Apple reports 3 million Mountain Lion downloads in four days, ‘most successful OS X release’

We heard some rumblings ahead of the weekend from third-party sources, and like clockwork, Apple has kicked the week off with its weekend box office returns. According to Cupertino’s numbers, the latest version of OS X hit 3 million downloads in four days, making for “the most successful OS X release in Apple’s history.” Price has surely played a role in Mountain Lion’s speedy success, running $20 for 200-plus features, according to Apple’s numbers. That list includes big additions like Notification Center and AirPlay Mirroring and a selection of smaller tweaks to the decade-old operating system. More information can be found in the customarily self-congratulatory press release, after the break.

Continue reading Apple reports 3 million Mountain Lion downloads in four days, ‘most successful OS X release’

Filed under:

Apple reports 3 million Mountain Lion downloads in four days, ‘most successful OS X release’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 08:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Gabe Newell of Valve: Windows 8 “a catastrophe”

This week at the video game conference known as Casual Connect, Valve head Gabe Newell has taken out the knives and cut up a nice clean slice of Microsoft with heavily negative comments on their next big operating system Windows 8. Newell’s Valve and Steam create a video game environment in which people can download games and keep their accounts with access to those games in the cloud. Newell is currently working to bring big-name games that otherwise would only have been for Windows and OS X machines to Linux in the meantime.

With Newell speaking so negatively about Windows 8 it seems almost inevitable that he’s got a back-up plan set in motion. As it turns out, his move with Steam toward Linux as an operating system of interest is “a hedging strategy” as he describes it. His predictions about Windows 8 certainly don’t place him in the favor of Microsoft on the whole, though their having their own gaming portal too never really added up to a great relationship between the companies in the first place.

“[Windows 8] is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space. We’ll lose some of the top-tier PC/OEMs, who will exit the market. I think margins will be destroyed for a bunch of people. … It will be good to have alternatives to hedge against that eventuality.” – Newell

This move adds to Newell’s comments that without the open nature of the PC in general, Valve would never have been able to exist. Speaking on the controlled nature of Microsoft’s own Xbox LIVE integration and built-in Windows Store, Newell noted that there’s always a “strong temptation” to close a platform because of the profits that can be gained. Developers, he noted, “look at what they can accomplish when they limit the competitors’ access to the platform, and they say ‘That’s really exciting.’”

Stick around as Newell and his massively popular gaming portal Valve continue to attempt to shape the future of computing on a gaming tip.

[via AllThingsD]


Gabe Newell of Valve: Windows 8 “a catastrophe” is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Apple retires Lion from Mac App Store, there’s a new king in town

Cue the video of 10.7 walking off into the sunset. Today is Mountain Lion day, and with the arrival of the new operating system comes the departure of its predecessor. Clicking the link for Lion will bring up a “The item you’ve requested is not currently available” error message in the Mac App Store. Thankfully, Mountain Lion is just one $20 download away for Lion and Snow Leopard users alike.

Filed under:

Apple retires Lion from Mac App Store, there’s a new king in town originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Mac Stories  |  sourceMac App Store  | Email this | Comments

Mountain Lion hits the Mac App Store, is one $20 credit card deduction away

You’ve read (or closely skimmed) the review, you’ve watched the video — now it’s time to fire up your downloading finger and see for yourself. The latest version of Apple OS X just hit the Mac App Store, carrying a a modest $20 price tag. Of course, this round is download-only, so if you want to get your grubby paws on the desktop version of AirPlay Monitoring, Messages, Share Sheets and the rest of those 200+ features, this is the only way to do it.

Update: Looks like the big cat is “Temporarily Unavailable” for download. We’ll let you know when that’s not the case.

Update: Everything seems to be fine now. Download away.

Continue reading Mountain Lion hits the Mac App Store, is one $20 credit card deduction away

Mountain Lion hits the Mac App Store, is one $20 credit card deduction away originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 08:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceiTunes  | Email this | Comments

Apple OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 review

A lot has changed since early 2001. We’ve got a new president approaching the end of his first term, the US has embarked on two major wars and the words “Lady Gaga” have become much more than just gibberish. Some things, however, don’t change. In nearly each of these intervening years, Apple has issued a major update to its desktop operating system, OS X. This time last year, the company issued OS 10.7 Lion, a king-of-the-jungle moniker many thought would mark the end of Apple’s big cat naming scheme and, by extension, the OS X lineage. In February, however, the old operating system showed she still had some life left in her, when the next edition was revealed, arriving over the summer and called Mountain Lion.

Based on the name alone, you’d think 10.8 would be a modest improvement over its predecessor — not unlike the baby step between Leopard (10.5) and Snow Leopard (10.6). But Apple insists that this latest build is more than just a seasonal refresh — in all, it boasts more than 200 new features. Some are major, including things like a new Notification Center, AirPlay Mirroring and a desktop version of Messages. Others, such as full-screen mode for Notes… not so much. What seems to unite the vast majority of the 200 features, however, is a nod to iOS. So, how easily can Mac users justify that $20 download? Follow along after the break, as we put those 200 features to the test.

Continue reading Apple OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 review

Filed under:

Apple OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 08:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Apple to release OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion tomorrow

Apple just confirmed in its Q3 2012 earnings report that Mountain Lion is coming tomorrow. The hotly anticipated 10.8 version of OS X brings with it a host of new features, as we’ve expounded upon in the past. The upgrade will be just $19.99 (unless you’ve recently bought a new Mac — in which case it’ll be free) and will be available via download on the Mac App Store in 24 hours or less. Better start finding some disk space.

