Mac OS

Mac OS, Mac OS X, or macOS, is the operating system that resides on Apple’s desktop and portable computer lineup. Built upon a Unix core, it is easy to use yet highly advanced, extremely stable, and an excellent OS for productivity and creation. Browse through our articles or use the search feature to look for something specific that is pertinent to the Mac operating system.

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Set Mac Desktop Background Wallpaper from any Image in Safari

Jun 16, 2011 - 12 Comments
set Mac OS X desktop background wallpaper picture from Safari

You can set any image on the web as your Mac desktop background wallpaper directly from Safari. This means you don’t even need to download the picture to your computer to set it as the desktop background, you can just find a picture on the web and immediately use it as the wallpaper on the … Read More

No New Mac Hardware Until Lion Ships? New iPhones Waiting for iOS 5?

Jun 16, 2011 - 2 Comments
MacBook Air

Updated Mac hardware will not ship until Mac OS X Lion is publicly released or at least finalized sometime in July, this is to insure that new Macs will include Mac OS X Lion and iCloud preinstalled, according to a new report by AppleInsider. The decision is expected to impact the release dates of several … Read More

OS X Lion Full-Screen App Mode Doesn’t Play Well With External Displays

Jun 16, 2011 - 42 Comments
Mac OS X Lion Full Screen App Mode with External Monitor

If you use multiple monitors on a regular basis, you might care about how Mac OS X Lion handles Full-Screen Apps when hooked to an external display. In short, it doesn’t work that well. To be clear, multiple monitors work fine in Lion, everything is the same as past versions of Mac OS X, you … Read More

Mac OS X Lion Developer Preview 4 Update Released to Download

Jun 15, 2011 - 15 Comments
Lion Developer Preview Software Update 5

Apple has pushed out another software update to Mac OS X Lion Developer Preview, it’s labeled simply as “Lion Developer Preview Update” and is recommended for all users running Developer Preview 4. This is the first update to DP4, but Apple is not referencing it as Developer Preview 5. Build is 11A494a and downloads as … Read More

“Mac” Dropped from “Mac OS X” – It’s Now Just Called OS X, Does That Matter?

Jun 15, 2011 - 8 Comments
OS X Lion

Apple seems to be pruning the word “Mac” from “Mac OS X” in favor of just “OS X” when it comes to Mac OS X Lion (or rather, OS X Lion). This was originally noticed at the WWDC 2011 keynote and all the subsequent Lion marketing materials on Apple’s OS X website and elsewhere, but … Read More

Get Detailed WiFi Info From the Menu Bar in Mac OS X

Jun 15, 2011 - 13 Comments
Option-click Wi-Fi menu extended details in Mac OS X

You can retrieve extended wireless connectivity data and details from anywhere within Mac OS X by using a nifty trick that toggles the Wi-Fi menu bar item to display additional specifics about any wireless router. To do this, hold down the Option key and then click on the WiFi menu icon found on the Mac.

“AirPort” Now Called “Wi-Fi” in Lion, Simple Name Change or Sign of New Products?

Jun 14, 2011 - 10 Comments
AirPort becomes Wi-Fi

Apple appears to be dropping the AirPort branding in favor of the universally accepted Wi-Fi moniker, at least in Mac OS X Lion. The subtle change was noted in the latest Lion builds by MacRumors, and is noticeable in the Airport, errrr, Wi-Fi menu drop down. Simple Name Change or a Sign of New Products? … Read More

Monitor Progress, Errors, & Watch All Activity During a Mac OS X Install

Jun 14, 2011 - 4 Comments
Show all logs in the Mac OS X install process

You can watch what’s going on behind the scenes during a Mac OS X system installation by accessing the Logs window after the installer has begun. From Logs, use the pulldown menu to select “Show All Logs” to see a live stream of all activity pertaining to the OS X installation and/or upgrade process. “Show … Read More

