Apple releases OS X Yosemite Developer Preview 6, Xcode 6 beta 6
Apple on Monday issued its sixth beta releases of OS X Yosemite and Xcode 6 to developers for testing ahead of their scheduled launches this fall, though no new beta of iOS 8 was released.
Developers as can now download OS X Yosemite Developer Preview 6, which is identified as build 14A329f, from the Mac App Store. Separately, Apple's developer tools have also been given an update, with Xcode 6 beta 6 available to test.
Their release comes two weeks after the fifth betas were supplied.
People familiar with OS X Yosemite Developer Preview 6 say it comes with a number of new built-in wallpapers. Various system icons have been tweaked or changed as well, including in the System Preferences screen and battery icon in the taskbar. The new beta also adds a "Do Not Disturb" switch for Notification center.
New OS X Yosemite wallpaper. Click for full-size.
Absent thus far from Monday's updates is a sixth beta of iOS 8. Previously, new betas for both Yosemite and iOS 8 were released side by side.
Apple has focused on what it calls "continuity" between OS X and iOS with its next major updates, as users will be able to seamlessly hand off content from their iPhone or their iPad to their Mac when within range. In addition, users will be able to answer and place calls or respond to text messages through Bluetooth connectivity to an iPhone.
Continuing betas for OS X Yosemite, but not iOS 8, may signal that the Mac software update could again arrive later than its iPhone and iPad counterparts, leaving users in the Apple ecosystem waiting to be able to utilize the continuity between both platforms. In recent years, OS X releases have arrived after iOS updates, but this year marked the first time that betas were issued on a consistent schedule for the two separate operating systems.
Developers as can now download OS X Yosemite Developer Preview 6, which is identified as build 14A329f, from the Mac App Store. Separately, Apple's developer tools have also been given an update, with Xcode 6 beta 6 available to test.
Their release comes two weeks after the fifth betas were supplied.
People familiar with OS X Yosemite Developer Preview 6 say it comes with a number of new built-in wallpapers. Various system icons have been tweaked or changed as well, including in the System Preferences screen and battery icon in the taskbar. The new beta also adds a "Do Not Disturb" switch for Notification center.
New OS X Yosemite wallpaper. Click for full-size.
Absent thus far from Monday's updates is a sixth beta of iOS 8. Previously, new betas for both Yosemite and iOS 8 were released side by side.
Apple has focused on what it calls "continuity" between OS X and iOS with its next major updates, as users will be able to seamlessly hand off content from their iPhone or their iPad to their Mac when within range. In addition, users will be able to answer and place calls or respond to text messages through Bluetooth connectivity to an iPhone.
Continuing betas for OS X Yosemite, but not iOS 8, may signal that the Mac software update could again arrive later than its iPhone and iPad counterparts, leaving users in the Apple ecosystem waiting to be able to utilize the continuity between both platforms. In recent years, OS X releases have arrived after iOS updates, but this year marked the first time that betas were issued on a consistent schedule for the two separate operating systems.
Comments
New wallpaper’s pretty. Less blindingly bright than the other one; I like it.
New wallpaper’s pretty. Less blindingly bright than the other one; I like it.
I'm really diggin' this one:
OMG Microcrap on Yosemite ... sacrilege!
Has the public Yosemite beta been updated at all since its launch?
I gave iWork a try, but I've been an Office user for nearly two decades (since Office 95 for Windows) and it best suits my needs.
For how long did you give it a try? Every new program takes a while, but iWork really pays off – but well, that's for me. I can imagine environments where Office is simply better suited.
I was just kidding I have been using it since it was only on the Mac in 1984. Multiplan, later Excel and Word etc.. Personally I always preferred VisiCalc.
I believe this is its 3rd public beta.
I noticed this too after the download started. I wonder if they pulled it. The download definitely says beta 6, and I was reading the release notes, but can no longer find either - just beta 5 download and notes.
This is wrong. While Yosemite beta 6 is out. Xcode 6 Beta 6 is not yet available from the developer site.
Sometimes it takes awhile before it shows up in all points around the country - I thought that was maybe what was happening since I didn't see X6b6 but did see Y10.10p6. I have not seen anything official from Apple yet.
I believe this is its 3rd public beta.
There hasn't been any updates to the first public beta of Yosemite. Why, I don't know. It would seem like 6 DP releases into OS X you could have made some type of OS X public beta update.
The public beta got updated?
Changes I’m Finding
Updated as I find them
Changes to System Preferences. General now shows a Yosemite-colored desktop, Notifications, iCloud, Printers & Scanners, Sound, Energy Saver, Security & Privacy, and Date & Time are different.
I think Extensions and Parental Controls may have changed, too.
Throughout OS X, Energy Saver has changed from a real lightbulb to a compact fluorescent to an LED. Why is the printer icon still an inkjet?!
Also, the dropdown menu for selecting files has had its minimum size increased. I think it’s mainly to give a larger file preview.
New icons in Safari.
In Safari you can now manage what sites utilize the “quick search”. Whereby you type something into the URL field and Safari will give you the option to auto-search on a specific site.
The Privacy page has been rearranged, but I don’t see any new options. Know what I’d like to see in a browser? More cookie options.
Specifically, LOCKING COOKIES. The ability to designate certain cookies to remain on your machine when you hit the “delete all” button.
And MANUAL BLOCKING of cookies. The ability to designate ONLY certain sites to NEVER save cookies, etc.
Also, under Advanced, for those people who want it:
They’ve sorted out the volume popup now. I don’t like the new icon. The different appearance at the bottom of the square is due to a graphical glitch in the screenshot. It’s a smooth gradient when actually looking at it.
Script Editor, Image Capture, and Font Book have also changed. I get WHY it looks like this, I just hate it. Too cluttered.
I liked the old one better (not the pre-Yosemite, the one from previous DPs), but I still replace it with my own.
I guess not. I assumed that once the public betas were released that they would be in sync with the rest of the developer betas.
I guess not. I assumed that once the public betas were released that they would be in sync with the rest of the developer betas.
I thought I heard both the DP and public betas were going to be released every 2 weeks (basically every 2 mondays), but I guess its just the DP thats getting those updates. If they're never going to release updates to the public beta whats the sense in doing a public beta.
I am also still on the first public beta. And AFAIK there has not been a subsequent release.
Makes me wonder why. Has the response to the first public beta been so overwhelming or on the contrary, no (useful) feedback, maybe?
I gave iWork a try, but I've been an Office user for nearly two decades (since Office 95 for Windows) and it best suits my needs.
I was just kidding I have been using it since it was only on the Mac in 1984. Multiplan, later Excel and Word etc.. Personally I always preferred VisiCalc.
I followed a very similar path though I used VisiCalc on an HP85 with about a 3" screen and 8K RAM! Then when I got my Mac the first software I bought was Multiplan, then Chart, Word, and later Excel.
I had to wait for what seemed like forever to get Lightspeed Pascal my local store let me use MacNosy to get a copy of the demo they had but it was buggy as heck. I bought the production version of Lightspeed Pascal but was already dabbling in 68K assembler and MegaMax C before Lightspeed C came out. Doesn't seem like 30 years ago -- yikes 30 years!
Makes me wonder why. Has the response to the first public beta been so overwhelming or on the contrary, no (useful) feedback, maybe?
I doubt they were going to give any more than one public beta, ever.
If they don't update the public betas people are testing then what good is it to have a public beta in the first place? Is that one incident that was equal to DP beta 4 really going to give them all the info they need before the official release?