OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion

Colonel Panic

http://www.slashgear.com/meet-apple-os-x-mountain-lion-16213730/
http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/16/2801047/mac-os-x-10-8-mountain-lion-preview-photos-video

The iOSification continues! Pleased about the addition of display mirroring and iMessage though.

aidan_walsh

Gatekeeper is the big announcement here.

By default, 10.8 won't run unsigned or self-signed applications, developers will need to join the Mac Developer program and get a certificate from Apple. There is also now the option to block any application from running that wasn't downloaded from the Mac App Store.

jester77

Gatekeeper sounds sweet. Any developer can get a cert for their app (looks like it is free) and release it outside of the app store. If they try anything on, then Apple can revoke their cert and apps and prevent it from being downloaded. This is the default download setting, good solution for all.

Whats the chances of getting something like this for the ios store!

Messages app looks nice, beta is available to try out.

aidan_walsh

Whats the chances of getting something like this for the ios store!

Slim to none, I'd say. iOS came out with no existing supported applications. There would be outrage if they simply locked out everything else off the Mac.

taylorconor95

OOohh downloading now! Cant wait. Still judging by the known issues, this is well off, probably end of summer...

Known issues
• 32-bit kernel extensions are not supported in Mountain Lion
• AirPlay mirroring is not supported with the with the current version of the Apple TV software
Game Center
• The Game Center Server environment is set to Sandbox. Existing Sandbox accounts may be used, or you may create a new account
In the Sandbox environment:
• Game & Friend Recommendations are not supported
• Friends can view games in common but not friends' other games
• Photos are not supported
• No email vetting and friend requests to un-vetted email addresses are allowed
• No support for out of network friend requests is provided
• Game matchmaking versioning restrictions are more relaxed
Some of the Game Detail information does not display (Game Provider, Pricing, etc.) in this Developer Preview
Search is not functional
No badges shown for Friend Requests
Peer-to-Peer GameKit API is not supported
Leaderboards, Achievements, or Players may be displayed incorrectly. To resolve this issue quit Game Center and re-launch

• The new Notes application does not currently import the following types of notes:
• Microsoft Exchange
• Notes existing in sub-folders of IMAP accounts
• Local notes in an "On My Mac" account
Notes in these accounts will be available in Mail
• Notes shared via Messages may not include note content
• Screen Sharing may not work between OS X Mountain Lion and Snow Leopard or earlier OS X releases in this Developer Preview
• AppleScript is not fully functional in this Developer Preview
• AppleScripts used to launch Applications which are not already open will time out
• AppleScripts may not be able to send AppleEvents to Mail
• DVD Player may not launch after inserting a DVD on some systems
• DVD Movie Playback does not work on certain NVIDIA GPUs
• Horizontal metrics for Apple SD Gothic Neo are narrower than in AppleGothic. Applications localized to Korean may experience text layout underflow in multi-line text strings
• Video content with displays that use HDCP may experience graphics corruption on certain NVIDIA GPUs
• Enabling display rotation causes kernel panic on certain NVIDIA GPUs
• Signing into Setup Assistant with your AppleID does not sign you into iCloud
• NSDocument-based applications which use auto-save & iCloud entitlements will be opted into the new Document Library automatically. The option to disable this is not currently available
• Kernel, kexts, and zones are now based at unpredictable addresses at each boot. The addresses in the kernel symbol table are unslid, and will not accurately reflect a running system.  Provided that Xcode 4.4 gdb is used, KASLR is transparent to kernel debugging
• To temporarily disable KASLR, set "slide=0" in the boot-args
• Panics may occur when a Port Multiplier or PCI eSATA drive is attached
• While booted into the Recovery Partition, you may be unable to connect to WiFi networks
• Safari does not function in the Recovery Partition
• Restoring from network backups in the Recovery Partition may fail

Plowman

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taylorconor95

Plowman did you install that on a VM or on your system?

Plowman

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Sad Professor

Looks good to me. I’m glad to see they are adopting a yearly update cycle. And that they plan to fill in the gaps in OS X’s “back to the Mac” features. iCal etc is a bit of a mess at the moment.

Gatekeeper’s Developer ID signing sounds really interesting. People are always talking about the possibility of viruses and malware becoming a problem on the Mac, and here we have Apple clearly thinking ahead and preparing for that eventuality. I think the default option of disallowing unsigned apps is perfectly reasonable and the preferred option for novice users. The rest of us can turn this off, although I won't if I can help it.

