by Just in time to counter the news about Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 10 operating system (via the BBC), Apple today launched a “golden master candidate” for OS X Yosemite. That means that development of the system is largely at an end, and that from now on Apple will chiefly occupy itself with squashing lingering bugs and honing rough edges. And if you want to jump in, you can. The release of the golden master candidate also marks the launch of the fourth public beta.
Specifically, the build for the developers is Build 14A379a; the build for the public beta is Build 14A379b. You can, of course, download it from the Mac Dev Center if you have access to it, and if you’re a “regular” user, you can download it from the Mac App Store. But first you’ll need to sign up.
Yosemite does for Mac OS X what iOS 7 did for the company’s mobile operating system. Most on-screen elements now sport the “flatter” look Jony Ive likes so much these days, and familiar elements such as the dock and the windows menu have new designs. New features are plentiful, such as a greatly enhanced Spotlight tool and Continuity support for easy access to whatever you’re doing on your iPad or iPhone.
And as a side note, yes, the golden master candidate fixes the “Shellshock” vulnerability, which was fixed just yesterday for OS X Mavericks, Mountain Lion, and Lion.
Follow this article’s writer, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.
