MacOS: History and evolution of the Operating System that revolutionized Apple

On this occasion we are going to deal with the development of the operating system for Apple computers, which is called MacOS. The first version to use the name MacOS was 7.6 in 1997.

Before this date, different versions were released, called “systems”, which were the basis of the operating system. Improvements and changes have been made since System 1 (1984) through System 7 (1991).

Version 7 of the system came in color, which was a big change, and already required a computer with a hard drive because it was too big. The following versions Mac OS 8 (1997) and Mac OS 9 (1999)introduced a new visual style and served as a transition to Mac OSX.

What is the Mac OS operating system? Definition

When Mac computers appeared on the market they certainly caused a revolution, but Like all successful projects, they have a great story to tell behind them. Here we take care of doing it for you.

What is the Mac OS operating system and when did it start?

The operating system of the Macintosh, or in English Macintosh Operating Systemoriginally it was software based on the older Lisa OS system from the lisa project. The Macintosh plan was started in 1979 but it was not until 1984 when it really hit the market, and at that time it was simply called “System”.

As you must have already guessed, This system was developed by the company Apple Inc. under the direction of three main developers who are, Bill Atkinson, Jeff Raskiny and Andy Hertzfeldthese in turn were in charge of Steve Jobs himself.

The result of the arrival of this new idea to the Apple company to the market created a pattern, since the software of the new personal computer was oriented to the visual satisfaction of the user, so it was something that quickly set itself apart from other systems of the time and instantly dwarfed its closest competition, the Lisa computer.

Below we will see more details of the characteristics of this system, so innovative for its time:

How does Apple MacOS work and what are its main features?

The Mac OS operating system has changed and improved a lot over the years it has been on the market. but from its beginning to the present day there are characteristics that have always distinguished it and we are going to present them below.

Macintosh File System was the original file system for the Macintosh. and although this was later replaced or improved in some way, it is a way to organize files in folders and directories in a flat way.

Some time later it became more branched the same year it was launched on the market, but what we can highlight from this point is that it allows the entire system to have complete synchrony between hardware and software, since with this branching a division is generated. of computer resources.

Another main and contrasting feature of Mac OS is that this totally lacks command lines and this has remained to this day, therefore it is not possible to access a system code or “symbol of the system” like in Windows.

Mac OS is software created to be in harmony with all the devices of the Apple company so it is very easy to share information between them. It should be noted that this became much easier over the years and with the arrival of new services on the market, such as the iCloud cloud.

This system in terms of structure it was changed to the same as UNIX, a portable operating system developed by AT&T, and in terms of interface it is based on NeTXSTEP, an operating system from another of the companies founded by Steve Jobs.

Being a closed software has its own range of file formats and they are generally only compatible with this system and vice versa, which is why you may experience some difficulties reading files from other systems.

Advantage

Mac OS has many advantages that can be highlighted, but today we will focus on the main ones:

When it comes to compatibility this system is designed in such a way that can read devices such as printers, scanners, cameras almost immediately and without the need to install any software.

In addition, if it is an Apple device, the system natively has all the drivers to recognize it. No problem. It is for them that a perfect synchrony is presumed between software Y hardware.

When you have a computer with Mac OS operating system, during all times of use you will have a sense of order, since it has a very pleasing design to the eye, and all the files without exception are contained in the folder “home”, generating a feeling of cleanliness for the user.

The processes of installing and uninstalling programs and Applications they are much simpler. The software has the ability to detect malicious files or potentially harmful and block their installation. The same usually happens with USB devices and memory cards.

Disadvantages

Like all software no matter how good they are, there will always be negative things or certain limitations that may arise, among them are:

Devices with this system They are usually a bit expensive compared to the competitionso it is not accessible to all people.

This includes replacement hardware parts, In addition to being expensive, not just any technician will be able to mount it on the computer. This means that it is also a bit difficult to get technical support, since it is also difficult to find a store where this kind of service is available.

Another great disadvantage that little by little has been diminishing but that is still latent is the fact that There is very little software for this system. Programmers focus more on creating for more commercial systems and forget about Mac OS a bit. That’s why it’s a bit difficult to have new programs and video games on Mac OS.

How many versions are there of Apple’s operating system, Mac OS?

Since its release on the market and through the years Mac OS has gone through many changes and improvements, but of course without losing its essence. Next we will see the different versions that have come out over time.

