OS X Mavericks

OS X Mavericks (version 10.9) is the 10th major release of macOS, Apple Inc.'s desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. OS X Mavericks was announced on June 10, 2013, at WWDC 2013, and was released on October 22, 2013, worldwide.

"Mac OS X 10.9" redirects here. Not to be confused with Mac OS 9.

OS X Mavericks

Version of the macOS operating system
The default interface of OS X Mavericks
Developer	Apple Inc.
OS family	Macintosh Unix[1]
Source model	Closed, with open source components
General availability	October 22, 2013; 11 years ago (2013-10-22)[2]
Latest release	10.9.5 (Build 13F1911) / July 18, 2016; 8 years ago (2016-07-18)[3]
Update method	Mac App Store
Platforms	x86-64
Kernel type	Hybrid (XNU)
License	APSL, BSD, GPL v2, and Apple EULA
Preceded by	OS X Mountain Lion
Succeeded by	OS X Yosemite
Official website	Apple – OS X Mavericks – Do even more with new apps and features. at the Wayback Machine (archived October 15, 2014)
Tagline	Power to the desktop.
Support status
Obsolete, unsupported as of September 2016. iTunes is no longer being updated after March 2017,[4] but does have partial support for newer devices.[5][better source needed]

The update emphasized battery life, Finder improvements, other improvements for power users, and increased iCloud integration, as well as bringing more of Apple's iOS apps to OS X. Mavericks was named after the surfing location in Northern California.^[6] It also removed some of the skeuomorphic designs from OS X Mountain Lion, and it is the final version of macOS that features the Lucida Grande typeface as the standard system font since Mac OS X Public Beta in 2000.

Mavericks was the first OS X release to be named after a location in California, and the first to be a free upgrade since Mac OS X 10.1 Puma.^[7][8][9]

History

Apple announced OS X Mavericks on June 10, 2013, during the company's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote (which also introduced iOS 7, a revised MacBook Air, the sixth-generation AirPort Extreme, the fifth-generation AirPort Time Capsule, and a redesigned Mac Pro). During a keynote on October 22, 2013, Apple announced that the official release of 10.9 on the Mac App Store would be available immediately, and that unlike previous versions of OS X, 10.9 would be available at no charge to all users running Snow Leopard (10.6.8) or later.^[10]

On October 22, 2013, Apple offered free upgrades for life on OS X and iWork.^[11]

System requirements

All the Macs supporting OS X Mountain Lion support OS X Mavericks. As with Mountain Lion, 2 GB of RAM, 8 GB of available storage, and Mac OS X Snow Leopard or later are required.^[12] Mavericks and later versions are all available for free.^[13]

The full list of compatible models:^[14]

• iMac (Mid 2007 or later)
• MacBook (Aluminum, Late 2008 or later)
• MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)
• MacBook Pro (Mid 2007 or later)
• Mac Mini (Early 2009 or later)
• Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)
• Xserve (Early 2009)

System features

The menu bar and the Dock are available on each display. Additionally, AirPlay compatible displays such as the Apple TV can be used as an external display.^[15][16] Mission Control has been updated to organize and switch between Desktop workspaces independently between multiple displays.^[15]

OS X Mavericks introduced App Nap, which sleeps apps that are not currently visible.^{[17][18][19][20][21]} Any app running on Mavericks can be eligible for this feature by default.^[19]

Compressed Memory is a virtual memory compression system which automatically compresses data from inactive apps when approaching maximum memory capacity.^{[17][18][22][23]}

Timer coalescing is a feature that enhances energy efficiency by reducing CPU usage by up to 72 percent.^{[17][18][24][19][25]} This allows MacBooks to run for longer periods of time and desktop Macs to run cooler.^[26]

Apple now supports OpenGL 4.1 Core Profile^[27] and OpenCL 1.2.^[26] Server Message Block version 2 (SMB2) is now the default protocol for sharing files, rather than AFP.^[28][29] This is to increase performance and cross-platform compatibility.

