More than 3 million copies of Apple’s new OS X Mountain Lion have been downloaded in just four days, Apple confirmed, as Mac users flock to the software’s 200-plus new features and tighter integration with iCloud.
Apple launched its ninth-generation operating system for its Mac line of desktops and notebooks last week, bringing with it a slew of new features that will make users’ Mac experience more closely resemble that of the mobile iOS experience delivered with Apple’s iPhone and iPad.
Users can upgrade from their current Lion or Snow Leopard operating systems to Mountain Lion by downloading the OS from the Mac App Store for $US19.99.
Apple said the release has been its most successful Mac OS to date, setting a new record for downloads.
"Just a year after the incredibly successful introduction of Lion, customers have downloaded Mountain Lion over 3 million times in just four days, making it our most successful release ever," said Philip Schiller, Apple's worldwide marketing boss, in a statement.
Starting with Mountain Lion's predecessor OS Lion, users have beeb able to download the new operating systems through the Mac App Store, rather than having to purchase and install from a disc - a similar model to Apple's iOS devices.
New functionality delivered with Mountain Lion, such as the inclusion of iOS-native features like iMessage, could also be fueling adoption.
With iMessage, Mac users can send instant messages to others users on a Mac, iPhone or iPad, and with the new Notification Centre, another iOS-centric feature, users can receive and review all texts, news and other alerts from a single central management console.
Perhaps the most significant update seen with Mountain Lion is its native integration with Apple’s homegrown cloud service iCloud.
Users of the new OS will now have the ability to automatically synchronise and share files and apps between their Macs, iPhones and iPads. When a note is taken or a document is edited, updates will automatically be pushed out to all Apple devices.
This article originally appeared at crn.com
Issue: 315 | May 2013
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