Apple announces OS X Mavericks

Releases Developer Preview of the next desktop operating system, which packs in more than 200 new features. Consumers will have to wait till fall to download the new OS.

Apple showed off the next desktop operating system at the World Wide Developers Conference, with the biggest change is the shift of the naming, which till now was inspired by a variety of cats. This time around, it goes by the name OS X Mavericks.

The new operating system will introduce more than 200 new features, including Maps and iBooks to the Mac, Finder Tags and Tabs, enhances multi-display support for power users, new technologies for better power efficiency and performance, and includes an all new version of Safari.

“The Mac has consistently outpaced the PC industry and OS X continues to be the most innovative and easy to use operating system in the world,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “OS X Mavericks is our best version yet and features new Maps and iBooks apps, Finder Tags and Tabs, enhanced multi-display support, performance and energy saving features, and an all new Safari.”

New core technologies in OS X Mavericks improve the energy efficiency for enhanced battery life. Timer Coalescing groups together low-level operations so that the CPU can spend more time in a low-power state. App Nap feature reduces the power consumed by apps that may be in the background, or haven’t been accessed for a while. Compressed Memory automatically compresses inactive data, to prevent memory fill-up, and uncompresses them immediately when needed, preventing memory fill up.

The updated Safari’s new process-per-tab architecture is designed to make the browser more responsive, stable and secure. Safari also adds features like Shared Links, which make it easy to discover, read and share interesting new content from Twitter and LinkedIn, all in one place.

OS X Mavericks introduces the Tags feature, which makes document sorting and search easier. Users can easily tag any file in the Finder, so much so that multiple tags can be given to any file. This feature also extends to all files that you may have stored in iCloud, or when saving a new document. Tags appear in the Finder Sidebar to enable you to view files by project or category.

To reduce the clutter of multiple Finder windows, OS X Mavericks introduces the Finder Tabs feature, allowing you to open multiple document locations within one window. Moving files between the tabs is as simple as dragging and dropping into the tab. Each tab can be customized for how it looks, and the Finder with the tabs now also runs in the full screen mode.

Mavericks also makes using multiple displays even easier and more powerful. The menu bar and dock are available on any display, and users can now easily run windowed or full-screen apps on whichever display they choose, with no configuration required. Spaces are spread between each display, and you can shift applications between them. Essentially, your HDTV could become a secondary display for your MacBook, either via AirPlay or with an Apple TV device.

Apple has added a fairly powerful feature set to Maps on the OSX. Users can plan a trip from your Mac, then send it to your iPhone for voice navigation on the road. The trip shows up as a notification on the lock screen and immediately takes you to the navigation screen upon unlock. The Maps application has been closely integrated with Mail and Calendar. If you are planning a trip, the Maps feature within the calendar will determine the travel time as well, and block your calendar accordingly.

iBooks has now landed on the OS X, with the complete feature set seen on iOS devices till now. You get the full-fledged reader, access to the book store and your library gets synced across devices.

The Interactive Notifications feature allows you to reply to a mail, iMessage or FaceTime call immediately, without leaving the app that you may be using at that time. The While You Were Away Notifications show up on the lock screen itself, to show what all activity has happened while you were away from the machine.

The OS X Mavericks will be available for download this fall, and will be available on the App Store. No confirmation yet on which all machines will be compatible with the new OS X.