Apple announced a developer preview of its new operating system just seven months after the company’s release of Lion, the most recent operating system for Mac users.
The new operating system, dubbed Mountain Lion, will bring many of the features currently being used on mobile devices like the iPhone to desktops and laptops, the company said.
Although Mac fans are already getting excited over the unveiling of its newest upgrade to the operating system, the general public will have to wait until the summer to download Mountain Lion from Apple’s App Store.
Apple’s announcement on Thursday didn’t come with a flashy press conference or demos from the CEO walking across a stage, however. The company released the new upgrade in a press release stating, the company “today released a developer preview of OS X Mountain Lion, the ninth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system.”
In a statement Apple said the new operating system will come with more than 100 new features including messages, notes, reminders and Game Center to Apple computers.
One of the biggest changes to Mac’s will be its new messaging feature, which Apple said will replace iChat. The messaging software will allow users to send high-quality photos and videos directly from one Mac to another Mac or iOS device (iPhone or iPad), Apple said.
Mountain Lion will also come with improved security for laptops and desktops.
“The developer preview of Mountain Lion also introduces Gatekeeper,” Apple said, “a revolutionary security feature that helps keep you safe from malicious software by giving you complete control over what apps are installed on your Mac.”
Apple also noted that the upgrade also adds Twitter integration and a feature that allows for easier sharing.
