So Apple’s new OSX Lion is available on the Mac App Store, bringing lots of iOS feature to the desktop operating system and lots of little tweaks and changes. ArsTechnica has a great review full of screenshots.
On first boot, Lion shows you a brand new login screen, draped in the linen texture seen as a background in iOS. Each user is represented by a small circular icon, with small monochromatic icons for “sleep,” “restart,” or “shut down” along the bottom. Along the top are some of the icons and info you’d expect to see on your menu bar once you log in, including battery level, WiFi connection, and date and time. This look is the first clue that Apple is bringing ideas over from iOS to Mac OS X.
In addition, they’ve revved up their Mac Mini hardware to a new version (still at $599) that boasts Sandy Bridge processors, AMD graphics, and Thunderbolt connectors, and does similar for the new MacBook Air. But they didn’t stop there, they also released a new 27-inch display called the “Thunderbolt Display” that supports a Thunderbolt connection (Rather than DVI, Displayport, or HDMI) along with integrated HD “FaceTime” camera.
OSX Lion is 
. Here’s a collection of reviews:
- Mac OS X Lion: The Ars Technica Review
- TUAW: Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Now Available
- EnGadget: Apple refreshes MacBook Air
- TUAW: MacBook Air updated with faster CPU & Backlit Keyboard
- GizModo: Apple’s Thunderbolt Display is just like the Old Cinema Display but Better
- TUAW: Say Hello to the new Apple Thunderbolt Display
- GizModo: OSX Lion, this is not the future we were hoping for
- GizModo: Mac Mini Line Padded Out with Three Thunderbolt Packing Models
Personally, I plan on waiting a while before I upgrade to Lion. I don’t particularly agree with the iOS-ification of desktop operating systems and I think it’ll be a hindrance more than anything. Time will tell, so I’m waiting for other folks to take the plunge.
