Mac OS X Mountain lion was released a few days 이전 and it looks great. Allow me give highlight to the great things that OS X Mountain lion brings to Mac.
Dictation:
The first feature I want to talk about is dictation. Dictation is a great program on the Mac that is integrated very well within the system. 사과, 애플 has done a great job with the dictation program. It recognizes your voice, learns from it and 당신 can even do punctuation which is very nice. Dictation is a great feature for those who write essays, for those who are business people, for those who don’t like to type and for many other things. I once said in a 이전 기사 that Dictation would be the keyboard killer, it looks like it will be.
iCloud integration
Another feature that is impressive in Mountain lion is the ability to go back and forth between iOS and Mac devices seamlessly. Photos, documents, emails, contacts, messages, everything is seamlessly transferred between different devices that 당신 personally own. Even webpages and tabs can be iCloud integrated. Lion was the first to bring iCloud to the Mac, now Mountain Lion has done an extraordinary job of keeping that up. MobileMe was just recently shut down in favor of iCloud, now I see why 사과, 애플 did that. iCloud is a great program that 사과, 애플 has greatly implemented within its products. I give 사과, 애플 a round of applause for doing greatness with their iCloud. It is of great benefit in owning multiple 사과, 애플 devices when 당신 have iCloud. In fact, it is it’s only purpose. iCloud’s only purpose is to bring together your 사과, 애플 products. If 당신 don’t have 더 많이 than one 사과, 애플 product, iCloud is not of great benefit to you. With that said, those with multiple 사과, 애플 devices benefit greatly with iCloud. iCloud is the best of-its-kind service 사과, 애플 could have come up with. MobileMe was never quite integrated between Macs and iOS devices. iCloud is the only one that 사과, 애플 has truly done a extremely great job on and I applaud them greatly for it.
Notification Center
Another strong future of OS X Mountain lion is Notification Center. Notification Center for Mac is a great copy of the Notification Center for iOS. Notification Center for Mac is mainly useful for your mail, your missed FaceTime calls, your reminders and your messages among other things. In fact, this morning, all the notifications that I get on my iPad (email, reminders, Messages) was on all my Macs, so it wouldn’t matter what device I would start my 일 with, all my notifications would be on all devices. On my MacBook Air, I get everything right when I log on due to another great feature.
Power Nap
Only featured on Flash-based Macs will have this but those that do have it will like it. I downloaded Mountain Lion last night, so I didn’t have time to download updates, but no worries, I left it on sleep and it downloaded overnight. When I woke up, 업데이트 were downloaded, emails were in my mailbox, Messages in my message box, reminders were in my Mac, my Calendar events were all updated, everything was ready to go. iCloud did pretty well in syncing my things to my other Macs, but not immediately at start-up like my MacBook.
AirPlay
This feature is extremely useful to business people and children alike. Business people will like it for its ability to give presentations seamlessly and wirelessly. Children can use it in conjunction with Game Center and games on the Mac to a giant HDTV via 사과, 애플 TV. Teachers can use it to give presentations, and show different material to a class. In fact, teachers would like it the same way they like iPad AirPlay. Of course, these aren’t the only people who would enjoy it. People wanting a larger screen for their Mac to make it a desktop (or if the Mac is a desktop, still for a larger screen), people wanting to share their photos, music, movies, iTunes TV shows, YouTube 또는 what they re looking at on the screen (i.e. Church of 사과, 애플 website etc). I’ve only used this feature a few times, but I can tell it will be very useful.
Notes and Reminders
These apps on the Mac have been mirrored very well from the iPad. With built-in Dictation, it is easy to make a note 또는 set a reminder. These notes and reminders are synced concurrently with all of your devices, so if 당신 make a note 또는 reminder on your iPad its immediately available on the Notes app 또는 Reminders app for Mac. Both apps look almost exactly like their iOS counterparts. iCloud, yet again, does an excellent job keeping 당신 up-to-date.
Messages
The Messages app for Mac is another great mirror from iOS. Messages on iOS 5 is a great messaging service, something that I have called the text-killer and with the addition of Macs to the equation, it becomes 더 많이 and 더 많이 fit for that title. Messages allows 당신 to send messages to all iOS devices with iOS 5 and Macs with Mountain Lion. 당신 can start a conversation on your Mac and continue it on the go with your iOS devices, 또는 vice versa. 당신 can not only send messages but images, videos, audio, contacts, attachments, URLs, and the list goes on. 당신 can send the same message to multiple people at the same time. 당신 can see when someone sees the message 당신 sent and 당신 can tell, in real time, when they are typing back.