Mac OS X Lion Drops Rosetta Support for PowerPC Apps

Jun 13, 2011 - 36 Comments
No Rosetta support in Mac OS X Lion

This is mostly a reminder, but Mac OS X Lion does not include support for PowerPC applications ran through Rosetta. This is important for users who continue to rely on old PPC apps, and this could sway some users decision on whether or not to upgrade to Lion come the public release next month. Admittedly, … Read More

OS X Lion Can Boot Directly Into Safari Browser-Only Mode

Jun 12, 2011 - 4 Comments
Boot Lion into Safari

Mac OS X Lion includes an interesting ability to boot directly into the Safari web browser. Access to this feature is currently limited to those with Lion DP4 and the iCloud beta software installed, in addition to having the “Find My Mac” function enabled, but it is expected to be available to all users by … Read More

Run Mac OS X Lion Dev Preview 4 on a 32-bit Core Duo Mac… Sort Of

Jun 11, 2011 - 18 Comments
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion running on a Core Duo Mac

Many owners of the oldest 32-bit Intel Macs were discouraged when they found that Mac OS X Lion’s system requirements demanded a 64-bit Core 2 Duo processor or newer. These users were discouraged, but not deterred, because some have managed to get the latest Lion developer build running on older Core Duo Macs… sort of. … Read More

Create a New Terminal Window from a Tab

Jun 11, 2011 - 2 Comments
New Terminal Window from Tab

Want to create a new Terminal window from a tab on the Mac? It can be done, but how it works may depend on what Mac OS system software version you are using and therefore what version of the Terminal app is in play. In Mac OS X, the Terminal app reacts differently than Safari … Read More

Linen Wallpaper from Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Mission Control

Jun 10, 2011 - 12 Comments
Mac OS X Lion Linen Wallpaper from Mission Control

Another day, another nice wallpaper from Mac OS X Lion. This one comes from the background of the Mission Control app in the latest Lion Developer Preview 4, it’s not quite as flashy as the galaxy wallpaper but it’s a nice subtle grey shaded linen pattern and it’s a lot more subdued than some of … Read More

Buy a Mac Now and You Qualify for a Free Upgrade to Lion

Jun 9, 2011 - 11 Comments
Mac OS X Lion Icon

If you buy a Mac from now until the release date of Lion in July, you qualify for a free upgrade to Mac OS X 10.7 directly from Apple. This is thanks to Apple’s Up-To-Date program, which gives users 30 days from the purchase of their new Mac to request the free update. The free … Read More

Mac Running Hot, Slow, & Fans Blazing After Installing OS X Lion? Here’s Why

Jun 9, 2011 - 39 Comments
Mac running hot because of MDS & mdworker

We’ve received a fair share of comments and emails about Mac OS X Lion making some Macs seem sluggish, running hotter than usual, and causing the machines fans to run at full speed. This sounded concerning, but after I went about installing Lion DP4 myself and looked into this a bit further I’m here to … Read More

165 Classic Retro PC Games for Mac OS X

Jun 9, 2011 - 16 Comments
Original Lemmings for Mac OS X

Update: We posted the games link under the assumption that all of the titles were abandonware or freeware, but some commenters are suggesting this may not be the case. We don’t have the resources to independently verify either claim, so we have pulled down the link. That said, you can play many of the definitely … Read More

New Mac Touch Patent Surfaces, Shows User Interface Manipulation by Touch

Jun 9, 2011 - 7 Comments
A new Mac Touch Patent

A new patent for what looks like a touch screen Mac has surfaced hot off the heals of the extended Mac OS X Lion and iOS 5 demos at WWDC (PS: watch the keynote if you haven’t already, it’s a great walkthrough of both new OS’s). This patent is a clear indicator that Apple is … Read More

Watch Apple’s Intro to Mac OS X Lion Video

Jun 8, 2011 - 8 Comments

Who better to show off Mac OS X Lion than Apple themselves? Don’t miss the Intro to Lion video, where Apple execs Phil Schiller and Craig Federighi show you Lion’s new gestures, full screen apps, Mission Control, LaunchPad, installing Lion through the Mac App Store, auto-save files & Versions, AirDrop Peer-to-Peer file sharing, new Mail … Read More

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