Introducing Mac OS X Lion

Today Apple unveiled Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion). This is the eighth major version of Mac OS X and is scheduled for release in Summer 2011.

Steve Jobs started the Mac OS X keynote by explaining what they have learnt from their work on iOS (which itself is based on Mac OS X). It's this experience that is driving the development of Mac OS X Lion, as Apple are looking to bring the best features from iOS "back to the Mac" (hence the title of the event). Therefore although Mac OS X and iOS will remain separate products, with Mac OS X Lion there will be a closer connection between the two, specifically from a user experience perspective.

With this vision in mind Steve went on to demonstrate a few of the new iOS inspired features of Mac OS X Lion. I have done my best to summarise the main ones below, although the full Mac OS X Lion preview is already available on the Apple website.

Mac App Store - With the unprecedented success of the iOS App Store, it makes sense that Apple would look to replicate it on the Mac. Introducing the Mac App Store which looks and works in exactly the same way as the iOS App Store. The main difference being that it is accessed via a dedicated application, instead of integrated into iTunes.

The Mac App Store allows consumers to browse, purchase and download full scale Mac applications (such as Pages, Keynote, etc). The App Store will then automatically install the application and handle any future updates. It also acts as an online repository for your applications, allowing you to re-download them at any point.

On the developer side, the Mac App Store still requires Apple's approval before the application is made available for download. An application can be paid, where the financial split remains 70/30 (in favor of the developer), or of course be made available for free. One significant difference when compared to the iOS platform is that developers can still develop and distribute applications using the traditional model, without Apple's approval.

In my opinion this feature alone could be a game changer. Even though Linux has had a software repository for years, due to the operating systems obscurity it has never been fully appreciated. The Mac App Store will be different, as people are already familiar with the iOS App Store model and Mac OS X is already positioned as a viable alternative to Windows. As a result it will now be even easier for consumers to switch to a Mac, as one of the most challenging parts of owning a personal computer is installing and maintaining software. With the Mac App Store this will be a simple and automated process, as well as offering an online backup of all your purchases and the ability to install all your applications across multiple Macs. It also helps the developers prevent piracy (like Steam has done for the gaming industry) and removes the need for custom DRM and serial keys.

As with the iOS App Store its success will be determined by the developer community. Only if they embrace the model will it become an effective software distribution solution. Apple clearly appreciate this as they have agreed to release the Mac App Store early (in just 90 days) for OS X Snow Leopard. As a result developers can start submitting their applications now (and some have already started).

Launchpad - One of the more obvious iOS features that has been brought across to Mac OS X Lion is the Launchpad. This works in a similar way to the iOS Springboard, with rows of applications split across multiple pages. As a user you can quickly browse the pages using a multi-touch gesture or re-organise by clicking and dragging any of the applications. You can also create folders by dragging applications on top of each other. Finally, to launch an application you simple click the relevant icon (just like iOS). Also demonstrated was the multi-touch gesture to switch between full screen applications, this means that even while in full screen mode you still have easy access to any other running application, or your desktop. The two screenshots below give you a feel for Launchpad.

Full Screen Mode - One of the key changes in Mac OS X Lion is the new emphasis on full screen applications. This was demonstrated in a couple of ways. Firstly, iPhoto 11 (also announced at the event) can now enter full screen mode. This modifies the user interface by optimising for full screen and automatically hides the dock and menu-bar allowing the application to become the only focus point on the screen. The screenshot below shows iLife 11 in action.

Full screen mode is available to all applications and will be integrated throughout Mac OS X Lion. The second example shown was an extension of Quick Look, where a PDF document was expanded to full screen and the user interface automatically transformed into a book layout (similar to iBooks). The user can then use multi-touch gestures to navigate the document or switch between other applications and the desktop.

Mission Control - Another new feature, Mission Control, consolidates key Mac OS X features such as Expose, Dashboard, Spaces and Full Screen Mode. With a simple multi-touch gesture you are able to enter Mission Control, where you have a birds-eye view of everything you are currently working on. You can then quickly and simply switch between applications and documents, access the Dashboard or open new applications from the Dock. This really does take the existing Mac OS X features everyone loves to the next level. Check out a screen shot of Mission Control below.

Multi-touch Gestures for everyone - The final feature shown was not really a feature at all. It is more like a philosophy. Steve explained Apple's experience with multi-touch and how they felt that the only way to bring touch to a laptop is via a horizontal trackpad. With that mind Mac OS X Lion will take multi-touch (via the trackpad) to the next level. Even in the few short demos it was clear that gestures are the future of navigation in Mac OS X. This certainly helps explain the recently released Magic Mouse and Magic Pad, as well as the unified multi-touch trackpad across all Apple notebooks. Personally I always felt that these "magic" devices were preparing us for something new, as they always felt under utilised with Mac OS X Snow Leopard. I certainly look forward to seeing what these devices can really do and hope Apple can find the right balance between multi-touch and traditional point and click.

Overall I think Mac OS X Lion is off to a great start. Steve was keen to point out that the features shown are just the beginning and that we should expect a lot more in the coming months. I think that these features alone prove that the future of Mac OS X is bright and with the App Store I believe it once again takes the top spot as the world's most advanced operating system. I'm already counting the days until it's release!

To view the full keynote head over to the Apple Website.