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Mac OS X Server 1.0
Was a preview of what was in store for Mac OS X. It was based on the earlier Rhapsody releases and contained a mix of technologies. The UI style was that of the Mac OS 8 Platinum style, file management took place through the NeXTStep Workspace Manager, and classic Mac OS applications could be ran in the Mac OS 8 "blue box" environment. The display server is still the Display PostScript from NeXTStep, and not the PDF based Quartz that would be introduced with the Aqua UI. -
Mac OS Public Beta
was the first publicly available version of Apple Computer's Mac OS X (now named macOS) operating system to feature the Aqua user interface.
Its release was significant as the first publicly available evidence of Apple's ability to ship the "next-generation Mac operating system" after the Copland failure. -
macOS X Cheetah
This is the first release of macOS which is based on the new Darwin kernel, making features possible which were not available in previous releases such as cooperative multitasking.
The new dock simplifies management of applications compared to the MultiFinder from the Classic line. -
Mac OS X Puma
Is the second major release of Mac OS X. It was more successful than its predecessor, because of the inclusion of features that existed on Mac OS 9 but not on Cheetah, and it fixed several stability issues; though it was still met with a mixed reception. -
Mac OS X Jaguar
Most builds of Jaguar were compiled for PPC (for public use) and x86 (for testing purposes for the upcoming partnership with Intel, which would continue until the announcement in 2005). It is the last version of Mac OS to ship with Internet Explorer as the default browser, as it was replaced with Safari as of Mac OS X Panther, though it was still available as an optional component until Mac OS X Tiger. -
Mac OS X Panther
It is the first version of Mac OS X to have the Safari web browser which replaced the Internet Explorer for Mac browser after a contract between Apple and Microsoft ended. -
Mac OS X Tiger
It introduced 64-bit support for Unix binaries (excluding the Mac OS X API) and was the first version of Mac OS X to support Intel x86 processors. It was the last version to support PowerPC G3 processors and below (603/604 only via kernel patching) and the last version to ship with Internet Explorer as an optional component. -
Mac OS X Leopard
It is the last version of Mac OS X to have support for Intel Pentium 4 processors, though this can only be seen with Hackintoshes as no retail Macs shipped with Pentium 4s. The Universal Binary concept was extended in Leopard, as the separate builds for Intel and PowerPC Macs were unified in Leopard and installation media could be used for either system. -
Mac OS X Snow Leopard
Snow Leopard is one of Apple's longest lasting Mac OS X operating systems with five years of support and launched with largely positive reviews. It is a minor update over Mac OS X Leopard, focusing primarily on performance improvements. This is the last version of macOS to support 32-bit Intel Macs and also the last version of Mac OS X to be distributed on optical discs. -
Mac OS X Lion
This version dropped support for the x86 userland and architecture and removed Rosetta and Front Row. It introduced the Launchpad and was originally only released as an App Store update that could only be updated normally from Snow Leopard.
It is the first version of Mac OS X to not be distributed on optical discs as it was released as an online-only download through the Mac App Store. -
Mac OS X Mountain Lion
It introduced various revamps to the Lion user interface and fixed many of the paradigms that were found to be controversial in Mac OS X Lion.
This version drops support for 32-bit kernels and corresponding 32-bit EFI BootROM Macs. The decision to drop 32-bit architectures was made relatively late in the development process, as Beta 1 (12A128p) shipped with a 32-bit kernel. -
OS X Mavericks
It is the first OS X version to be released as a free upgrade on the App Store. It is also the final version of OS X to feature a skeuomorphic user interface design. -
OS X Yosemite
Yosemite introduced a major overhaul of OS X's user interface, emphasizing flat graphic design over skeuomorphism, following the aesthetic introduced with iOS 7 and certain applications from OS X Mavericks. -
OS X El Capitan
It focuses on performance, stability, and security, while maintaining the visual consistency with its predecessor, OS X Yosemite. -
MacOS Sierra
It was released by Apple in September 2016 and renamed from OS X to macOS to unify the operating system's name with other Apple platforms like iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Key features included enhancements to iCloud storage, support for Apple Pay and Siri, and improvements to the Finder interface. -
MacOS High Sierra
This iteration of macOS introduced significant changes to the core components of the operating system. Most notably, it featured the new Apple File System (APFS), which was designed to replace the older HFS+ filesystem that had been in use since Mac OS 8.1. This version also introduced BridgeOS, a separate update framework for the ARM co-processor found in certain Mac models. -
MacOS Mojave
This version introduces some enhancements to the user interface, including a new system-wide dark mode.
This is the final version of macOS to support 32-bit applications, as well as OpenGL-fallback composition in the compositor library (SkyLight.framework). -
MacOS Catalina
This version drops support for 32-bit macOS applications, as well as support for the OpenGL compositing in the compositor library (SkyLight.framework). This version drops support for devices that can be updated by replacing the graphic cards from OpenGL to Metal. It is the final version of macOS to use the major version number of 10. -
MacOS Big Sur
It is the first version of macOS since 2000 to increment the major version number from 10 to 11. It is also the first version of macOS to include Rosetta 2 for running and emulating x86-64 applications and the Universal 2 binary that enables applications to run on both Intel x86-64-based and ARM64-based Macs. -
MacOS Monterey
Similarly to what happened in macOS Big Sur, the version number jumped from 12.0 to 12.0.1 ever since the release candidate builds for unknown reasons. -
MacOS Ventura
Is a major update to the macOS operating system, bringing significant improvements and new features to Mac computers. It includes enhancements to core apps like Mail, Messages, and Safari, introduces new features like Continuity Camera and Stage Manager, and offers a redesigned System Settings interface. -
MacOS Sequoia
It introduces new features like Apple Intelligence, iPhone Mirroring, a dedicated Passwords app, and improvements to various core applications like Safari, Messages, and Notes.