At the close of the month, Apple launched updates for both OS X Mavericks OS on Macs as well as the mobile iOS platform. While Mavericks 10.9.4 and iOS 7.1.2 do come with a few, very few in fact, new features, the focus of the update is to address security issues and bug fixes, including one that was discovered shortly after the unveiling of iOS 8.
Supposing you’ve seen the newest Mac Pro on the market and you’ve been waiting for shipping times to decrease to realistic timespans, today you’ll be happy. This tube-shaped desktop computer has had its shipping time decreased to between 1-2 weeks for the first time since it was first offered to the public.
While it’s not a perfect system since it only really tracks web traffic, not overall installs, this week’s Chitika study shows OS X Mavericks to be doing especially well. Compared to the rest of the Apple-made operating systems on the desktop side of things, Chitika shows OS X Mavericks to be taking 40% of the pie just 5 months after release.
Some unfortunate users have suffered from email troubles with Mail since OS X Mavericks' launch, something addressed with 10.9.1 after a sharp focus on the issue by Apple. Still, some users' woes have continued, and retrieving emails is harder than it needs to be. Apple published a manual workaround for these users today, though it hasn't said when the (next) fix will be available.
This week the folks at Apple have released the first OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 beta, and with it a glimpse of the future. Not a future in which we're seeing features that break the barriers of newness, nor something we've never seen before. Instead we're moving back a notch, so to speak, with the ability to work with FaceTime Audio - aka the video chat environment without the video.
Apple's OS X Mavericks 10.9.1 has been released in the wild as of today. The updated software package includes fixes for "stability, compatibility, and security" for the Apple OS. Notably, it addresses a few issues with Mail, Safari, VoiceOver, iLife, iWork, the "Local Items" keychain, and Japanese keyboards. Full update deets after the jump.
The German retailer Conrad Electronics has started taking pre-orders and posted an availability date for the Mac Pro, and it's Dec. 16. But hold your horses. We don't know if that's an inside scoop or if the retailer is just rolling the dice and hoping for the best. Apple hasn't announced a specific release date for the machine -- only that it is coming sometime in December.
Apple is said to have already seeded OS X 10.9.1 internally and it looks like the same update has begun arriving for registered developers. This one has been sent out as build number 13B27 and as one would expect, there has yet to be any timeline given in terms of a public push for 10.9.1. For now though, Apple appears focused on Mail, Graphics and VoiceOver with this update.
The updated version of iWork was unveiled back in October. At the time Apple touted how iWork had been completely rewritten and that it was now 64-bit. Apple also mentioned that iWork has "never been faster." But that being the case, it looks like that complete rewrite did not leave enough time to add every feature that was needed.
Windows 8.1 doubled its market share among operating systems in its first half-month on the market, according to a new report by web analytics firm Net Applications. The OS rose from 0.87% market share to 1.72%, for a 0.85% gain. The trend is expected to continue in November and beyond as Microsoft herds its customers away from its previous operating systems and towards 8.1.
If you’ve used a previous iteration of GarageBand for OS X, the update to version 10 of the software for OS X Mavericks shouldn’t require too much convincing. It’s essentially a new iteration of the same high-powered set of features with additional features to boot. But what about those users who want to pay the cash to grab this app from the Mac App Store for the full price - those that haven’t purchased a piece of OS X hardware in the past couple of months (and from this point forward) that haven’t had the GarageBand experience? For those of you there, there’s this.
Back in June 2012 we described the original 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display as "the gold standard" for high-end notebooks; now, Apple is back with its refreshed version, swapping in Intel's latest Haswell processors and graphics, but keeping the high-resolution display. Unlike the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina, the 15-inch model doesn't slim down any, but then again the meatiest Pro has never really been about portability alone. Instead, it aims to be the powerhouse desktop-replacement that you can bring with you, and with a $200 cut to the sticker price it sounds all the more appealing. Has the 2013 refresh kept the most serious Pro at the top of its game? Read on for the full SlashGear review.