OSX Mountain Lion Coming Next Month for $20
Mountain Lion to hit this July.
Today's big reveal at WWDC in San Francisco was definitely the unveiling of the Retina Display MacBook Pro. However, Apple also talked about OS X Mountain Lion, the next iteration of OS X.
Apple today confirmed that Mountain Lion will be arriving at the Mac App Store next month and will be priced at $20. The OS update will include the Messages app; Notification Center; system-wide sharing, which will allow you to share photos, videos and other files over third party services at the click of a button without switching apps; Dictation; Power Nap, which keeps your computer up to date while sleeping with auto refreshes of Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, and Documents in the cloud; AirPlay Mirroring; Game Center; and Gatekeeper, a security setting that allows you to set your computer so that it will only accept software downloaded from the Mac App Store, or from the Mac App Store and identified developers.
"The pace of innovation on the Mac is amazing, OS X Mountain Lion comes just a year after the incredibly successful launch of Lion," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "With iCloud built right in and the new Notification Center, Messages, Dictation, Facebook integration and more, this is the best OS X yet."
Apple is also promising built-in support for Facebook in a later update to OS X Mountain Lion. This will allow you to post photos, links, and comments with locations right from your apps. Facebook notifications will work with Notification Center and you'll also be able to update your status right from Notification Center.

Now I am smart and understand that Apple is where Apple is because people like choice. Apple doesn't provide much of anything other than a pretty user interface and satisfaction for people to think they used the hard earned parents cash, intelligently(which they didnt).
Now I am on Linux (Debian - Testing), have ditched all my Windows Machines and Keep my MAC around should there be some broken app that I need to work with. Since Apple has screwed most of it's customer base and replaced them with teenagers and early tweenty-ers, eventually Apple is going to run out of people to screw.
Look at the iPhone. Drop it once and you are out 600-800 dollars, no matter what, not to mention it's 80 USD a month. No thank you. Linux (which Android runs on top of) is by far becoming one of the most widely used Operating Systems on the planet (mainframes excluded).
Apple addicts (because they are blinded to the fact that their overpriced product isn't worth the money. Virus' come from people that typically don't know any better when it comes to computers...it will happen to MAC OS X soon, just watch) look at an article listed above and think "wow this is great. These updates are worth 20 dollars easily". When the rational, smart, conscience reader says "wow those updates really aren't much...they expect people to pay for that?".
Millions, yes Millions of people are about to be screwed when Apple finally screws over their loyal fans by cutting out .Mac for iCloud. Apple is quickly becoming a phone company and less a computer operating system company. They are light years behind the competition on security, admistration and program development to Linux, Unix, AS/400, Microsoft Windows. Do you think Apple runs it corporate headquarters on Apple Macintosh machines? Nope. How about Microsoft? Nope...
the reason why a base windows cost cost more, is because of compatibility and services. on an osx based computer, it requires a specifically built computer. Apple current gen computers do not support AMD processors, and its motherboards are limited to a specific build. Apple does not have to worry about having to go through several 3rd party companies because its design only to be a casual consumer based product. Apple doesn't plan to make any Computer Aided Design programs, which forces engineers to use windows, which allows windows to pump the price high. Windows can because it supports more stuff than apple can. Using an OSX based build, software issues almost never arise because your choice in parts are severely limited. As for windows, it is still good, hence why it has the most consumer share in the market. Microsoft is just experimenting with new ways for the OS to run, which created Windows 8, an entirely new operating system. Its not a requirement to go to windows 8 as a windows user, as windows 7 will likely still be updated with security updates and possibly a service pack.
I do not need to call in to MS for help because I am not an Apple fanboy therefore I actually understand how my PC works.
Until this equation is equalize I wont be jumping mac at all. Those claiming $20 Mac OS is cheaper have seems to forgot how much more they are paying for the hardware to apple.
Matter of fact, I believe the last Photoshop benchmarks showed windows systems to be faster than Mac at a lot of things, due to, I believe, better support for CUDA-accelerated filters and the like.
Side note: it's possible to install OSX onto a non-Apple homebuilt PC.
out of most comments i read so far. This one is one of the best comments because it is soo true. Politics.. don't even get me started LMAO!.
Second issue with most on this thread, would have to be OS pricing. You can't.. I repeat.. Cannot compare a subsidized pricing scheme to a non subsidized pricing scheme. You need to have a MAC to be able to run any flavor of OSX!. The fact that the Macs are way behind on the hardware front just pushes me away of ever owning a Mac. I am sorry, but Owning a Mac most is likely due to how Apple does things. which is very limiting. So much so that every now and then a mac user needs to install Windows on their closed ecosystem environment. That thing gotta have a Windows. somewhere
What you people are complaining about is one thing i am so glad windows does not act like a Mac. No other OS gives your that much admin power to manipulate files without having to jump through hoops like Linux does and even MAC OSX. Take OS X as an example. Just to show hidden files on the mac requires a terminal command or a special key shortcut which is view while holding down options. Windows its just a setting away!. This is why the market share for windows is at NINETY TO NINETY FIVE PERCENT!.
Linux is too "loose" While OS X is Governed by the "Gatekeeper" But Windows is neither too loose or Governed. It is dynamic. Not only does it cater to the market But the developers as well!.
Case in point. Now that MS has changed their mind about this whole visual studio issue not being free to develop desktops Programs on Windows 8. Lot of these developers are jumping for joy according to what i saw on engadget lol.
This is why MS is able to control the Market. Until we can have a OS that can truly compete against Windows. this will never change.
I also do casual video editing even with windows live movie maker does the job i wanted to do.
And for the record. I haven't had to deal with any viruses for years!. yet alone ever seeing a BSOD since installed. So there
Cheers
Side note: it's possible to install OSX onto a non-Apple homebuilt PC.
Business is a different ball game. Some are either on XP still! I am sure Linux has its place. The desktop isn't one of them.
Which one is better Python or Visual Studios? From what I am seeing. Developers are leaning towards Visual Studios and (even so when MS has changed their mind about not being free to develop on win 8 lol.)
As much as i want Linux to gain momentum. So many times i tried to stay on Linux. Wine just does not cut it nor the applications that it has natively. Top it off gets overwhelming of how many distro's out there. Its too much for too little.
Like i said. I am sure Linux has its spot and thriving.
Took the words out of my mouth.
I use a dual boot Windows 7/Ubuntu Linux for my main machine. Linux is getting closer and closer to being my only OS, but unfortunately, there isn't enough 3rd party software out there for it. But most of the software that IS out for it comes with the source code which makes it pretty easy to customize it for your particular task (if you can program). Linux is loads faster than Windows (on the same machine obviously). And it is nearly as easy to use as OSX (from what I've heard, never owned an Apple product and never will).
One bit of advice if you decided to run Ubuntu... Install and use Gnome classic as to me Unity is even worse than Metro for a desktop UI. Not impressed with KDE either (more technically oriented).