Apple Allowing Non-Developers to Apply for OS X Beta Program

[MacRumors]

Alongside iOS 7.1.1, Apple has introduced a new OS X beta program that will see non-developers given an opportunity to download OS X betas before they are released to the public. Previously, participating in OS X betas required a developer account, priced at $99 per year.

Join the OS X Beta Seed Program and accept the Beta Seed and Confidentiality Agreement. Apple will provide a Beta Access Utility for your Mac, which gives you access to pre-release versions of OS X in the Mac App Store Updates panel.

Users can apply to join the beta program on Apple's new Appleseed Beta website, which allows users to apply using an Apple ID.Apple requires everyone who signs up to sign a confidentiality agreement, which prevents users from disclosing, publishing, or disseminating confidential information to anyone not also enrolled in the Appleseed program.

After agreeing to keep beta information confidential, Apple asks users to make a backup on their Macs before downloading a special Beta Access Utility App which allows a Mac to be enrolled for beta software updates. All updates will be delivered via the Mac App Store, similar to standard OS X updates.

Article Link: Apple Allowing Non-Developers to Apply for OS X Beta Program

 

[gjvon]

As a pending Software developer, this is good news.
(college student)

 

[bwillwall]

Wow! Very nice!

 

[sbrhwkp3]

Hmmm.... wonder if something like this for iOS could follow, seeing how so many people found ways to adopt iOS 7 months early last year.

If people are willing to deal with the bugs, why fight it? Get it out there and use it to your advantage for GM release.

 

[Peace]

So some of us are wasting $99 a year..Nice..

 

[rwilliams]

I hope Apple Support has been beefed up.

 

[djtech42]

As a pending Software developer, this is good news.
(college student)

Same here. OS X 10.10 here we come!

 

[2499723]

Hopefully this will result in Apple taking a greater number of suggestions on board. Perhaps it might also improve both the quality and frequency of necessary changes. But here's hoping...

 

[CosmoFox]

Awesome good by Apple. The Tim haters don't have much to complain about.

 

[C DM]

Hmmm.... wonder if something like this for iOS could follow, seeing how so many people found ways to adopt iOS 7 months early last year.

Would be great if something similar was done for iOS beta releases.

 

[polterbyte]

I like this. It will pose, I believe, several challenges to the Apple team, which will certainly be flooded with "bugs" resulting from inexpert assessments.

But it tends to speed up the finding of real bugs as well, which is great.

 

[Rogifan]

I hope Apple Support has been beefed up.

Especially with the rumors OSX redesign coming this year.

 

[bushido]

haleluhjia. no more "but u aint no dev" complains when u run into a bug and simply want to point it out on here

 

[omenatarhuri]

Sweet! I signed up. Not sure if I'll actually download any when the chance is given, but its nice to have the option.

 

[mediotanque]

downloading 10.9.3

 

[boecherer]

Better listening now?

I wonder if they will listen more/better. Mac Mail has had a problem connecting to two Exchange accounts for at least 2 years now. I was in the beta program and alerted Apple to the problem on the discussion boards and the threads had over 10,000 views and it was never fixed. I and several others even called them. WE came up with a workaround and it was never fixed to my knowledge. I don't know it it's been fixed in Mavericks as I've given up as I didn't HAVE to have two Exchange accounts in Mail, but it would have been nice.

Even the iPhone could/can handle more than one Exchange account. I don't know who was running the bug department back then, but it was terrible.

Maybe at least with betas for more people, workarounds can be developed sooner.

----------

I like this. It will pose, I believe, several challenges to the Apple team, which will certainly be flooded with "bugs" resulting from inexpert assessments.

But it tends to speed up the finding of real bugs as well, which is great.

but... per my post, even if they know about a bug, if they don't want to fix it, they won't. We'll see if things are changing for the better.

 

[576316]

I take it that it would not be a good idea to replace one's only system with the beta?

 

[ouimetnick]

I'll be running beta versions on a separate partition. I wonder how many people feel the need to satisfy their ego and be able to show off that they are running the latest version.

Just like all the impatient people that HAD TO HAVE major iOS releases before they were finalized. For those people.... it would certainly be a shame to loose all your data now wouldn't it.

 

[medazinol]

This is great news. It can only help improve new OS X releases instead of having to wait months for bugs fixes since users are the beta testers. Apple is improving slowly but surely.

 

[caligomez]

So you would have to run the software in a virtual environment? As a normal user, I wouldn't want to run into bugs in apps regularly used, if my only OS was a beta.

Sort of a risky move for non devs, if you ask me..

 

[Derekeys]

Awesome, I'm not saying shady routes were taken last time... but this is nice.

 

[gjvon]

So you would have to run the software in a virtual environment? As a normal user, I wouldn't want to run into bugs in apps regularly used, if my only OS was a beta.

Sort of a risky move for non devs, if you ask me..

Bro, do you even back-up?

 

[aheying7]

They probably rushed to redesign OSX so they are doing this before 10.10 is previewed in June so that more people can help work out the plethora of bugs.

 

[johngordon]

So some of us are wasting $99 a year..Nice..

That depends. Do you just get the beta software, or do you also get a whole load of developer resources along with the developer software?

 

[ugahairydawgs]

downloading 10.9.3

Keep talking and the men in black coats will be at your door shortly.