Undoubtedly some will see Gatekeeper as foreshadowing a locked down Mac, but I wouldn’t agree. I don't believe Apple are looking to turn the Mac into an iOS device here, they are just trying to find a balance between the security and ease of use of a mobile device and the versatility and freedom of a desktop computer.

Roll on the summer!

taylorconor95

Plowman wrote: »

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WOW how did I not see that watermark! I might post some screenshots if this thing ever downloads. Time to leave Eircom I think, this is just unacceptable

Plowman

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taylorconor95

Plowman wrote: »

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3.7 GB

boblong

I'm in the Mac Dev program but I can't for the life of me find the redemption key. I can get to the "OS X Mountain Lion" tab no problem. Any ideas?

taylorconor95

Here: https://developer.apple.com/devcenter/mac/index.action

Then accept the new agreement at the top (if you haven't already, I think it was posted late last night)

Once you accept the new terms, click Mountain Lion at the top beside Lion

Then, near the bottom, where Xcode 4.4 and all are, there should be a link to get a code for Mountain Lion and Mountain Lion Server

boblong

Yeah I'm having a really weird problem. On the bottom of that page all I have is "Before You Download OS X Mountain Lion From the Mac App Store....", Xcode, and Additional Downloads.

Guess I'll sit tight.

Edit: Never mind, I am an idiot. I'm on multiple "teams" on the dev center and was signed into the wrong one.

conor.hogan.2

Looks like I will have to move onto Lion soon or be completely left behind.

It is hard to be mad though when there is a lot of good things added but mixed in with the other annoyances.

aidan_walsh

Looks like ML's Safari adopts the iPad tabbing system and Chrome's single bar address/search system. I guess we can expect to see that come to iOS 6 as well.



(via Twitter)

Sad Professor

It seems Gatekeeper is already in 10.7.3 and can be enabled via the command line.

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/02/16/gatekeeper-already-present-in-os-x-10-7-3-available-for-developer-testing/

taylorconor95

OK I said I would post some screenshots so here they are... I noticed that there is no bouncy scrolling in any apps anymore, and also the scrollbars dont vanish by default. Notification center seems pretty cool, it sure will replace growl, and there are a few customizations you can do to it as well. Other than that I cant really comment as I am using it in a VM, not gonna dare partition my drive for it as its only new.

aidan_walsh

Sad Professor wrote: »

It seems Gatekeeper is already in 10.7.3 and can be enabled via the command line.

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/02/16/gatekeeper-already-present-in-os-x-10-7-3-available-for-developer-testing/

Not sure why they would bother including it since they were going distributing the Developer Preview anyway, but howsever...

Open source as part of the Keychain tools too under the ASPL license.

it sure will replace growl

Not entirely, its only going to be available to MAS applications.

taylorconor95

aidan_walsh wrote: »

Not entirely, its only going to be available to MAS applications.

Yes but with the likes of gatekeeper, we will see a decline in non-MAS applications, leading to a decline in Growl.

Sad Professor

taylorconor95 wrote: »

Yes but with the likes of gatekeeper, we will see a decline in non-MAS applications, leading to a decline in Growl.

Not necessarily. Developers don't have to be on the Mac App Store to get past Gatekeeper's default security; they just need to sign their apps. Independent apps aren't going anywhere. Everything on the Mac App Store is going to be sandboxed now, which isn't an option for every app.

Creamy Goodness

taylorconor95 wrote: »

OK I said I would post some screenshots so here they are... I noticed that there is no bouncy scrolling in any apps anymore, and also the scrollbars dont vanish by default. Notification center seems pretty cool, it sure will replace growl, and there are a few customizations you can do to it as well. Other than that I cant really comment as I am using it in a VM, not gonna dare partition my drive for it as its only new.

dare i ask what' your appointment on leeson street is for tomorrow? :pac:

Stainless_Steel

Have to say I am impressed with the new features. Only problem is the long wait until the official release!

nesf

I don't know, I still haven't forgiven Apple for Lion.

conor.hogan.2

nesf wrote: »

I don't know, I still haven't forgiven Apple for Lion.

I don't want to upgrade to Lion but considering how fast they are updating now I have to in the next few months or be left behind.

A half solid .1 release and bring back old spaces and I will be delighted.

Red Alert

I think on the whole it sounds like a good update. As long as Gatekeeper doesn't become totally locked down in 10.9 - or more likely, if Apple ever make another major shift in architecture.