Some skeuomorphs, such as the leather texture in Calendar, the legal pad theme of Notes, and the book-like appearance of Contacts, have been removed from the UI and replaced with flat design similar to iOS 7.^[30][31]

iCloud Keychain stores a user's usernames, passwords and Wi-Fi passwords to allow the user to fill this information into forms when needed.^[32][33]

The system has native LinkedIn sharing integration.^[34][35]

IPoTB (Internet Protocol over Thunderbolt Bridge) Thunderbolt networking is supported in Mavericks.^[36] This feature allows the user to quickly transfer a large amount of data between two Macs.^[37]

Notification Center allows the user to reply to notifications instantly,^[38][39] allows websites to send notifications,^[40] and, when the user wakes up a Mac that was in a sleep state, displays a summary of missed notifications before the machine is unlocked.^[41] Some system alerts, such as low battery, removal of drives without ejecting, and a failed Time Machine backup have been moved to Notification Center.^[39]

The "traffic light" close, minimize, and maximize window buttons have appeared somewhat brighter than OS X Lion and OS X Mountain Lion.

App features

Finder gets enhancements such as tabs,^[15][42] full-screen support, and document tags.^{[15][43][44][45]} Pinch-to-zoom and swipe-to-navigate-history gestures have been removed, although both are supported anywhere else.

The new iBooks application allows the user to read books purchased through the iBooks Store. The app also allows the user to purchase new content from the iBooks Store,^[46] and a night mode to make it easier to read in dark environments.^[47]

The new Maps application adds the same functionalities that were featured in iOS Maps.^[47][46] Among these new features is the capability to search directions for driving and walking,^[42] report problems in the Maps application,^[42] and viewing street addresses to Maps via the Contacts application.^[42]

The Calendar app has enhancements such as being able to add Facebook events,^[48] view the map of a specified location,^[42] and an estimate for the travel time to an event.^[49][50][15]

The Safari browser has a significantly enhanced JavaScript performance which Apple claims is faster than Chrome and Firefox.^[51] A Top Sites view allows the user to quickly access the most viewed sites by default. However, the user can pin or remove websites from the view.^[52] The sidebar now allows the user to view their bookmarks, reading list and shared links.^[53] Safari can also auto-generate random passwords and remember them^[54] through iCloud Keychain.^[55]

Additional changes were made to the messaging system. FaceTime is updated so that the user no longer needs to enable camera, in a similar manner to FaceTime in iOS 7.^[42] OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 added the option to block users in iMessage.^[42]

Removed functionality

The Open Transport API has been removed.^[56] USB syncing of calendar, contacts and other information to iOS devices has been removed, instead requiring the use of iCloud.^[57][58] QuickTime 10 no longer supports many older video codecs and converts them to the ProRes format when opened. Older video codecs cannot be viewed in Quick Look.^[59] Apple also removed the ability to sync mobile iCloud Notes if iOS devices were upgraded from iOS 8 to iOS 9, effectively forcing all Mavericks users to update or upgrade their computers.

Reception

OS X Mavericks has received mixed reviews.

One complaint is that Apple removed the local sync services, which forces users to get iCloud to sync iOS devices with the desktop OS.^[57][58] However, this feature has since returned in the 10.9.3 and iTunes 11.2 updates.

The Verge stated that OS X Mavericks was "a gentle evolution of the Mac operating system".^[60]

CNET generalized OS X Mavericks as a "solid foundation" to OS X, lacking new features but praised it as a free update that incorporates additional iOS features.^[61] Criticism was brought to the insufficient updates to existing applications.^[61]

