Mac operating systems facts for kids
Two main types of Mac operating systems were created by Apple Inc..
In 1984, Apple launched its first operating system, now called the "Classic" Mac OS. It came with the very first Macintosh computers. This system was renamed "Mac OS" in 1997. It was installed on every Macintosh until 2002. People liked it because it was easy to use. However, some felt it lacked modern features compared to other systems.
The current Mac operating system is macOS. It was first called "Mac OS X" until 2012, then "OS X" until 2016. Apple developed it between 1997 and 2001 after buying a company called NeXT. This new system was built on a different foundation called NeXTSTEP, which was a Unix system. This solved many technical problems the classic Mac OS had, like issues with memory. Today, macOS comes pre-installed on every Mac. It gets a big update every year. It's also the base for Apple's other device software, like iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
Before Mac OS X, Apple tried out other ideas. They released products to bring the Macintosh look to Unix-like systems or vice versa. Examples include A/UX, MAE, and MkLinux. In the 1990s, Apple also worked on replacing the classic Mac OS. This led to some projects that were later cancelled. These were code named Star Trek, Taligent, and Copland.
Even though the classic Mac OS and macOS (Mac OS X) are built differently, they share many design ideas. Both have a menu bar at the top of the screen. They use the Finder program, which shows a desktop metaphor. This means files and apps look like icons. Folders and a trash can work like real-world objects. Both systems also use overlapping windows to do many tasks at once.
Before the Macintosh arrived in 1984, Apple made operating systems for its other computers. The Apple II series (1977) used Apple DOS, ProDOS, and later GS/OS. The Apple III (1980) ran Apple SOS. The Apple Lisa (1983) used Lisa OS and later MacWorks XL. Apple also created the Newton OS for its Newton personal digital assistant from 1993 to 1997.
In recent years, Apple has launched several new operating systems. These are based on the main parts of macOS. They include iOS (2007) for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices. iOS also powers HomePod smart speakers since 2017. watchOS (2015) is for the Apple Watch. tvOS (2015) is for the Apple TV set-top box.
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The Classic Mac OS
The "classic" Mac OS was the first Macintosh operating system. It came out in 1984 with the first Macintosh computer. It was the main operating system for Macs until Mac OS X arrived in 2001.
Apple launched the original Macintosh on January 24, 1984. Its early software was partly based on the Lisa OS. It was also inspired by the Alto computer. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs had seen the Alto at Xerox PARC. The system was first called "System Software" or just "System." Apple renamed it "Mac OS" in 1996. This was partly because of its Macintosh clone program, which ended a year later.
Classic Mac OS had a simple, all-in-one design. Early versions could only run one app at a time. System 5 allowed users to switch between apps. System 7 could use more memory and run bigger programs. Later updates to System 7 helped Macs switch to the PowerPC processor. People found the system easy to use. But it had some limits, like how it handled memory. It also had issues with different programs working together.
Classic Mac OS Versions
There were nine main versions of the classic Mac OS. The name "Classic" now refers to the whole system. It also refers to a special tool that helped Macs switch to Mac OS X.
- Macintosh System Software – "System 1", released in 1984
- System Software 2, 3, and 4 – released between 1985 and 1987
- System Software 5 – released in 1987
- System Software 6 – released in 1988
- System 7 / Mac OS 7.6 – released in 1991
- Mac OS 8 – released in 1997
- Mac OS 9 – the last major version, released in 1999
macOS (Mac OS X / OS X)
macOS is the current Mac operating system. It was first called "Mac OS X" until 2012. Then it was "OS X" until 2016. It officially took over from the classic Mac OS in 2001.
This system was first sold as "version 10" of Mac OS. But its history is quite different from the classic Mac OS. It is a Unix-based system. It was built using NeXTSTEP and other tech from NeXT. Apple bought NeXT in early 1997, and its CEO Steve Jobs returned to Apple. Before Mac OS X was released, there were projects like OPENSTEP, Apple's Rhapsody, and the Mac OS X Public Beta.
macOS uses parts of the BSD code and the XNU kernel. Its main parts come from Apple's open source Darwin operating system.
macOS is the foundation for some of Apple's other operating systems. These include iPhone OS/iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.
macOS Versions
Desktop Versions
The first version of the system came out on March 24, 2001. It featured the Aqua user interface. Since then, many more versions have been released. They add new features and technologies. Since 2011, new versions have come out every year.