DubDJ

Does anyone not feel that maybe this update to the OS should be an incremental update like 10.7.x instead of a whole new OS X. Don't get me wrong I'm glad to see new features etc. added but I can't help but think it's just a way for Apple to get another €23.99 from us yearly.

AirPlay Mirroring, iMessage and Gatekeeper seem to be the only major things I'll look forward to. The rest just seem small. I'm not anti-Apple either I just think its a bit strange this time around. Compared to last year with all the build up and hype to Lion and announcing it at the usual June iPhone event. But with Mountain Lion it was just released quietly with no big event or announcement. Very unlike Apple.

Still I'll be looking forward to the update regardless. I think Apple may have been planning this for a while. Dropping the price of the OS update last year to only €23.99. They must of had it in the pipelines for some time.

opinion guy

DubDJ wrote: »

Does anyone not feel that maybe this update to the OS should be an incremental update like 10.7.x instead of a whole new OS X. Don't get me wrong I'm glad to see new features etc. added but I can't help but think it's just a way for Apple to get another €23.99 from us yearly.

AirPlay Mirroring, iMessage and Gatekeeper seem to be the only major things I'll look forward to. The rest just seem small. I'm not anti-Apple either I just think its a bit strange this time around. Compared to last year with all the build up and hype to Lion and announcing it at the usual June iPhone event. But with Mountain Lion it was just released quietly with no big event or announcement. Very unlike Apple.

Still I'll be looking forward to the update regardless. I think Apple may have been planning this for a while. Dropping the price of the OS update last year to only €23.99. They must of had it in the pipelines for some time.

If you're computer works fine on your current OS why do you feel the need to update ?
I'm running along happily on Snow Leopard.

The only reason I might end up on Lion is because I may buy a new macbook pro (and actually I was waiting for the new models but with the look of this Mountain Lion with its big brothery features I'm now thinking of not waiting and buying now instead)

Sad Professor

Apple don't add new features to incremental/free Mac OS updates. It's got something to do with accounting practices on commercial software. So even if they released ML as 10.7.5, they'd still be charging for it

But yeah, this new update cycle has definitely been in the pipeline since Lion at least. Personally I'm delighted! €24 a year sure beats €129+ every two years, which is what most people paid for Jaguar, Panther, Tiger and Leopard.

Colonel Panic

I too am okay with more frequent incremental paid updates if the features are worth it. I think a lot of software benefits from quicker development cycles and the core of OSX is pretty mature now.

It's been interesting thinking back over the features that got added between Jaguar and Lion that really are pretty awesome, even if the ideas for said features weren't Apple's, the implementation was.

DubDJ

opinion guy wrote: »

If you're computer works fine on your current OS why do you feel the need to update ?
I'm running along happily on Snow Leopard.

Well for the new features the OS upgrade brings. Why else. Like for one I'm extremely happy to see the AirPlay Mirroring being added and it will solve a lot of awkwardness for me with watching films on my mac. I've been using my MacBook Pro as a DVD player connecting it up via HDMI but now I can just leave it on my desk where it is and watch the films using AirPlay.

Suppose Sad Professers right i'st still costing less to upgrade yearly for €24 instead of every 2-3 years for €129.

nesf

I'd be ok with more frequent updates if they focused more on stability and less on cramming in as many new features as possible.

AdMMM

Will AirPlay be restricted to certain apps or can we just mirror the entire screen at the click of a button?

Stainless_Steel

Sad Professor wrote: »

But yeah, this new update cycle has definitely been in the pipeline since Lion at least. Personally I'm delighted! €24 a year sure beats €129+ every two years, which is what most people paid for Jaguar, Panther, Tiger and Leopard.

Exactly. I'd rather get new features yearly for what is a relatively small price. Let's remember that new features cost Apple money. Software development is expensive. They won't do it without a fee.

Stainless_Steel

AdMMM wrote: »

Will AirPlay be restricted to certain apps or can we just mirror the entire screen at the click of a button?

The demos I seen show the desktop being mirrored so doesnt look like there will be any restrictions. Software wise it is quite simple to implement. The thing apple have that Microsoft don't is the apple tv which enables this. I wouldn't be surprised if MS implement this to mirror to an Xbox.

Edit - then again I doubt windows software guys talk to Xbox guys ha.

AdMMM

Stainless_Steel wrote: »

The demos I seen show the desktop being mirrored so doesnt look like there will be any restrictions. Software wise it is quite simple to implement. The thing apple have that Microsoft don't is the apple tv which enables this. I wouldn't be surprised if MS implement this to mirror to an Xbox.