Sharing
당신 can find the share button throughout your Mac and 당신 can share just about anything through Messages, email, AirDrop, Twitter, and in the fall, Facebook. 당신 can share photos, videos, and other files. 당신 can make a post to 페이스북 또는 Twitter on a whim. This will prove useful for someone wanting to share something on your Mac to someone else, whether they be on a Mac 또는 iOS device 또는 even a PC (with an email). Mountain Lion makes it much easier to share many things to others.
Safari
The first thing I noticed about the new safari is that it looks quite a bit like Chrome. Safari now has a unified 검색 and 주소 bar like Chrome. It has a share button in it just like many apps in OS X. The way tabs are set up is a little different than it used to be. 당신 can use tabs with an iOS kind of feel, 당신 have to see it to understand it, it’s really cool. Another feature borrows from iOS. It is the Offline 읽기 List, so 당신 can save an 기사 to read later, and 당신 can read it even when 당신 are offline. It automatically saves your passwords within the system so 다음 time 당신 log in, 당신 don’t have to enter your log in information (of course that’s only if 당신 want it to). If youre looking at something on your Mac online, 당신 can pick up right where 당신 left off on any 사과, 애플 device. Safari also has faster performance.
Game Center
Game Center for Mac is Apples 다음 step to unified Mac/iOS gaming, both of which (contrary to some people’s beliefs) are great gaming platforms. 사과, 애플 is taking a great approach to unite the two. It has a lot of the same features as Game Center for iOS. It has friend and game discovery (allows 당신 discover 프렌즈 당신 have yet to friend on Game Center and recommends games based on ones 당신 already have), leader boards and achievements have also made their way. There are not many Game Center games for Mac yet, but the ones that are, are multiplayer and provide multiplayer gaming against (or with) other Macs and iOS devices with the same game. 당신 can find opponents and 당신 can chat with the people you’re playing with. Parents also can set parental controls to monitor their children’s playing.
Calendar and Contacts
Both applications have an iOS feel to them that they could very well be a emulator of the iOS version. Calender has a few new features such as a sidebar and the ability to give 당신 suggestions for events you’re searching for. It also has notifications in the notification center to give 당신 notice of upcoming events. Contacts has a few new features as well such as the ability to share contacts (almost like giving someone a business card of someone else). It also has the ability to group contacts into a group bar. These changes aren’t breathtaking but they will make your experience a bit easier.
Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper is Apples new way of keeping your Mac safe. 당신 can select from different options. One, 당신 can allow your Mac to install anything from anywhere just as in OS X Lion. Second, 당신 can allow it to only download applications from the Mac App Store and third, 당신 can download apps that are either from the MAS 또는 from developers who have been signed with an ID. If 당신 have it on a security option, and that option wont let 당신 download something, 당신 can do a manual override. Gatekeeper will keep your Mac even safer than it was before.
Mac App Store (Goodbye Software Update)
Software 업데이트 are now done through the Mac App Store so 당신 can download the essential computer 업데이트 and individual app 업데이트 at the same time. If something is in need of an update, 당신 will recieve a notification. The apps 당신 download will be pushed to all of your computers with Mountain Lion. 당신 can now share 링그 to your 가장 좋아하는 apps right from the store. 당신 can take it full screen and 당신 can use Safari-like gestures to 옮기기 around. The Store automatically downloads the 업데이트 and gets the computer ready for installation.
페이스북 and Twitter
Coming in the fall, 페이스북 Intregation will be a big part of OS X. It will allow 당신 to sign in once, and never have to again unless someone else signs into theirs. 당신 can post to 페이스북 within the system, 당신 will recieve notifications in Notification Center just as 당신 do when you’re on the 페이스북 page, Share Sheet will be a 페이스북 staple, 당신 can share anything from Share Sheet to Facebook, 당신 can share your location, 당신 can update your contacts with pictures from Facebook, and it will add your 페이스북 프렌즈 to your contacts. 당신 don’t have to wait til fall to get the update for Twitter. Twitter, again, has the same log in once feature. 당신 can post right from an app. The Twitter sheet (coined the Tweet Sheet), 당신 can tweet 사진 and links, 당신 can set up multiple accounts, 당신 will recieve twitter notifications into your Notification Center. 당신 can also tweet your location. Both 페이스북 and Twitter integration will be great additions to Mountain Lion.
