and-dropping from one tab to the title bar of another. Tabs can also be dragged-and-dropped between Finder windows or reordered within the same window.

Other Safari keyboard shortcuts, like Shift+Command+arrow to switch between tabs and Command+W to close a tab, are also supported.

OS X 10.9 Mavericks


Tag everything

Tags are an expansion of OS X's existing Label functionality. The option to label files or folders with colors remains, as does the ability to create smart folders based on those labels.

Unlike labels, however, tags are not restricted to colors -- any text string can be used as a tag, and tags are given their own field by default in the slightly altered file save sheet.

Creating a tag within a save sheet is akin to adding recipients to a message in Mail.app. Entering text into the tags field will present a list of suggestions based on existing tags. Hitting enter will accept the highlighted suggestion, and a new tag can be created by entering a comma followed by a space.

Tags gain their own dedicated space in the lower portion of Finder's sidebar and can be added, removed, or edited in Finder's Preferences dialog.

OS X 10.9 Mavericks


New notifications

Notifications in Mavericks have been made interactive. Email notifications from Mail.app, for instance, feature a "Reply" button that will show a small text field and allow users to send a reply directly from the notification, rather than being forced to open the application. Ditto for Facebook updates, Tweets, FaceTime calls, and iMessages.

Notification Center itself gains the ability to quickly compose and send iMessages, similar to the Facebook and Twitter integration introduced in Mountain Lion.

Mavericks also features a "while you were away" notification option. The lock screen will display events like emails, messages, and app updates that came in while the user was not at the computer. For privacy-conscious users, the lock screen notifications can be disabled in System Preferences.

Multiple displays

With Mavericks, multiple displays now act independently rather than as one, large display. Each display can have its own set of Spaces, and putting an app into full screen on one display does not affect the usability of the other connected displays.

Trackpad and mouse gestures for switching between spaces or applications remain the same, and will target whichever display the mouse pointer is currently positioned in.

Mission Control has been updated to control this new functionality, and now shows a separate instance on each display when toggled.

Additionally, each display now features a separate menu bar. The bar is translucent on inactive displays and becomes opaque when the user interacts with its display.

Apple TV owners also benefit from Mavericks's enhanced multiple display support. AirPlay Mirroring has been renamed AirPlay Display, and users now have the option of extending, rather than simply mirroring, their desktop to the Apple TV.

OS X 10.9 Mavericks


Safari 7

Safari's Top Sites has been redesigned, and users can now reorder the selections by drag-and-drop. Permanently hiding a top site is still accomplished by hovering over its thumbnail and clicking the "X" button in the upper left.

Reading List and Bookmarks have been moved to Safari's new Sidebar. The Sidebar can be opened by clicking the former Bookmarks button in the Bookmarks bar, which has been renamed the Favorites bar. For those who prefer a keyboard shortcut, Shift+Command+L will toggle the Sidebar on and off.

Individual buttons for adding items to Bookmarks or Reading List have been eschewed in Safari 7 in favor of an "Add" button on the left side of the address bar. Clicking and releasing the button will add the current page to Reading List, while a click-and-hold will allow the user to send the site to Top Sites or Bookmarks.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 39
    enzosenzos Posts: 344member

    I'll give it a couple of days before DLing but wrt to navigating in the Finder sure looks good (for free!)

  • Reply 2 of 39
    This update is great. Really like the tags and Multiple Monitor Support finally was done right! I love extending the desktop easily to my ATV equipped TV!
  • Reply 3 of 39
    Been running Mavericks for nearly 24-hours without a hiccup. Very solid release from my perspective, and the multi-screen improvements are quite welcome.
  • Reply 4 of 39
    Quote:


    Apple has unleashed the ninth point release of its OS X desktop operating system


    I remember Craig yesterday mentioning it was 10th release of OS X (Ten)

  • Reply 5 of 39
    dbtincdbtinc Posts: 134member
    For what you're getting the price is right ...
  • Reply 6 of 39
    chandra69 wrote: »
    I remember Craig yesterday mentioning it was 10th release of OS X (Ten)
    Both quotes are correct.