Edit - then again I doubt windows software guys talk to Xbox guys ha.

That's a relief! I was pretty disappointed that it wasn't included in Lion anyway.

The Black Oil

Any word on whether there will be an option to upgrade from Snow Leopard to this or will you need to have Lion?

aidan_walsh

Nothing yet. Wouldn't expect any until after the release announcement as the dev previews typically wouldn't be set up to allow this.

DubDJ

Black Oil wrote: »

Any word on whether there will be an option to upgrade from Snow Leopard to this or will you need to have Lion?

To upgrade to Lion I think you need to have Snow Leopard installed (10.6.6 or later). So i'd imagine it's probably the same here that you'll need the latest version of Lion.

Then again as it switched to a yearly upgrade process maybe they'll change it around as a lot of people still haven't upgraded to Lion.

tylerdurden94

Just as I was thinking about upgrading to Lion now this, too many changes, should I hold off now until Mountain Lion?

Sad Professor

There is, of course, one potentially major downside to the yearly upgrade cycle: How stable are dot zero releases? Not very. There’s usually bugs galore, plus the fact that Apple have changed and added things, meaning that third-party developers have to make substantial updates to their applications in order for them to work properly with the new OS, a process that can take months depending on how lazy the developer is. This has been an issue with every major OS X upgrade. But usually by around the third or fourth update Apple have sorted out these bugs and developers have caught up. As a result, by the time the late dot releases arrive a year or so later everyone has forgotten about all the disruptions they experienced with the dot zero release and are now basking in the warm glow of an ultra-stable OS.

However, all of this is about go out the window as we now face not one major upgrade every two or three years, but one every 12 months. Apple probably isn’t even going to get to the ninth or tenth update of bug fixes in most cases before the next major dot release arrives. I mean, ML is due in about five or six months and there are many people who are still afraid to upgrade to Lion either because they don’t think it’s stable enough or because they are still waiting on developers to update their apps. Now the whole apple cart is going to get upset again with 10.8 and then 10.9 only 12 months later.

So the shift to a year upgrade cycle is a potentially very risky move for Apple and they are going to have to learn to tread more carefully with each dot zero release in order to ensure they don’t end up pissing off users and developers. The yearly thing works with iOS, but OS X is a much more complicated system and even the smallest change can cause a lot of problems. But perhaps the implementation of sandboxing on the Mac App Store will make this process smoother.

opinion guy

Agreed SP.

Personally I don't want to have to deal with these decisions every year. (disclaimer: should say i'm deliberately still on Snow Leopard and happy with it)

Sad Professor

It should be added, however, that this is a problem that plagues Windows as well. I mean, how how often does MS release a new version of Windows? Every 3-4 years? And the take-up is very slow for precisely the same reason some people haven’t upgraded to Lion yet. People want to wait until all the bugs are sorted out and their programs will work. In fact, it’s not unusual to come across people still running XP all these years later. So the yearly upgrade cycle might just as easily turn out be a good thing as will mean more incremental improvements that won’t cause as much disruption as Lion or Leopard did. In fact, I think that’s exactly Apple’s thinking here, but whether it will work out that way we’ll have to wait and see. The biggest problem is with lazy developers who won’t update their apps.

opinion guy

Sad Professor wrote: »

It should be added, however, that this is a problem that plagues Windows as well. I mean, how how often does MS release a new version of Windows? Every 3-4 years? And the take-up is very slow for precisely the same reason some people haven’t upgraded to Lion yet. People want to wait until all the bugs are sorted out and their programs will work. In fact, it’s not unusual to come across people still running XP all these years later. So the yearly upgrade cycle might just as easily turn out be a good thing as will mean more incremental improvements that won’t cause as much disruption as Lion or Leopard did. In fact, I think that’s exactly Apple’s thinking here, but whether it will work out that way we’ll have to wait and see. The biggest problem is with lazy developers who won’t update their apps.

I still run Windows NT on my bootcamp partition!!!!:eek:

Bellu

Have just downloaded the Messages for Mac beta and sweet so far. I sent myself some messages, pics, etc...to and from my Macbook, and iPad and it worked seamlessly across the devices.
And would like to test if the AirPlay Mirroring works well, hope I need to do less converting with enolsoft, just "stream what’s on your Mac to your HDTV via Apple TV" on the go!