Mountain Lion OS X 10.8 Launch Day Roundup

[MacRumors]

Today, Apple launched OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion for $19.99 on the Mac App Store. The latest version OS X provides a number of new features borrowed from iOS as well as some Mac specific ones. This overview video from Apple provides a quick look at the biggest new features.

Other sites have put together more detailed videos showing smaller changes and a more detailed look at AirPlay mirroring.

In general, the reception has been positive amongst reviewers, especially given the $19.99 price tag. The launch, however, has resulted in the removal of OS X Lion from the Mac App Store. While this isn't too big a surprise, it could leave some owners of older Macs stuck if their Mac isn't supported by OS X Mountain Lion but were supported by OS X Lion.

The other major hiccup in today's launch was the distribution of codes for Apple's Up To Date program. The Up To Date program offers Mountain Lion OS X to customers free of charge if they have bought a new Mac since June 11th. Apple seems to be aware of the issue and is working on reissuing faulty codes.

There have been a number of OS X Mountain Lion related software updates and news items today. If you aren't following our full RSS feed, you may have missed the many updates on our Mac Blog today:

- Adobe and Avid Report Only Minor Issues With Mountain Lion
- Microsoft Confirms Office 2011 and 2008 Compatibility with OS X Mountain Lion
- Create a Bootable Mountain Lion USB Key Installer
- Apple Updates iPhoto, iMovie and Aperture Alongside OS X Mountain Lion
- Apple Updates iWork with iCloud and Dictation for OS X Mountain Lion
- Apple Launches 'OS X Server' for Mountain Lion for $19.99

Tidbits offers a nice overview of tips and little details from Mountain Lion. Macworld has posted a number of detailed looks at Mountain Lion's Safari, Messages, and Reminders. Finally, MacRumors readers have been posting in our Mountain Lion forum for questions and tracking issues.

Article Link: Mountain Lion OS X 10.8 Launch Day Roundup

[deannnnn]

Still waiting on my upgrade code!

[KnightWRX]

No news item about the release of Xcode 4.4 with the 10.8 SDK/iOS 5.1 SDK (Xcode 4.5 will contain the iOS 6 SDK) ?

Xcode 4.4 with OS X 10.8 SDK/iOS 5.1 SDK

[MacintoshUser86]

I have an early 2008 iMac and wow I've noticed an increase in speed that I haven't seen since Leopard that was original installed on my iMac. Snow Leopard was quick too but Lion was pretty sluggish. I can't get over how fast Sarfari is now too, super quick! Good job Apple.

For $20 Mountain Lion is 100% worth it.

[Peace]

That's an old video since it shows Facebook integration built in. I think it's still in dev. stage.

[Galatian]

Uh so if I ever have to reinstall Lion on a Mac that is unsupported by Mountain Lion I can't download it again although having paid for it?

Update: Nevermind. Seems like people who already purchased it can still redownload it!

[applefan289]

Another thing I like about Mountain Lion is that now it doesn't "auto save" and there seems to be less of a focus on the "Resume" feature.

[outphase]

Originally Posted by Galatian

Uh so if I ever have to reinstall Lion on a Mac that is unsupported by Mountain Lion I can't download it again although having paid for it?

Why wouldn't you be able to download it again? http://www.macrumors.com/2012/07/25/...mac-app-store/

[KALLT]

Originally Posted by applefan289

Another thing I like about Mountain Lion is that now it doesn't "auto save" and there seems to be less of a focus on the "Resume" feature.

But it still works as in Lion. When I open and edit an existing document, the document will be auto saved when I close it, without any further notice. When I quit an application with open documents, it still saves them for me and reopens them when I open the app the next time. The only difference in Mountain Lion is that you can change this behaviour in System Preferences. You can disable the resume function and auto save if you want to, but they are not enabled by default.

I have become used to this anyway and actually quite like it. I close apps all the time instead of closing the individual documents, just to quickly get back to my work. The same goes for auto save, which ensures that all my edits are saved, even when I don’t think about it.

[Nermal]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

If you aren't following our full RSS feed, you may have missed the many updates on our Mac Blog today:

Well, I'd love to, but Safari doesn't support RSS anymore

[TimAlia]

That facebook icon is not showing up in my settings...

[Rocketman]

So let me get this straight. The update process does not weed out incompatible Macs so they do not forever feeze?

I have a bricked iPhone 1 with unaccessable critical data on it and also on my iTunes program. How can I see it even if I have to manually retype it?

[appleguy]

I currently have the GM version is there any reason to download via the MacApp store?

[Nickerbocker]

Hmm... It doesn't directly effect me, but I think they should probably put Lion back on the store with a big message saying that if your Mac is supported you should get Mountain Lion. The difference in price would probably sway people to the more up-to-date OS.

[frunkis54]

Yes but Lion is only removed from the App store and not everyones previously purchased Apps correct.

[stukick]

After using 10.8 for 2 weeks, I have to say, glad I didn't pay $19.99.

[ixodes]

Originally Posted by Nermal

Well, I'd love to, but Safari doesn't support RSS anymore

You've answered my question.

I had read (in disbelief) that 10.8.x would not support RSS. A decision I find rather curious, and quite disappointing. I had planned on giving Safari another try, since I haven't used it much lately. But without RSS it's crippled, at least for my usage.

[Icaras]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

In general, the reception has been positive amongst reviewers, especially given the $19.99 price tag.

And the haters and nitpickers continue to look past this part. For the super low price tag, and relatively rapid development time since Lion, I think this is a worthy refinement of last year's OS.

[Asclepio]

they only changed the wallpaper! propaganda, propaganda!

[Windlasher]

Originally Posted by MacintoshUser86

I have an early 2008 iMac and wow I've noticed an increase in speed that I haven't seen since Leopard that was original installed on my iMac. Snow Leopard was quick too but Lion was pretty sluggish. I can't get over how fast Sarfari is now too, super quick! Good job Apple.

For $20 Mountain Lion is 100% worth it.

yeah... lion dragged ass on my 8 core mac pro tower with 16gb of memory.

this seems to be quite nicely done and speedy.

NOW - if they would only put back the ability to search network drives... ill be happy.

[sachisme]

Originally Posted by stukick

After using 10.8 for 2 weeks, I have to say, glad I didn't pay $19.99.

Why do you say so? I'm on the fence about upgrading. I have a early 2009 MBP machine with 2GB RAM and I loved SL every single time i used it.

my system almost died (slow and often beach ball) after I upgraded to Lion, so much so that I use Windows 7 pretty much all the time. I'm hoping that ML will bring me back to MAC OS which I loved but scared that it might not give me any improvement in stability or speed over Lion.

[SamSmith]

Originally Posted by MacintoshUser86

I have an early 2008 iMac and wow I've noticed an increase in speed that I haven't seen since Leopard that was original installed on my iMac. Snow Leopard was quick too but Lion was pretty sluggish. I can't get over how fast Sarfari is now too, super quick! Good job Apple.

For $20 Mountain Lion is 100% worth it.

I agree. Safari sure does feel snappier

[frunkis54]

Originally Posted by SamSmith

I agree. Safari sure does feel snappier

never gets old....

[Jperkinski]

Originally Posted by TimAlia

That facebook icon is not showing up in my settings...

I am having the same experience. I noticed in the video that the Facebook option was right there with Twitter, Gmail etc., but on my machine I don't see a Facebook option. Everything else appears to be there.

[thelonelylimo]

Originally Posted by Peace

That's an old video since it shows Facebook integration built in. I think it's still in dev. stage.

the Apple TV at 4:21 is using the previous UI.