Apple OS X Mavericks Released Today for Free

SAN FRANCISCIO, Oct. 22, 2013 — -- Prepare your Macs! Apple's latest version of its OS X operating system will be available today, Apple officials announced in San Francisco. Called OS X 10.9 Mavericks, the software will be available for download through Apple's Mac App Store and will be free for those currently using Mountain Lion, Lion or Snow Leopard.

Named after the surfing location in northern California, Mavericks brings a host of new features and apps to Macs, many of which began on Apple's iOS 7, its operating system for the iPad and iPhone.

The new software includes iBooks, which allows users to sync the books they are reading on their iPhone and iPad with their Mac computer. It also includes Apple's Maps app, which also will sync with iOS devices to easily transfer addresses from your laptop to your phone. Apple's Safari Web browser has also been updated with some new features, including a shared links sidebar that surfaces the links your friends have shared on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, also revealed today that Mavericks will improve battery life, even on current Macs, allowing up to an hour's worth of extra Web browsing time.

Many of the other additions are smaller, yet very useful. The Finder window, which allows users to search the operating system and computer, now has a tabbed view to minimize windows. And a new feature called Tags lets you tag your photos and files so you can easily organize your content across apps. Notifications have also been improved with a new summary of what you missed while you were away from your computer.

Mavericks is compatible with all the same computers that are able to run the current Mac operating system – Mountain Lion. The requirements are listed here.