- Mac OS X 10.0 – "Cheetah", released March 24, 2001
- Mac OS X 10.1 – "Puma", released September 25, 2001
- Mac OS X Jaguar – version 10.2, released August 23, 2002
- Mac OS X Panther – version 10.3, released October 24, 2003
- Mac OS X Tiger – version 10.4, released April 29, 2005
- Mac OS X Leopard – version 10.5, released October 26, 2007
- Mac OS X Snow Leopard – version 10.6, shown June 8, 2009
- Mac OS X Lion – version 10.7, released July 20, 2011
- OS X Mountain Lion – version 10.8, released July 25, 2012
- OS X Mavericks – version 10.9, released October 22, 2013
- OS X Yosemite – version 10.10, released October 16, 2014
- OS X El Capitan – version 10.11, released September 30, 2015
- macOS Sierra – version 10.12, released September 20, 2016
- macOS High Sierra – version 10.13, released September 25, 2017
- macOS Mojave – version 10.14, released September 24, 2018
- macOS Catalina – version 10.15, released October 7, 2019
- macOS Big Sur – version 11, released November 12, 2020
- macOS Monterey – version 12, released October 25, 2021
- macOS Ventura – version 13, released October 24, 2022
- macOS Sonoma - version 14, released September 26, 2023
One version of macOS, 10.16, was never publicly released. Its version number changed to 11.0 during testing.
Server Versions
An early server computing version of the system was released in 1999. It was a preview of the technology. More official server versions followed. Since 2011, server features have been offered as an add-on for the desktop system.
- Mac OS X Server 1.0 – "Hera", released in 1999
- Mac OS X Server – later called "OS X Server" and "macOS Server", released between 2001 and 2022.
Other Apple OS Projects
Released Projects
A/UX
In 1988, Apple released A/UX. This was its first UNIX-based operating system. It had the same look and feel as the Mac OS. It wasn't very popular because the UNIX market was crowded. Also, Macintosh computers at the time weren't as powerful as other workstation computers. A/UX was mostly sold to the U.S. government. They needed systems that met certain technical rules that Mac OS couldn't meet.
MkLinux
MkLinux was announced in 1996. It is an open source operating system. The OSF Research Institute and Apple started it in February 1996. Their goal was to make Linux work on PowerPC Macs. In 1998, a group of developers took over the project. MkLinux stands for "Microkernel Linux." It means the Linux kernel runs on top of a smaller core program called the Mach microkernel.
Cancelled Projects
Star Trek
The Star Trek project was a secret prototype started in 1992. Its goal was to make a version of the classic Mac OS that could run on Intel-based x86 computers. Apple worked with Novell and Intel on this. Novell wanted to combine its DR-DOS with the Mac OS look. This was to compete with Microsoft's Windows 3.0 and MS-DOS. A small team from Apple and Novell got the Macintosh Finder and some basic apps working on x86 computers. The project was cancelled in early 1993. But some of its code was later used when Mac OS was moved to PowerPC computers.
Taligent
Taligent was the name of a company and an object-oriented operating system project. It started as an Apple project to replace the classic Mac OS. Later, it became a joint project with IBM. The goal was to create a competitor to Microsoft Cairo and NeXTSTEP. The development was very difficult. Taligent is often seen as an example of a "project death march." Apple left the project in 1995 before any code was finished.
Copland
Copland was an Apple project to create an updated version of the classic Mac OS. It was supposed to add new features like protected memory and preemptive multitasking. It also aimed to be compatible with existing Mac software. A later release, "Gershwin," was planned to add more advanced features. But new features were added too quickly. The project kept getting delayed. In 1996, Apple decided to cancel Copland. They chose to find a different system to replace it. Copland development ended in August 1996. In December 1996, Apple announced it was buying NeXT for its NeXTSTEP operating system.
Timeline
| Timeline of Mac operating systems |
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See also
In Spanish: Mac OS para niños
- Comparison of operating systems
- History of the graphical user interface
- Mac
- List of Mac software
