Apple has developers and Mac lovers excited again with the announcement that a beta version of the new OS X software is coming this week. The newest version of OS X is 10.10 Yosemite.
The new operating system from Apple has been long awaited and users that are tech savvy, or curious, can get the beta version Thursday. Users are advised, however, to take some steps before plunging right into the new Mac OS.
Apple reportedly made the announcement of the beta release at the Worldwide Developers Conference this year. Apple has not traditionally released beta copies of its desktop/laptop operating systems before official launch dates, unlike its competitors over at Microsoft who have made a habit of the practice for years.
Apple's public beta signup is available online. So what do Mac users need to know about getting the new public beta OS X?
Like most or all beta software versions, this one will also likely have bugs and other kinks to work out, which is partly why Apple wants to release a public beta version of the software. As it has advertised, the company wants users to help shape the software by providing helpful feedback, tips and important bug reports.
Before attempting to install Yosemite beta, be sure to back up OS X in Time Machine first, just in case you have a load problem or your machine crashes. Also, make sure you are running OS X Mavericks. Mavericks is available free from the Apple Mac app store.
Also, if you can, install it on a secondary computer. It was additionally reported that some of the new features of the OS will not be made available on the beta. Those include phone calls and SMS messaging, Handoff, Instant Hotspot, and the fairly new iCloud Drive cloud storage option from Apple.
According to other reports online, the expected release date of the official version of Yosemite will be this fall some time. The only time Mac has had a beta version, according to the cited report above, was the original Mac OS X.
There is always potential for loss of data or other computer problems when using beta versions of software, especially an operating system. Also, according to sources, the first million people to sign up for the beta program are automatically accepted. Others will have to wait for confirmation from Apple.
Those with developer accounts will also likely have automatic access, maybe even access to features unavailable to regular users of OS X. According to another source, developers were given access on Monday to the Yosemite beta program.
Apple's iOS 8 beta has also recently been released. Some apps will only be available on iOS 8 and Yosemite, according to several sources.