Other Features
Accessibility-Customizable preference pane, Accessibility pane available anywhere, 14 new Braille displays, drag and drop with VoiceOver with modifier keys, reorder tables, drag items to hotspots and support for press and hold with VoiceOver.
Auto Save- 당신 can now rename from the 제목 bar, 당신 can revert to the last saved version of a document, 당신 can 옮기기 all supported documents to iCloud, prompt to save when closing a document, untitled iCloud documents are now in the iCloud to push to all devices, keyboard shortcuts for duplicate and Save As.
Dashboard- a new widget browser, 검색 for widgets 당신 already have (type the name of the widget, Dashboard shows results), create folders of widgets
Dictionary- swipe between pages of dictionary, additional dictionaries
Features for China- improved text input, dynamic word lists, fuzzy Pinyin input, Pinyin autocorrection, better handwriting recognition, mix Chinese and English without switching keyboards, user dictionary in iCloud, emoji and face marks, definition dictionary, Lookup support, Sina Weibo support and integration, Youku and Tudou integration, Baidu 검색 in Safari, easy setup for 이메일 clients, new fonts
Finder- when copying a file from a server 또는 drive, 당신 can see its progress, easy encryption, a new share button so 당신 can share files with Messages and AirDrop, customizable side bar, Tap for Quick-Look (preview files 의해 clicking on it with three fingers)
Launchpad- A new 검색 bar so it’s even easier to find apps
Mail-VIPs (indicate people who are most important), VIP smart mailbox (inbox for your VIPs, notifications for Mail, find a phrase 또는 even a word within emails, click the sort bar at the 상단, 맨 위로 to go to the 상단, 맨 위로 of the 이메일 list, 주소 sharing to share URLs via email, mail preferences pushed to iCloud
사진 Booth- Share Sheet allows 당신 to share pictures via Message, AirDrop, Mail, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Vimeo, make an individual 사진 your Twitter account photo
Preview- documents in iCloud, built in sharing, fill out forms downloaded from the Internet, adding 코멘트 to a PDF is easier, 검색 and view all notes and highlights,
insert page from scanner
QuickTime X- Better performance, built-in sharing (Messages, Mail and AirDrop), easy AVCHD support
Security- Gatekeeper, FIPS 140-2 certification in progress (standard Encryption certification), Kernel ASLR (keeps 당신 안전한, 안전 from Malware), Management tools for FileVault, 더 많이 sandboxed apps, 업데이트 are checked for daily (cant say that about Windows 7), Safari 안전한, 안전 HTML handling (data not sent to remote server)
System- Go full screen on any display, including secondary displays, drag and drop files within screen sharing, improved scroll bars system wide, especially in use in Safari, Game Center Chess, 사진 Stream screen saver, new slideshows, Faces integration in 사진 picker, easier AirPrint setup, collections of your 가장 좋아하는 fonts in Font Book, Xsan 3, X11 install
Text Edit- Pinch to zoom text and Documents in iCloud
Time Machine- encrypted backups, backup to multiple locations
There is something 당신 do give in return for all these great features. It does require a bit 더 많이 RAM and could prove troublesome for people with 2GB of RAM, and people who have 4 might worry, but I have 4 GB and mine is perfectly fine, and still does its job. And for those who have laptops, 당신 guys might see a slight decrease in battery life, not substantial, maybe a 10-20 분 difference, but it still does make a difference.
As 당신 can see, despite the caveats, there are ALOT of new features in Mountain Lion. And it’s just $20. Even if 당신 don’t own iOS devices 또는 another Mac, it’s still worth it. If the caveats don’t matter, and it shouldn’t, 의해 all means download it. It’s a great new installment of OS X. I really like it and I really recommend it. I hope 당신 will download it and enjoy it. 당신 can read about the over 200 features in Mountain Lion at this page.
