In a move largely divergent from its operating policies, Apple started recruiting beta testers Tuesday, April 22, for its OS X Beta Seed Program to try out Mavericks 10.9.3 for free before it ships.
Previously, only registered developers who paid an annual fee of $99 were allowed to access pre-release versions of Apple's desktop OS. The last time a beta-version OS was made available to the public was in 2000, but interested users had to pay $29.95 to test-drive what became Cheetah or OS X 10.0.
Apple does not charge fees or hold eligibility requirements for users who wish to retrieve Mavericks 10.9.3 in beta. Anyone over 18 and has an Apple ID can sign up for the program and download the pre-release version of the upcoming Mavericks OS update.
The company, however, requires that participants agree to its terms and conditions, which specifically states that testers are not allowed to reveal any information regarding the updated OS to the public.
"You agree that you will not disclose, publish, or otherwise disseminate any Confidential Information to anyone other than the individuals who are enrolled in the same individual seed as you, or as otherwise expressly permitted or agreed to in writing by Apple," the company states in its Terms and Conditions document.
"Accordingly, you agree that Apple will have the right to seek immediate injunctive relief to enforce obligations under this Agreement in addition to any other rights and remedies it may have," it adds.
The company also issued a Program FAQ that explained the confidentiality clause.
"The pre-release software is Apple confidential information. For example, don't install the pre-release Apple software on any systems you don't directly control or that you share with others, don't blog, post screen shots, tweet or publicly post information about the pre-release Apple software, and don't discuss the pre-release Apple software with or demonstrate it to others who are not in the OS X Beta Seed Program," the company says.
Participants are expected to help the company identify any remaining bugs and glitches of OS X 10.9.3 using the Feedback Assistant that can be seen on the Dock of the OS. The Feedback Assistant will also be used to send diagnostic files.
Apple recommends that Beta Seed Program testers back up their computers using Time Machine. It also promised customer support should any problems arise.
The company has been the subject of criticism for refusing to release beta versions of its OS and iOS. Customers have complained that Apple does not widely test its software before releasing it to the public.
With this new program, Apple follows into the footsteps of other software developers, notably Microsoft, which made pre-release versions of Windows 8 freely available to its customers.
Apple, however, did not specify whether the program extends into future OS editions.
