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System 1
System 1 had a desktop with windows, icons, mouse, menus, and scrollbars. The Trash worked like a slide everything disappeared after restarting. You could only use one app at a time because there was no virtual memory. -
System 2
System 2 was better and faster Finder worked 20% quicker. Some commands were removed, and new options were added like creating folders, shutting down, and using a desktop printer. Items showed in a vertical list with small icons. Disks could be dragged to the Trash to eject them. -
System 3
System 3 had a better and faster Finder. The old file system (MFS) was replaced by HFS, which allowed real folders and folders inside folders. Zoom icons were added to resize folder contents in the window. -
System 4
System 4 came with the Macintosh SE and Macintosh II. It added support for multiple monitors. -
System 6
System 6 added color support, but Finder was still in black and white. A cancel button was added to “Erase Disk,” and files could now show version numbers. Programs could also send notifications through the menu bar if they needed the user to connect something. -
System 7
System 7 was a big software update. It kept only the MultiFinder, allowing multitasking. Memory moved to 32-bit, so Macs could use more than 8 MB of RAM. -
Mac OS 8
Mac OS 8 improved the Finder to handle more tasks at once and run apps better with faster processors. It had a new 3D look and could be customized. Web Sharing let users host websites from their computers. -
Mac OS 9
This version added multiple users, so each person could have their own settings. AppleTalk over TCP/IP was added. Software Update let users get updates without the internet and showed update alerts when logging out. -
Mac OS X 10.1 “Puma”
Mac OS X 10.1 came a year after 10.0 and ran better, especially on G3 Macs. Versions 10.1.1 to 10.1.5 fixed bugs and updated components. Many open-source UNIX tools were included, along with more drivers to support more devices. -
Mac OS X 10.0 “Cheetah”
Mac OS X 10.0 was released on March 24, 2001. It included features from the Public Beta and had modern OS functions like memory protection, so apps couldn’t affect each other. Device drivers could be loaded or removed when needed. -
Mac OS X 10.2 “Jaguar”
On August 25, 2002, Mac OS X 10.2 “Jaguar” was released. It was faster, had a cleaner look, and over 150 improvements. It added better support for Windows networks, Quartz Extreme for graphics handled by the video card, and a spam filter. -
Mac OS X 10.3 “Panther”
Mac OS X 10.3 “Panther” was released on October 24, 2003. It was much faster and had a big user interface update with a new metal look and fast search. It no longer worked on old G3 models. The Finder was also improved. -
Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger”
Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger” was released on April 29, 2005, with over 200 new improvements. Like Panther, it didn’t work on older Macs without FireWire. Tiger added features like Spotlight, a search system using content and metadata. -
Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard”
Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard” was released on October 26, 2007. It worked with both PowerPC and new Intel Macs. One key feature is Time Machine, which lets you go back to earlier versions of files, folders, the whole hard drive, or even a photo roll in iPhoto. -
Mac OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard”
The latest Mac OS version, called Snow Leopard, was released on August 28, 2009. It is faster than before and has new features: a new Exposé in the Dock, touchpad support for Chinese characters, automatic time zone adjustment, and support for Microsoft Exchange 2007 servers. -
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion
The 2011 update added the new Launchpad from iOS. It also included Mission Control for desktop management, full-screen apps, and multitouch gestures. -
Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
Mountain Lion brought more popular iOS features to Mac: a new Messages app replacing iChat, Reminders, and Notification Center. Before OS 10.8 launched, Apple promised yearly updates for Mac OS. -
Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks
With Mavericks, Apple changed the naming system and made OS 10.9 a free update. They also promised future updates would be free. New apps like Maps and iBooks came with Mavericks. -
Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite
Mac OS 10.10 Yosemite brought the biggest design change in years with a flat look and blurred transparency, like iOS. Handoff lets users switch smoothly between devices during tasks. Full-screen mode is now activated by the green button in the window’s title bar. -
Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan
Split View lets you work with two apps side by side on the screen. Metal for Mac, from iOS, improves GPU performance. Spotlight is better with info like weather and stocks. Safari, Notes, and Photos apps also got improvements. -
macOS Sierra
On September 20, 2016, macOS was released for free in the Mac App Store. This was the first time since 2000 the name Mac OS X was dropped, now just called macOS. It’s a name change only the new version keeps improving like before. -
MacOS High Sierra
Presented on June 5, 2017, at WWDC, this version focuses on better system performance. It introduced Metal 2, Apple’s new graphics API to replace OpenCL and OpenGL. It also added APFS, a new file system for SSDs that improves read and write speeds. -
MacOS Mojave
This operating system features a new Dark Mode, a redesigned Mac App Store, new and dynamic wallpapers, and new apps like Home, Voice Memos, and Stocks. It is also the last version to support 32-bit apps, as Apple will remove that support in a future update. -
MacOS Catalina
macOS Catalina is the 16th major version of macOS for Mac computers. It follows macOS Mojave and was announced at WWDC on June 3, 2019. It was released to the public on October 7, 2019. Catalina is the first macOS version to support only 64-bit apps. It’s available to download and install from the Mac App Store since October 7, 2019. -
MacOS Big Sur
macOS Big Sur is the 17th major version of macOS for Mac computers. It follows macOS Catalina and was announced at WWDC on June 22, 2020. It has been available to download and install from the Mac App Store since November 12, 2020.