Thanks for reading,
Joe
This is the 기사 I wrote on thechurchofapple.com. Please check out some 더 많이 of my 기사 there
Dictation:
The first feature I want to talk about is dictation. Dictation is a great program on the Mac that is integrated very well within the system. 사과, 애플 has done a great job with the dictation program. It recognizes your voice, learns from it and 당신 can even do punctuation which is very nice. Dictation is a great feature for those who write essays, for those who are business people, for those who don’t like to type and for many other things. I once said in a 이전 기사 that Dictation would be the keyboard killer, it looks like it will be.
iCloud integration
Another feature that is impressive in Mountain lion is the ability to go back and forth between iOS and Mac devices seamlessly. Photos, documents, emails, contacts, messages, everything is seamlessly transferred between different devices that 당신 personally own. Even webpages and tabs can be iCloud integrated. Lion was the first to bring iCloud to the Mac, now Mountain Lion has done an extraordinary job of keeping that up. MobileMe was just recently shut down in favor of iCloud, now I see why 사과, 애플 did that. iCloud is a great program that 사과, 애플 has greatly implemented within its products. I give 사과, 애플 a round of applause for doing greatness with their iCloud. It is of great benefit in owning multiple 사과, 애플 devices when 당신 have iCloud. In fact, it is it’s only purpose. iCloud’s only purpose is to bring together your 사과, 애플 products. If 당신 don’t have 더 많이 than one 사과, 애플 product, iCloud is not of great benefit to you. With that said, those with multiple 사과, 애플 devices benefit greatly with iCloud. iCloud is the best of-its-kind service 사과, 애플 could have come up with. MobileMe was never quite integrated between Macs and iOS devices. iCloud is the only one that 사과, 애플 has truly done a extremely great job on and I applaud them greatly for it.
Notification Center
Another strong future of OS X Mountain lion is Notification Center. Notification Center for Mac is a great copy of the Notification Center for iOS. Notification Center for Mac is mainly useful for your mail, your missed FaceTime calls, your reminders and your messages among other things. In fact, this morning, all the notifications that I get on my iPad (email, reminders, Messages) was on all my Macs, so it wouldn’t matter what device I would start my 일 with, all my notifications would be on all devices. On my MacBook Air, I get everything right when I log on due to another great feature.
Power Nap
Only featured on Flash-based Macs will have this but those that do have it will like it. I downloaded Mountain Lion last night, so I didn’t have time to download updates, but no worries, I left it on sleep and it downloaded overnight. When I woke up, 업데이트 were downloaded, emails were in my mailbox, Messages in my message box, reminders were in my Mac, my Calendar events were all updated, everything was ready to go. iCloud did pretty well in syncing my things to my other Macs, but not immediately at start-up like my MacBook.
AirPlay
This feature is extremely useful to business people and children alike. Business people will like it for its ability to give presentations seamlessly and wirelessly. Children can use it in conjunction with Game Center and games on the Mac to a giant HDTV via 사과, 애플 TV. Teachers can use it to give presentations, and show different material to a class. In fact, teachers would like it the same way they like iPad AirPlay. Of course, these aren’t the only people who would enjoy it. People wanting a larger screen for their Mac to make it a desktop (or if the Mac is a desktop, still for a larger screen), people wanting to share their photos, music, movies, iTunes TV shows, YouTube 또는 what they re looking at on the screen (i.e. Church of 사과, 애플 website etc). I’ve only used this feature a few times, but I can tell it will be very useful.
Notes and Reminders
These apps on the Mac have been mirrored very well from the iPad. With built-in Dictation, it is easy to make a note 또는 set a reminder. These notes and reminders are synced concurrently with all of your devices, so if 당신 make a note 또는 reminder on your iPad its immediately available on the Notes app 또는 Reminders app for Mac. Both apps look almost exactly like their iOS counterparts. iCloud, yet again, does an excellent job keeping 당신 up-to-date.
Messages
The Messages app for Mac is another great mirror from iOS. Messages on iOS 5 is a great messaging service, something that I have called the text-killer and with the addition of Macs to the equation, it becomes 더 많이 and 더 많이 fit for that title. Messages allows 당신 to send messages to all iOS devices with iOS 5 and Macs with Mountain Lion. 당신 can start a conversation on your Mac and continue it on the go with your iOS devices, 또는 vice versa. 당신 can not only send messages but images, videos, audio, contacts, attachments, URLs, and the list goes on. 당신 can send the same message to multiple people at the same time. 당신 can see when someone sees the message 당신 sent and 당신 can tell, in real time, when they are typing back.
