OS X Lion (10.7) was first announced by Apple in the fall of 2010, with the promise of a summer 2011 delivery of the Lion OS. Apple seems to be right on track, maybe even a little bit ahead of its internal schedule. We expect a big splash this summer.
In the meantime, I'll use this space to keep everyone up to date on OS X Lion features, system requirements, rumors, and anything else that crosses my path about the newest Mac OS. So, get comfy and read about the new OS X Lion.
OS X Lion Installation Guides
Screen shot courtesy of Coyote Moon Inc.
No matter how you plan to install OS X Lion, we have the installation guides to get the big cat onto your Mac. Want to perform a clean install, a simple upgrade, or maybe create your own bootable copy of the OS X Lion installer? It's all here.
Mac OS X Lion Minimum Requirements
Apple will release OS X 10.7 Lion in the summer of 2011. Lion will meld the capabilities of OS X and iOS; at least that is what Apple has said. Of course, iOS is already a derivative of OS X, so we expect to see Lion incorporate some iOS user interface elements, as well as iOS specific technologies, such as its predicated alliance on touch-centric controls.
For Mac portable users, this means the trackpad will get a bit of an extra workout as new gestures become available to access Lion. Mac desktop users will have to invest in an Apple Magic Trackpad to gain the same level of control. Of course, Lion will also work fine without a trackpad. You'll still be able to use your mouse and keyboard to access all the nifty new features; you just won't have as much fun as your trackpad-using friends.
Using Multi-Touch Gestures With OS X Lion
Courtesy of Apple
OS X Lion will start life with a handful of gestures, but I expect additional gestures will be added over time, both by Apple and by third-party utility makers who will create custom gesture systems.
Resume, Auto Save, and Versions Come to OS X Lion
Courtesy of Apple
OS X Lion has three new features designed primarily to simplify workflow, and make it easier to work with documents and applications. The features range from the simple, making us wonder why it didn't exist in previous generations of OS X; to what is probably the most difficult, at least in terms of the underlying code, although it appears as a simple user interface element to the end user.
Mission Control Comes to OS X Lion
Courtesy of Apple
Mission Control is the new Mac command center included with OS X Lion. Mission Control lets you work with Expose, Dashboard, Spaces, and full-screen apps in a single easy-to-use interface. That means you get a bird's-eye view of what's happening on your Mac with just a gesture or a mouse click.
Full-screen Apps in Mac OS X Lion
Mac OS X Lion will support full-screen applications. Mimicking the way applications are viewed on the iPad, the full-screen app option in Lion will let an application take over the entire display. Apple calls this a better way to view applications, with no distractions. Maybe so, but I prefer multiple windows and clear access to the desktop.
Launchpad Part of Mac OS X Lion
Mac OS X Lion will offer an optional method of accessing, organizing, and launching applications. Launchpad will present a full-screen array of all your Mac applications, displayed as icons. You can move app icons around and organize them into folders, as well as have multiple screens of apps that you can access with just a swipe.
Mac App Store Part of Mac OS X Lion
The Mac App Store is already available in the latest edition of OS X Snow Leopard. You can actually think of the Snow Leopard version of the Mac App Store as a preview. Sure, it works fine, makes it easy to buy software, and provides a one-step download and installation process, but with Lion, the Mac App Store will get a few new features.
Create a Bootable Copy of OS X Lion
When you run the downloaded Lion installer, it simply restarts your Mac using the embedded Lion disk image that is buried in the download file. With a little fiddling, you can use the disk image to create your own bootable copy.
Which Applications Will Work With OS X Lion
If you're planning to upgrade to OS X Lion, it would be handy to know ahead of time which of the applications installed on your Mac are compatible with OS X Lion, and which ones aren't. Such a list would be very helpful; alas, one doesn't exist yet, although there are web sites trying to compile such a list from early Lion users.
You don't actually have to wait for a compatibility list; you can use the System Profiler in Snow Leopard to discover which applications won't work with Lion.
Blog: Developer Preview of OS X 10.7 Lion, With Built-in Lion Server
Apple has released a developer's preview of OS X 10.7 (Lion), which incorporates OS X Server within the standard OS X client. Until Lion, OS X client and OS X server were two distinct software products, with different licenses and a different customer base. OS X Server was used primarily in small businesses, labs, education, and workgroups within larger corporations, while the OS X client was used by everyone with a Mac.
