Somewhat unexpectedly, Apple has made the code for the next version of OS X, codenamed Mountain Lion, available to registered Mac developers. The update makes Apple’s desktop operating system even more like iOS, its mobile operating system. For example, Macs will now have the same chat client as iPhones — Messages. Mac users will also get Notes, Reminders, Game Center, Notification Center, Share Sheets, OS-wide Twitter integration, and AirPlay Mirroring. For developers, Apple is touting “hundreds” of new APIs, many of them carried over from the latest version of iOS.
Apple expects to release the final version of Mountain Lion to consumers sometime this summer. It will carry a price tag of $29.99 at the Mac App Store.