Sharing
당신 can find the share button throughout your Mac and 당신 can share just about anything through Messages, email, AirDrop, Twitter, and in the fall, Facebook. 당신 can share photos, videos, and other files. 당신 can make a post to 페이스북 또는 Twitter on a whim. This will prove useful for someone wanting to share something on your Mac to someone else, whether they be on a Mac 또는 iOS device 또는 even a PC (with an email). Mountain Lion makes it much easier to share many things to others.
Safari
The first thing I noticed about the new safari is that it looks quite a bit like Chrome. Safari now has a unified 검색 and 주소 bar like Chrome. It has a share button in it just like many apps in OS X. The way tabs are set up is a little different than it used to be. 당신 can use tabs with an iOS kind of feel, 당신 have to see it to understand it, it’s really cool. Another feature borrows from iOS. It is the Offline 읽기 List, so 당신 can save an 기사 to read later, and 당신 can read it even when 당신 are offline. It automatically saves your passwords within the system so 다음 time 당신 log in, 당신 don’t have to enter your log in information (of course that’s only if 당신 want it to). If youre looking at something on your Mac online, 당신 can pick up right where 당신 left off on any 사과, 애플 device. Safari also has faster performance.
Game Center
Game Center for Mac is Apples 다음 step to unified Mac/iOS gaming, both of which (contrary to some people’s beliefs) are great gaming platforms. 사과, 애플 is taking a great approach to unite the two. It has a lot of the same features as Game Center for iOS. It has friend and game discovery (allows 당신 discover 프렌즈 당신 have yet to friend on Game Center and recommends games based on ones 당신 already have), leader boards and achievements have also made their way. There are not many Game Center games for Mac yet, but the ones that are, are multiplayer and provide multiplayer gaming against (or with) other Macs and iOS devices with the same game. 당신 can find opponents and 당신 can chat with the people you’re playing with. Parents also can set parental controls to monitor their children’s playing.
Calendar and Contacts
Both applications have an iOS feel to them that they could very well be a emulator of the iOS version. Calender has a few new features such as a sidebar and the ability to give 당신 suggestions for events you’re searching for. It also has notifications in the notification center to give 당신 notice of upcoming events. Contacts has a few new features as well such as the ability to share contacts (almost like giving someone a business card of someone else). It also has the ability to group contacts into a group bar. These changes aren’t breathtaking but they will make your experience a bit easier.
Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper is Apples new way of keeping your Mac safe. 당신 can select from different options. One, 당신 can allow your Mac to install anything from anywhere just as in OS X Lion. Second, 당신 can allow it to only download applications from the Mac App Store and third, 당신 can download apps that are either from the MAS 또는 from developers who have been signed with an ID. If 당신 have it on a security option, and that option wont let 당신 download something, 당신 can do a manual override. Gatekeeper will keep your Mac even safer than it was before.
Mac App Store (Goodbye Software Update)
Software 업데이트 are now done through the Mac App Store so 당신 can download the essential computer 업데이트 and individual app 업데이트 at the same time. If something is in need of an update, 당신 will recieve a notification. The apps 당신 download will be pushed to all of your computers with Mountain Lion. 당신 can now share 링그 to your 가장 좋아하는 apps right from the store. 당신 can take it full screen and 당신 can use Safari-like gestures to 옮기기 around. The Store automatically downloads the 업데이트 and gets the computer ready for installation.
페이스북 and Twitter
Coming in the fall, 페이스북 Intregation will be a big part of OS X. It will allow 당신 to sign in once, and never have to again unless someone else signs into theirs. 당신 can post to 페이스북 within the system, 당신 will recieve notifications in Notification Center just as 당신 do when you’re on the 페이스북 page, Share Sheet will be a 페이스북 staple, 당신 can share anything from Share Sheet to Facebook, 당신 can share your location, 당신 can update your contacts with pictures from Facebook, and it will add your 페이스북 프렌즈 to your contacts. 당신 don’t have to wait til fall to get the update for Twitter. Twitter, again, has the same log in once feature. 당신 can post right from an app. The Twitter sheet (coined the Tweet Sheet), 당신 can tweet 사진 and links, 당신 can set up multiple accounts, 당신 will recieve twitter notifications into your Notification Center. 당신 can also tweet your location. Both 페이스북 and Twitter integration will be great additions to Mountain Lion.
