Today, Apple released the Mac OS X 10.7 Lion developer preview, which is available through the App Store to all members of the Mac Developer Program. However, the developer program is $99/yr, and includes a copy of Lion when it is released, so the $99 might be worth it if you’re itching to try out the new OS and its features early.
Speaking of new features, here’s a small list of new features Lion brings to the table:
- Built-in server abilities. Instead of buying a separate OS to use as a server, you can simply activate server abilities within Lion.
- Airdrop. Airdrop makes it easy to send files over your network to other Macs.
- New iPad-like Mail.app. The new Mail application looks very similar to the iPad mail app, and, like many other apps on Lion, has the ability to be used full-screen.
- Versions. With versions, you can access older versions of your document from any point at which it was saved.
- Launchpad. Launchpad displays your applications in a way similar to the iPad. Your applications can be grouped in folders here for organization, just like iOS.
- Full-screen apps. This is a feature that I personally look forward to the most. While I’ve been using Deeper to auto-hide my dock and reclaim a bit more of my Mac’s screen, having actual full-screen apps will be a great upgrade.
- Mission Control. Personally, Mission Control reminds me of a more powerful version of Expose. Mission Control displays everything that is currently running, including the Dashboard, all on one easy-to-navigate screen.
- More gestures. That’s right, even more multitouch gestures are being added to OS X 10.7.
- Auto-save. No more manual saving. Now, all running applications save as they go. This means never having to worry about whether or not you saved that document before you quit the application(an all-too-common experience for me).
- Resume. If your MacBook’s battery dies while working on a project, or you have to restart after an update, everything will be right where you left it. This even applies to applications that you close. When reopened, they will return to state at which they were closed.
You can expect to see more details about each of these features soon, along with plenty of reviews and guides, so stay tuned! Have a feature you really look forward to using in 10.7? Leave a comment below!
