macOS: Overview of versions

Some time has passed since Mac OS X 10.0 was released. We'll show you which versions have run on Apple computers since then - and what's coming.

Mac OS X 10.0: Cheeta

The first Mac OS X version was released on March 24, 2001. The operating system was characterized by its stability, but it was also very slow.

Mac OS X 10.1: Puma

The successor version "Puma" came on the market a short time later, namely on September 25, 2001. Apple made it available free of charge for the update. Puma was significantly faster and was also enriched with some features that were still missing from the predecessor.

Mac OS X 10.2: Jaguar

The next Apple big cat followed on August 13, 2002, and from this version on, the smooth wild animals also became official product names. With CUPS as the printing system, the use of alternative printer drivers was now also possible.

Mac OS X 10.3: Panther

The panther first appeared on October 24, 2003. For example, the iChat AV video chat program and FileVault user directory encryption were new. There was also the programming interface Core Audio and a quick user change without having to log out or log in.

Mac OS X 10.4: Tiger

The tiger was released by Apple on April 29, 2005 - and brought the spotlight search and dashboard with it for the first time. The Automator for automating recurring work processes was also new, as was the RSS support for Safari.

Mac OS X 10.5: Leopard

Leopard was released in 2007 - but only six months later than planned, namely on October 26th. For the first time, Apple processors also supported Intel processors. The dock became three-dimensional, the menu bar transparent. In addition to some changes and extensions to the design, the integration of the Time Machine for data backup and the optional parallel installation of Microsoft Windows via Boot Camp were the most striking further developments.

Mac OS X 10.6: Snow Leopard

The leopard became a snow leopard on August 28, 2009. There were only a few new functions, it was mainly about improvements. An Intel processor was now mandatory, PowerPC processors were no longer supported.

Mac OS X 10.7: Lion

Lion was very different from his predecessor. With the publication on July 20, 2011 there was also a new design. Based on iOS, the user can now have the programs displayed on the launchpad and use multi-touch gestures. Mission Control makes it easier to keep track of all windows and has been upgraded in terms of security: the system hard drive can be completely encrypted with on-board means and open files are automatically saved every hour.

OS X 10.8: Mountain Lion

The last wildcat was Mountain Lion. Released on February 16, 2012, Apple did not add the "Mac" addition to OS X for the first time. This version also took on additional functions from iOS: the connection to iCloud was improved, a notification center including push notifications was new.

OS X 10.9: Mavericks

The wildcat era ended on June 10, 2013 with the Mavericks operating system. For example, tabs and tagging were new in the Finder. While Mountain Lion was still subject to a fee, Apple made the update available to Apple users free of charge.

$config[ads_text5] not found

OS X 10.10: Yosemite

Yosemite was released on October 16, 2014, but a beta version of the operating system was available for the first time in advance. As with Mavericks, this update was free for Apple users. In addition to a revised interface, the interaction with iPhone and iPad has been improved.

OS X 10.11: El Capitan

El Capitan has been on the market since June 8, 2015. The main differences from the predecessor are improvements in stability and performance.

$config[ads_text6] not found

macOS 10.12: Sierra

The Sierra released since autumn 2016 is no longer called OS X, but macOS. The integration of the Siri voice assistant is new. In addition, the user can log in to the computer using his Apple Watch.

macOS 10.13: High Sierra

The current successor to Sierra was presented on June 5, 2017. Some details were worked on here and further improvements were made. Safari prevents videos from playing automatically. The browser also received support against tracking.

macOS 10.14: Mojave

Mojave has already been introduced, the operating system will be available for your Mac from autumn 2018. Dark mode is available as a new surface design. You can also edit files in the future without opening them.

If you are curious about the new macOS Mojave, you can already install the beta version.