

If anything, Apple has tweaked the Aqua interface to achieve the same elegance, minimalism and focus on content first conceptualized on the iPhone, but it’s far from being an iOS clone. Lion is an evolution of the OS X we know and use, and the changes made to the operating system are immediately visible in the interface. As Cody wrote in his review “Apple weaved our working knowledge of gestures and interfaces into the Mac to capitalize on our intuition” – Lion isn’t a glamorous iOS. There is a subtle difference though: whereas most people would think Apple is “stealing” from iOS, building on the success of the iPhone and iPad (now a bigger business than desktop computers) to sell more Macs, Lion does in fact prove that the roots of OS X are still strong, but looking for a cohesive integration with the seeds planted on mobile.

#Os lion software#
Lion was also the first version of OS X to integrate the Mac App Store from the start - the Mac App Store made its debut after Snow Leopard's release.As we discussed in our OS X Lion review, Apple’s latest operating system is an evolutionary step forward, a milestone in the company’s desktop software history that innovates old concepts and user interactions by bringing some of the features and design schemes seen on iOS devices to the Mac’s bigger screen. And Lion also saw the introduction of Recovery Partition, a portion of the hard disk allocated for disk repair and system recovery tools. FileVault disk encryption was strengthened with FileVault 2. Other new features included the introduction of AirDrop, a peer-to-peer file-sharing technology that enables Mac users to exchange files over local Wi-Fi connections. QuickTime incorporated elements of the previously-available pay-to-play QuickTime Pro, ICal, Address Book, Safari and other core applications gained interface refinements and new features. Launchpad was also introduced, a new app that made it easier to find applications installed on the Mac. Lion also introduced Mission Control, the unified interface for controlling the Dashboard, Finder windows and individual applications. IOS-style innovations introduced in Lion include support for fullscreen apps and multitouch gestures on trackpads and Apple's Magic Mouse. Subsequent releases like Mountain Lion and Mavericks have been download-only.
#Os lion download#
Within a few weeks Apple offered a $69 USB flash drive as an option for users unable or unwilling to download the software. Initially, the only way to get it was to download a Lion installer from the Mac App Store for $29.99.
#Os lion upgrade#
Lion would be the last OS X upgrade that Apple distributed on physical media. In total, Apple introduced 250 new or changed features in Lion. It was the eighth major release of OS X.Īpple first previewed Lion at a special event it called "Back to the Mac." The event's theme heralded Apple's strategy with Lion: to integrate technology and user experience elements the company had previously developed for use in iOS.

OS X Lion is also the first Mac operating system to include the Mac App Store from the start.Īpple released OS X 10.7 Lion in July, 2011.

OS X Lion saw more than 250 new features added including new multi-touch gestures, system-wide support for full-screen apps, Mission Control, Launchpad and a redesigned Mail app.