System Software 1 through 4

From the first version launched in 1984 until the 4 version culminated in 1987 the guidelines were established for what we would later know as the Mac OS. Therefore, these can be included in one, since it can be said that it is not until the fourth version that the system was really complete and robust in all respects.

It is during this period of time that the file system transitions from Macintosh File System, as we know it today Hierarchical File System. That as we mentioned before goes from having a flat file composition to a more branched composition or hierarchical as its name indicates in English.

In addition, in this period of time, the bifurcation that it allows some team resources to have a flat organization and others a branched organization. The debugging of the vast majority of errors also occurs that could arise and limit the work of users. This was also made possible in part by implementing support for the computer’s Hard disk 20 .

System Software 5

As of version 5 One of the most remarkable patterns of today’s operating systems was established. This was possible with the arrival of MultiFinder, the improvement that would allow the software to work with several applications at the same time and also decide which of these would run in the background when necessary.

System Software 6

When the launch of this version is given, it is also given shortly after the first portable Macintosh, so a software update is created for it.

This time for the first time align System Software versions with Finder version which was previously causing users confusion. From here it is considered a consolidated operating system and the name change begins to be considered.

System Software 7 and Mac OS 7.6

The name transition from System to Mac OS It occurs after the improvements that the system underwent in version 7. Starting because they give greater autonomy to the user regarding the personalization and organization of the team.

The interface becomes much more pleasant to use and to look at, it also becomes a much more stable system thanks to the implementation of 32 bits in the new equipment and the inclusion of new applications to facilitate user management.

Another radical change comes with the removal of MultiFinder, which, as we mentioned, is about the ability to work on two or more things at the same time. Since now this ability would be automatically implemented in the system without the need for this extension.

With system name change the company managed to eliminate licensing problems, because there were some companies trying to imitate their software.

At the same time discontinued support for the first computers with this system on the market. This contributed to better software performance for new computers and corrected certain problems that were latent in previous versions and computers.

Mac OS 8

This version did not introduce many improvements in the software, except for some additions regarding the personalization of the equipment. The version was created as a safe conduct to fill a legal gap that existed because of the Macintosh clone problem. It also served to give the company a sense of progress. just with the return of Jobs to command, in 1997.

Mac OS 9

With the arrival of the ninth version of the software, the concept of multi-user is introduced to the market, allowing more than one person to have their space on the computer. For the first time they began implement automatic or scheduled system updates. All the new features of the system already prepared it to be at the forefront in the new dawning era.

Mac OSX

The latest installment of the system Macintosh is completely UNIX based and this transition was possible thanks to the NeXT technology; another company that Steve Jobs founded, during his recession Apple Inc..

After this transition, a pattern was set because X represents 10 in Roman numerals and this is the culminating version. Although since its release in 1999 it has had many updates, these are still part of the same version. The one that is currently in force is Mac OS X 10.14.5 Mojave.

What are the differences between the Windows operating system and MacOS?

The two strongest operating systems on the technology market are Windows and Mac OS. That is why we are going to question some of their most notable features to appreciate the differences between the two.

On the subject of software and hardware there are certain notable differences, starting with the fact that the field of use of the Mac OS is limited to only Apple computers. While Windows is able to adapt to computers from different manufacturers, including Apple computers.

This in turn generates another difference and that is the fact that there is better communication between the Mac OS system and its respective computer, because all the hardware is already designed to work harmoniously with it. While the Windows system must be a bit more generic to be able to adapt to different hardware manufacturers.

One aspect that we can highlight is at the level of market Dominance, both systems dominate the market differently. Mac OS sells exclusivity and status, Windows is much more commercial and accessible. This also happens when finding spare parts and technicians For teams, it will always be much easier and less expensive to find solutions for a Windows computer than for a Mac.

The Windows system is much more commercial and so there are also the risks of malicious and cyber attacks. The software has certain vulnerabilities which are exploited in a negative way, due to their generic nature.

Quite the opposite of Mac OS which suffers from practically none of these problems. In spite of everything, both systems are excellent in their function and they do not dominate the market for nothing.

How to know what version of MacOS my Apple computer has?

If you have a Mac or an Apple computer, you may be interested know what version of the operating system you have installed to make the necessary provisions and upgrade in case you have old software.

The easiest way to do this is accessing the Apple menuin the corner of the screen you will select “About this Mac.” In the summary you will find the name of the system along with the version number, as it appears in the image.

Also from here if you find a software update you can run it from the button “Software update”.