    There has been 10 releases, 10.0 through to 10.9.
    There has been 9 point releases (I.e. Upgrades), 10.1 through to 10.9
  • Reply 7 of 39
    mobiusmobius Posts: 380member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chandra69 View Post

    I remember Craig yesterday mentioning it was 10th release of OS X (Ten)

     

    It is the 10th release, and also the 9th point release.
  • Reply 8 of 39
    And if you use a government CAC card on your Mac, you probably also use PKard by Thursby Software, which according to their tech support, they "forgot" to send out an email informing their customers that PKard will not work on Mavericks. They hope an update will be ready by next week.

    sheeesh! Good thing I had Parallels
  • Reply 9 of 39
    I've updated both my iMac and Macbook Pro to Mavericks and the transition couldn't have been smoother or easier. I've noticed significant performance increases in both machines and Anyone who doesn't see this as a valuable update is blinded by jealousy. This would be a costly update for any other Manufacturer but Apple is giving it up for Free. Thats something to be grateful for. I don't see any OS updates coming free from anyone else. That shows a commitment to the users, not to just the profit margin.
  • Reply 10 of 39

    Upgraded my mid-2011 Mini today.  So far so good.  iCloud keychain takes a bit of getting used to, but I can see it will be beneficial.

  • Reply 11 of 39
    dugbugdugbug Posts: 283member

    A few times I have started safari (or finder) but a window only flashes and then goes away.  The windows exist (according to right click on the dock icon) but are not in mission control or on any display or the dock.   I have to stop and restart the app and that seems to fix it.

     

    Also if you have avast! you MUST UPDATE IT TO V8 BEFORE UPDATING OS!  They just released V8 this month so your version may not be the latest (apparently mine wasn't ;) )

     

     

  • Reply 12 of 39
    Originally Posted by dugbug View Post

    Also if you have avast!


     

    You realize you’re using a Mac, right? And that it’s not 1993?

  • Reply 13 of 39
    dugbugdugbug Posts: 283member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AussieinHK View Post

     

    Upgraded my mid-2011 Mini today.  So far so good.  iCloud keychain takes a bit of getting used to, but I can see it will be beneficial.




    I hope so.  But I still want to use 1password too at least until I see how well it works.  I am curious as to password management in icloud keychain so I can copy passwords it generates into 1password.  It seems 1password did pick up a new account I created using safari password suggestion, so that was good.

  • Reply 14 of 39

    well, this must have been the smoothest and most solid update EVER for me (Mid 2011 iMac here).

     

    Can I say it? I LOOOVE Craig: the focus, the implementation and the look and finish.

     

    And I LOOOVE Tim: for the free updates ... :)

     

    keep it up!

  • Reply 15 of 39
    trogbot wrote: »
    I've updated both my iMac and Macbook Pro to Mavericks and the transition couldn't have been smoother or easier. I've noticed significant performance increases in both machines and Anyone who doesn't see this as a valuable update is blinded by jealousy. This would be a costly update for any other Manufacturer but Apple is giving it up for Free. Thats something to be grateful for. I don't see any OS updates coming free from anyone else. That shows a commitment to the users, not to just the profit margin.

    Same here. I jumped in with no hesitation on this update and boy am I glad I did.

    Tons of refinements and features I'm already using as if they were second nature. I lost a few legacy PowerPC apps, but I'm not missing them so far.

    Great update!
  • Reply 16 of 39
    Love the new update. Very smooth and so far all good.
    Since yesterday total download was about 14-15gb and I'm talking about without the live stream.
  • Reply 17 of 39
    Personally, I am watching RoaringApps.com to see what software is compatible. The last thing I need is one, really critical, application not running.
  • Reply 18 of 39
    I like the update.

    One problem ....I have a late '08 15" MacBook Pro.

    It took me awhile to find an articleor information that states you need a 2011 model or later to use the airplay second screen with Apple TV.

    Kinda bummed. But then again my MacBook is still purring without issues. So I can be happy with that and a free update. ;)
  • Reply 19 of 39
    newbeenewbee Posts: 2,055member

    I was in 7th heaven yesterday when I heard them say you could update directly from SL (which I'm running) to Mavericks ... but my euphoria, sadly, lasted only a brief few minutes when it was "revealed" that it only downloaded to 2007 and later machines. If I had only waited 6 -8 more weeks in late '06 ... "I could'a been a contender"  ... I know how you feel, Marlon. sign me "still stuck in 32 bit mode".  sigh!    :\ 

  • Reply 20 of 39
    iaeeniaeen Posts: 588member
    dugbug wrote: »

    I hope so.  But I still want to use 1password too at least until I see how well it works.  I am curious as to password management in icloud keychain so I can copy passwords it generates into 1password.  It seems 1password did pick up a new account I created using safari password suggestion, so that was good.

    What's wrong with 1Password's generator? (Other than the fact that it drops a useless password item into your logins every time you use it)
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