Mountain Lion roars on to Apple computers today, as Apple reveals it's made another mountain of cash -- and there are "amazing new products" to look forward to. Could that be the first teaser for the iPhone 5 and iPad mini?
OS X Mountain Lion, Apple's new software for iMac, MacBook and MacBook Pro, is on sale today, for £14. Heavily influenced by the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad, Mountain Lion shares several features with phone and tablet software iOS.
Apple laptops and computers today get a Notification Centre like the one on iPhone and iPads, to keep you posted about new emails, tweets and alerts from apps. Game Centre joins up your mobile gaming jollies with your computer, and Messages keeps you chatting even when your phone is in your pocket.
Mountain Lion also adds extra integration with iCloud and Facebook, as well as various features aimed mainly at Chinese users. Look out for our full in-depth review of the new software coming very soon.
It's another good day for Apple, with this quarter's financial results revealing more boffo business. In the last three months or so Apple has sold more than 35 million iPhones -- nearly double the number sold this time last year. The California company also sold nearly 12 million iPads, one and a half times last year's number. That adds up to a whopping £5.6bn in profit -- less than the record-breaking previous quarter, but that was a holiday season.
Revealing those results, Apple head honcho Tim Cook said "We are also really looking forward to the amazing new products we've got in the pipeline" -- the big tease. We're guessing he's talking about the new, widescreen iPhone and the rumoured iPad mini.
Mountain Lion is the first salvo in the resurgent war between Apple and Microsoft. Microsoft's desktop software Windows 8 arrives on 26 October, with the Microsoft Surface tablet and Windows Phone 8 to follow -- at roughly the same time as the expected iPhone 5 and iPad mini.
Will you scale the heights with Mountain Lion, or does it not add enough features to justify upgrading? Is OS X influenced too much by iOS? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 13
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damien2501 25 July, 2012 11:55
Apple haters , do what you do best! Posting angry stuff on any story that mentions apple
anonymous 25 July, 2012 11:56
what time is release?
anonymous 25 July, 2012 12:04
It was around 9am West Coast, which is 8 hours after UK, so around 5pm this afternoon.
anonymous 25 July, 2012 12:17
I like everything in mountain lion, but there must be a diff. Between a Notebook and a Phone. The style is changing but everything is getting similar.
anonymous 25 July, 2012 12:22
I know this is only £13.99 but I think Apple should give these updates free, just like iOS, as they are now yearly updates and there are only a few features that are actually useful, such as airplay, notifications and improvements to safari. Apple products are very expensive and I see no reason for this not to happen.
anonymous 25 July, 2012 12:31
Having had Notifications in my OS by default since 2010 (and available prior to that). I know OSX users will find them useful. The sharing feature is also useful, I've been using this for a few years and can say that it is great.
anonymous 25 July, 2012 12:57
Apple lovers , do what you do best! Posting happy stuff on any story that mentions apple
anonymous 25 July, 2012 13:35
With Notes now synced between devices I don't understand why they're not viewable in iCloud.
boristhespie 25 July, 2012 15:05
To be honest Apple just bores me. All the hubris and leaking. How sites like this lap it up but in the greater scheme of things Apple really bores me. Sure they shook up mobile phones and took someone elses idea in the mp3 player and tablet and applied sleek design but in the end meh!
After so many years of the same...meh. These wonderful ideas with their dull old-fashioned tiled tiled displays...meh.
In fact Apple...meh. You've rested on laurels and truelly bore me with same old same old.
billfred 25 July, 2012 19:56
I still won't be using iCloud. A mixture of Dropbox, Everynote, Spotify etc will keep working for me. iCloud sucks in comparison even though it is one service. But I think I'll upgrade in a few weeks, just seen what kinks they iron out and what the battery life looks like.
anonymous 26 July, 2012 14:04
Apple indifferent people, do what you do best and do not comment at all. Great job, BTW!
billfred 27 July, 2012 18:01
@anonymous 26 July, 2012 14:04
Dafuq?! Was that a comment explicitly attempting to exclude everyone BUT fanboys? Seriously?!
anonymous 28 July, 2012 10:17
It's almost the same as Lion. Is better to spend the money in a couple of pints instead of buying the new software.