What's New in Mac OS X 10.7 Lion?

Mac OS X 10.7, codenamed Lion, represents another giant leap for Apple’s OS X operating system with no fewer than 250 new features added to the existing Snow Leopard version.

So, just what can you expect from Apple's next big cat, and is it worth your time upgrading from your current version? Let's find out.

In a move that is starting to blur the lines between the iOS and Mac OS X, apple has extended the multi-touch functionality of its existing software to include all manner of swipes, taps and pinches. So, if you are used to an iPad or iPhone, you will be right at home with Lion.

So, gestures like double tapping to enlarge, swiping left and right to navigate apps, and pinching to zoom in and out, are now going to be standard features on Mac OS X 10.7. They will be compatible with Apple’s Macbook touchpads and the new Magic Trackpad.

Another nice addition to have is the ability to have true full-screen apps. This means that they enlarge to cover both the dock and the top menu bar. This was not possible in previous versions of Mac OS X, but is a welcome change for displaying photos or just working with fewer distractions.

Multiple full-screen apps can be run at the same time and made to stay full-screen even when you switch between them or go back to the desktop. You can also use those nifty multi-touch gestures to navigate between your full-screen apps.

Tired of scrolling through your Applications folder to find those apps you seldom use? This is where Launchpad comes in. It is a full screen app browser that looks very similar, and operates in much the same way, to what you would find on an iPad.

Apps can be rearranged by dragging and dropping them, and can be sorted into sub-folders by dropping one app on top of another. Removing apps is done by pressing and holding a mouse click on an app until they all begin to jiggle. Then click the cross on an icon to remove it.

Launchpad is basically a direct port from the iOS devices, but it is something many of us have come to use very successfully and intuitively on Apple's mobile devices, so including it on the Mac OS obviously seemed like a natural integration for Apple executives.

Apple's Mail app gets a significant upgrade in Mac OS X 10.7. It is optimized for widescreen displays and can take advantage of the new full-screen app feature to maximize the real estate on your screen.

A conversation views, as made popular by Gmail, is included for threaded email messages, and related messages can be retrieved in just one-click, regardless of whether they have been deleted or filed in other folders.

An improved search interface helps you find the messages you are looking for faster and with less hassle, while the Favorites Bar gives you instant access to the Mail folders you use most.

For multi-taskers and control freaks everywhere, Mission Control may be exactly what you need to increase your productivity. It displays your Dashboard, apps, and desktop spaces in one place to give you a complete overview of everything that you are working on at once.

With Mission Control you can also add multiple desktop spaces, and use multi-touch gestures to expand grouped applications or navigate between Mission Control items. Think of it as a turbo-charged Expose and you will get an idea of its true potential.

Other features of note include Air Drop - the ability to wirelessly send a file to another Mac OS X 10.7 user without even the need for a Wi-Fi connection. Your Mac will automatically find other Air Drop users withing 30 feet of you and show you who they are. All you then have to do is drag a file over their name and wait for them to accept it. This feature will undoubtedly be great for business meetings or collaboration work groups.

A new Auto Save capability means you may never have to worry about saving your work again, because Lion will do it for you. It works in harmony with an app called Versions, which gives you the ability to compare previous incarnations of your work with your current version.

Preview also gets some useful updates, as does Safari which is now optimized to take full advantage of multi-touch gestures and more. FaceTime integration is included and allows you to make calls to compatible iOS devices, and iCal gets a whole new look and some improved functionality.

Overall, there is a lot to like about the new Mac OS X 10.7 and Mac users should have no hesitation about whether or not to upgrade to the new version.

Lion is only commercially available as an update from the Mac App Store, so don't go looking for a DVD version at Amazon because you won't find one. It sells for $29.99, and you need to be running Mac OS X 10.6 in order to download the update.