Other Features
Accessibility-Customizable preference pane, Accessibility pane available anywhere, 14 new Braille displays, drag and drop with VoiceOver with modifier keys, reorder tables, drag items to hotspots and support for press and hold with VoiceOver.
Auto Save- 당신 can now rename from the 제목 bar, 당신 can revert to the last saved version of a document, 당신 can 옮기기 all supported documents to iCloud, prompt to save when closing a document, untitled iCloud documents are now in the iCloud to push to all devices, keyboard shortcuts for duplicate and Save As.
Dashboard- a new widget browser, 검색 for widgets 당신 already have (type the name of the widget, Dashboard shows results), create folders of widgets
Dictionary- swipe between pages of dictionary, additional dictionaries
Features for China- improved text input, dynamic word lists, fuzzy Pinyin input, Pinyin autocorrection, better handwriting recognition, mix Chinese and English without switching keyboards, user dictionary in iCloud, emoji and face marks, definition dictionary, Lookup support, Sina Weibo support and integration, Youku and Tudou integration, Baidu 검색 in Safari, easy setup for 이메일 clients, new fonts
Finder- when copying a file from a server 또는 drive, 당신 can see its progress, easy encryption, a new share button so 당신 can share files with Messages and AirDrop, customizable side bar, Tap for Quick-Look (preview files 의해 clicking on it with three fingers)
Launchpad- A new 검색 bar so it’s even easier to find apps
Mail-VIPs (indicate people who are most important), VIP smart mailbox (inbox for your VIPs, notifications for Mail, find a phrase 또는 even a word within emails, click the sort bar at the 상단, 맨 위로 to go to the 상단, 맨 위로 of the 이메일 list, 주소 sharing to share URLs via email, mail preferences pushed to iCloud
사진 Booth- Share Sheet allows 당신 to share pictures via Message, AirDrop, Mail, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Vimeo, make an individual 사진 your Twitter account photo
Preview- documents in iCloud, built in sharing, fill out forms downloaded from the Internet, adding 코멘트 to a PDF is easier, 검색 and view all notes and highlights,
insert page from scanner
QuickTime X- Better performance, built-in sharing (Messages, Mail and AirDrop), easy AVCHD support
Security- Gatekeeper, FIPS 140-2 certification in progress (standard Encryption certification), Kernel ASLR (keeps 당신 안전한, 안전 from Malware), Management tools for FileVault, 더 많이 sandboxed apps, 업데이트 are checked for daily (cant say that about Windows 7), Safari 안전한, 안전 HTML handling (data not sent to remote server)
System- Go full screen on any display, including secondary displays, drag and drop files within screen sharing, improved scroll bars system wide, especially in use in Safari, Game Center Chess, 사진 Stream screen saver, new slideshows, Faces integration in 사진 picker, easier AirPrint setup, collections of your 가장 좋아하는 fonts in Font Book, Xsan 3, X11 install
Text Edit- Pinch to zoom text and Documents in iCloud
Time Machine- encrypted backups, backup to multiple locations
There is something 당신 do give in return for all these great features. It does require a bit 더 많이 RAM and could prove troublesome for people with 2GB of RAM, and people who have 4 might worry, but I have 4 GB and mine is perfectly fine, and still does its job. And for those who have laptops, 당신 guys might see a slight decrease in battery life, not substantial, maybe a 10-20 분 difference, but it still does make a difference.
As 당신 can see, despite the caveats, there are ALOT of new features in Mountain Lion. And it’s just $20. Even if 당신 don’t own iOS devices 또는 another Mac, it’s still worth it. If the caveats don’t matter, and it shouldn’t, 의해 all means download it. It’s a great new installment of OS X. I really like it and I really recommend it. I hope 당신 will download it and enjoy it. 당신 can read about the over 200 features in Mountain Lion at this page.
Thanks for reading,
Joe
This is the 기사 I wrote on thechurchofapple.com. Please check out some 더 많이 of my 기사 there
