Apple will allow one million Mac users to test the beta version of the upcoming OS X Yosemite before the full release of the operating system.
This will be the first time in over a decade that Apple is allowing any Mac user to test the newest version of OS X prior to its public release.
The OS X Beta Program will allow users to try out the new OS X to send feedback to Apple regarding quality and usability, which the company said will help make OS X Yosemite better for all users.
Participation in the OS X Beta Program is free, but testers will also be receiving no compensation for signing up.
Interested Mac users can now sign up, using their Apple ID. Once the software of the beta version of the OS X Yosemite is ready, users that have signed up will receive a redemption code to be able to download and install the OS X through the Mac App Store.
Once the OS X Yosemite has been installed, testers can begin using it right away. Any issues that users come across can then be reported to Apple using the Feedback Assistant application that comes with the OS X.
Before a Mac user signs up for the OS X Beta Program, the user's Mac should have the OS X Mavericks installed first, which can be downloaded for free from the Mac App Store.
Apple said that it is recommending users to install the beta version of the OS X Yosemite on a back-up Mac, as the OS X may still contain some inaccuracies and errors. In addition, users are recommended to set up a back-up of their Macs using the Time Machine app before installing the beta version.
Apple adds that since a beta version means that the OS X is still in development, there may be some applications and services that will not be working as expected. In addition, some of the OS X Yosemite's features require connections with a device running iOS 8, which is not part of the OS X Beta Program.
Apple also says that the pre-release software of the OS X Yosemite is confidential, meaning that users will not be allowed to install the OS X on systems that they don't control or systems that they share with other users.
OS X Yosemite was announced by Apple at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference held last June. It is expected to be released to the general public this fall.
