Apple latest desktop operating system is here, and you can download it now.
The free upgrade may look like the OS X you've become accustomed to over the years. Sure, there are no huge top-level design changes that are apparent at first glance. But once you dive in, you'll see enough tweaks in this update to make you do a few double-takes.
More than a few visual elements are taken from iOS and modern web browsers, from tabbed Finder windows to iOS's "Do Not Disturb" feature appearing in Notifications. Overall, Mavericks is a more social and mobile-inspired OS.
Finder Tabs
Many years ago, you could pin Finder windows to the bottom of your screen, until OS X killed that nicety with the introduction of the Dock. But now, tabs are back -- albeit in a more web-browsery fashion. If you use tabs in your browser, the new Finder window tabs will be easy to become accustomed to. They do more than just add a new element to browsing your computer's files; they also make navigation easier on a smaller screen.
The migration from desktop computers to laptops means we're trading screen real estate for portability. Those smaller MacBook screens (even the
Retina ones) limit the amount of windows that one can open comfortably in the desktop. With tabbed windows, you can have two main Finder windows open with up to 11 active tabs in each before those tabs become hidden. That's 22 windows available for quick system navigation, all without making a huge design change to the OS.
Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED
