Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

Apple releases Mac OS X 10.7 “Lion” developer preview

Geoff Duncan
By

Apple has released a developer preview of Mac OS X 10.7 “Lion” to developer program members, giving programmers and folks who make stuff for the broader Macintosh ecosystem a chance to see where Mac OS X is headed before it actually lands in customers’ hands. Announced back in October (when Apple also unveiled the current MacBook Air ultraportable notebooks), Mac OS X 10.7 aims to bring technology and interface elements from iOS and the iPad back to Mac OS X. That doesn’t mean that Macs will suddenly all work via touchscreen gestures—Apple actually argues vertical touchscreens are a poor interface for computers—but will instead aim to make Mac OS X more immersive, with comprehensive support for full-screen applications.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Headline Mac OS X Lion’s feature list will be Mission Control, a new feature that combines elements of Mac OS X’s existing Dashboard, Spaces, and Exposé with full screen application capabilities: Mission Control gives users an overhead view of ever application and window running on the Mac and enables users to move between them with a simple swipe or click. Mac OS X Lion will also include an app launcher called LaunchPad, a fullscreen app launcher enabling users to quickly find and run applications without hunting around—and which looks stunningly like iOS home screens. Mac OS X Lion will also feature a full screen mode that will enable apps to completely take over a display, hiding all desktop clutter, and enable users to switch apps with a single swipe.

Recommended Videos

Rather than touchscreens, Apple will be focusing on trackpad input devices with gesture support, like the trackpads in its notebook computers and its Magic Trackpad for desktop systems. MAc OS X lion will support new multi-touch gestures and animations to provide a “natural and intuitive” way to interact with a Mac, including pinching and swiping.

Related

Other new features in Mac OS X Lion will be a new version of Apple’s email client (which will finally gain real threading support, more than a decade after the rest of the market), a new “AirDrop” file transfer utility, a new “Versions” technology that will enable apps to save editions of a document automatically as a user works and go back to any saved version at any time. Mac OS X Lion will also include a new version of Apple’s FileVault data encryption technology, and system-level Auto Save technology for application documents.

“The iPad has inspired a new generation of innovative features in Lion,” said Apple’s senior VP of worldwide product marketing Philip Schiller, in a statement. “Developers are going to love Mission Control and Launchpad, and can now start adding great new Lion features like full screen, gestures, Versions, and Auto Save to their own apps.”

The developer preview of Mac OS X Lion is available today to Mac Developer Program Members through the existing Mac App store. Apple expects to ship the final version of Lion “this summer.”

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
HP Spectre x360 13.5 vs. Apple MacBook Air M2
Drawing on the HP Spectre x360 13.5 inch model.

HP's Spectre x360 13.5 is the most refined convertible 2-in-1 available today and one of the best laptops overall, while the Apple MacBook Air M2 is an excellent, updated version of Apple's venerable machine. Both are outstanding laptops that should be on anyone's shortlist for their next upgrade.

If you're shopping for a premium 13-inch laptop, you'll run into these two. It's a tough choice, but one of them is a better overall choice than the other.
Specs

Read more
HP Spectre x360 13.5 vs. Apple MacBook Air M1
HP Spectre x360 13.5 front angled view showing display and keyboard deck.

Apple's MacBook Air M1 remains in the company's lineup thanks to solid performance, excellent battery life, a quality build, and an attractive price for a premium laptop. But it faces some stiff competition, like the HP Spectre x360 13.5, that's more expensive but also offers solid combinations of performance, battery life, and quality.

Both machines are on our list of the best laptops, for good reason. And the question is, should you spend more on the Spectre x360 13.5 or save your money with the MacBook Air M1?
Specs

Read more
HP Envy x360 13 vs. Apple MacBook Air M1
HP Envy x360 13 2022 front angled view showing display and keyboard deck.

It's not often that laptop technology and marketing converge to produce so many excellent value options for laptop buyers, but now is one of those times. The Apple MacBook Air M1 has been superseded by the M2 version, and yet it remains an excellent laptop with outstanding performance, a solid build quality, and excellent battery life at a relatively affordable $1,000 price. The HP Envy x360 13 is also well-built and offers solid performance with great battery life (for a Windows laptop), and it can be purchased for as little as $700.

You can't go wrong with either of these laptops, but does Apple offer enough value to offset HP's incredible price? Read on to find out.
Specs

Read more