Filed under:

Apple to release OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Microsoft talks Windows 8 app pricing, free trials

Now that we have a release date for Windows 8, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty and talk about apps. All of the apps we’ve seen for the Windows 8 Consumer Preview have been free, but obviously, that won’t be the case when the full version of Windows 8 becomes available. Even though we’ll surely see a ton of free apps available on the Windows Store, developers will have the option of setting prices for their apps as well.


Microsoft has detailed the pricing scheme it will eventually use for the Windows Store, saying in a post on the MSDN Blog that app prices can range from $1.49 all the way up to $999.99. In an apparent attempt to make the Windows Store stand out from all the other app stores, developers won’t have the option of pricing their apps at $0.99, so don’t count on having a seemingly endless supply of dollar deals to browse through on the Windows Store.

The company also says that it will support successful apps by only taking a 20% fee on apps that generate $25,000 or more in sales. Until apps reach that $25,000 milestone, however, Microsoft will be taking an industry-standard cut of 30%.

Additionally, Microsoft is taking a “try before you buy” approach to the Windows Store, letting developers offer a free trial period for their apps. A trial lasts for seven days, and naturally gives users the option of backing out of a full purchase should they decide they don’t like the app during the trial window.

Microsoft is making some smart decisions with the Windows Store. The 20% fee on successful apps will likely have developers giving the Windows Store priority in some cases, and giving users access to a free trial before buying could potentially lead to more downloads (and, by extension, more purchases). We’ll see if Microsoft’s plan for the Windows Store works out when Windows 8 launches on October 26.

[via The Next Web]


Microsoft talks Windows 8 app pricing, free trials is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Microsoft demonstrates the universe-exploring abilities of Windows 8

For those of you waiting for Windows 8′s final release on October 26th will be glad to know that you’ll soon be able to explore the universe with your fingertips thanks to Microsoft’s new collaboration with PixelSense. This technology has been demonstrated with an application called NUIverse this week at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference on the massive tabletop device known as the Samsung SUR40. Here you’ll find the whole universe – or at least a massive part of it – able to be explored by you with the tips of your fingers.

This demonstration takes place over the course of four minutes at the conference courtesy of Microsoft Technology Center UK’s David Brown, a fellow who you might also know from his extensive blog on this subject by the name of Dr Dave. There you’ll find expanded a beastload of information on the application you’re about to see here, complete with constellation implementation and development of the gesture controls now made possible with PixelSense and the Windows-rocking Samsung tabletop you see below.

Have a peek at this most advanced demonstration of how Windows 8 working with Microsoft’s PixelSense technology will be bringing the universe to you up close and personal:

As Dr Dave himself notes, key elements demonstrated in the video include:

• Multi-touch to control complex camera motion
• Multi-direction UI consistent with a horizontal display form-factor and multiple concurrent users
• Level-of-Detail rendering for planetary bodies and backgrounds
• Independant control of time and position
• Control selection using just-in-time-chrome
• Satellite model rendering

This talk is part of a series of bits from WPC in 2012 hosted by Microsoft’s Jon Roskill and Steve Clayton. If you were lucky enough to be in Toronto for this event, you saw NUIverse as well as a collection of demonstrations on how Microsoft is putting themselves squarely in the path of next-generation innovation that’ll work great with – you guessed it – Windows 8. Can’t wait for more big ideas!


Microsoft demonstrates the universe-exploring abilities of Windows 8 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Microsoft launching Windows 8 on October 26th for new and upgrade customers

Microsoft launching Windows 8 on October 26th for new and upgrade customers

The title says it all, folks — Microsoft’s newest operating system will hit the masses starting on October 26th, nearly three years to the day after the launch of Windows 7. Just days after the company previewed Office 2013, we’re now told that Steven Sinofsky has affirmed the date at MS’s annual sales meeting, but it’s not clear if that’s a global date or one reserved for the US market. Customers will be able to grab Win8 as an upgrade or in new, unmolested form on that date, and you can bet we’ll have a review out to coincide. For now, our in-depth look of the Release Preview will have to tide you over.

[Thanks, Jignesh]

Microsoft launching Windows 8 on October 26th for new and upgrade customers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Next Web  |  sourceMicrosoft  | Email this | Comments

Jolla plans to lock down its MeeGo phone, promises app store

Say what you will about Jolla, the startup hoping to bring MeeGo back from the dead, but the company certainly has spirit. Managing director of Jolla, Jussi Hurmola, understands that the platform needs solid third-party apps as well as a thriving app store to have any chance of surviving in the mobile market. He went on to say that the company is hoping to build up an ecosystem around MeeGo, and will put out its own app store that will let customers purchase and download apps.

Not surprisingly, Hurmola points to an already available app that seems to be on just about every device on the planet, Angry Birds, but he went on to recognize the importance of a healthy app store. In addition to releasing details about its upcoming phone, Jolla has pledged to inform the world about the availability of upcoming applications. The phone is currently on track for a release later on in the year, although Hurmola doesn’t guarantee Christmas availability.

Interesting, Jolla doesn’t want the phone to be as open as some Android devices, saying that the kernel will be locked down and that customers won’t be able to flash their own software. Jolla intends the phone to appeal to the mass market, hoping to create a phone “almost everybody would want for themselves.” Good luck to the company: it certainly has a uphill battle ahead, with the likes of iOS, Android, and Windows Phone to compete with.

[via International Business Times]


Jolla plans to lock down its MeeGo phone, promises app store is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.