Release history

Version	Build	Date	Darwin version	Notes	Standalone download
10.9	13A603	October 22, 2013	13.0	Original Mac App Store release (GM2)	—
10.9.1	13B42	December 16, 2013		About the OS X Mavericks v10.9.1 Update	OS X Mavericks 10.9.1 Individual update
10.9.2	13C64	February 25, 2014	13.1	About the OS X Mavericks v10.9.2 Update	OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 Individual update OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 Combo update
	13C1021	April 22, 2014		About Security Update 2014-002 Mavericks	Security Update 2014-002 Mavericks
10.9.3	13D65	May 15, 2014	13.2	About the OS X Mavericks v10.9.3 Update	OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 Individual update OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 Combo update
10.9.4	13E28	June 30, 2014	13.3	About the OS X Mavericks v10.9.4 Update	OS X Mavericks 10.9.4 Individual update OS X Mavericks 10.9.4 Combo update
10.9.5	13F34	September 17, 2014	13.4	About the OS X Mavericks v10.9.5 Update	OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 Individual update OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 Combo update
		October 16, 2014		About the security content of Security Update 2014-005 Mavericks	Security Update 2014-005 Mavericks
		January 27, 2015		About the security content of Security Update 2015-001 Mavericks	Security Update 2015-001 Mavericks
	13F1066	March 9, 2015		About the security content of Security Update 2015-002 Mavericks	Security Update 2015-002 Mavericks
	13F1077	April 8, 2015		About the security content of Security Update 2015-004 Mavericks	Security Update 2015-004 Mavericks
	13F1096	June 30, 2015		About the security content of Security Update 2015-005 Mavericks	Security Update 2015-005 Mavericks
	13F1112	August 13, 2015		About the security content of Security Update 2015-006 Mavericks	Security Update 2015-006 Mavericks
	13F1134	October 21, 2015		About the security content of Security Update 2015-007 Mavericks	Security Update 2015-007 Mavericks
	13F1507	December 8, 2015		About the security content of Security Update 2015-008 Mavericks	Security Update 2015-008 Mavericks
	13F1603	January 19, 2016		About the security content of Security Update 2016-001 Mavericks	Security Update 2016-001 Mavericks
	13F1712	March 21, 2016		About the security content of Security Update 2016-002 Mavericks	Security Update 2016-002 Mavericks
	13F1808	May 16, 2016		About the security content of Security Update 2016-003 Mavericks	Security Update 2016-003 Mavericks
	13F1911	July 18, 2016		About the security content of Security Update 2016-004 Mavericks	Security Update 2016-004 Mavericks

Timeline

Timeline of Mac operating systems v t e

See also

• Aqua (user interface)
• macOS version history
• List of Macintosh software

References

1. "OS X Version 10.9 on Intel-based Macintosh computers". The Open Group. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
2. "OS X Mavericks Available Today Free from the Mac App Store" (Press release). Apple Inc. October 22, 2013. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
3. "Download Security Update 2016-002 Mavericks". Apple Support. March 25, 2016. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
4. "Apple security updates (2016 to 2017)". Apple Support. March 14, 2022.
5. "iTunes – Apple". Archived from the original on 2006-11-07. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
6. "Here's why Apple named its new Mac software 'El Capitan'". June 20, 2015. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
7. "Apple WWDC 2013 Keynote". Archived from the original on 2014-02-18.
8. "Apple Releases Developer Preview of OS X Mavericks With More Than 200 New Features" (Press release). Apple. June 10, 2013. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
9. Ha, Anthony (June 10, 2013). "Apple Has A New, California-Based Naming Scheme For OS X, Starting With OS X Mavericks". Techcrunch. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
10. "OS X Mavericks will be available today as a free download". The Verge. 22 October 2013. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
11. "Apple unveils iPad Air, new Macs for holidays". Reuters. October 22, 2013. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
12. "Get your Mac ready for Mavericks (OS X 10.9)". Macworld. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-28.
13. "Apple's OS X 10.9 Mavericks launches as a free upgrade for Mac users". AppleInsider. 22 October 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-28.
14. "OS X Mavericks system requirements". Apple Support. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
15. "OS X Mavericks – Do even more with new apps and new features". Apple. Archived from the original on July 16, 2013.
16. John Siracusa (October 22, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review – Multiple displays". Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
17. "OS X Mavericks – Advanced Technologies". Apple. June 10, 2013. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
18. "OS X Mavericks: Core Technologies Overview" (PDF). Apple. June 10, 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
19. John Siracusa (October 22, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review – App Nap". Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
20. John Siracusa (October 22, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review – App Nap policy". Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
21. John Siracusa (October 22, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review – App Nap API". Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
22. Dilger, Daniel Eran (June 12, 2013). "Compressed Memory in OS X 10.9 Mavericks aims to free RAM, extend battery life". AppleInsider. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
23. John Siracusa (October 22, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review – Compressed memory". Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
24. John Siracusa (October 22, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review – Energy saving". Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
25. "OS X Mavericks' new App Nap, Timer Coalescing features target battery efficiency". AppleInsider. 18 June 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
26. "OS X 10.9 Mavericks". Low End Mac. 2013-10-22. Archived from the original on 2016-12-11. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
27. "New in OS X Mavericks: OpenGL 4.1 brings increased performance, more features". Mac Daily News. September 10, 2013. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
28. "Apple shifts from AFP file sharing to SMB2 in OS X 10.9 Mavericks". AppleInsider. 11 June 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-02-12. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
29. "OS X Mavericks switches to SMB2 networking". CNET. Archived from the original on 2017-01-08. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
30. Pierce, David (June 25, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks preview: faster, smarter, and leather-free". The Verge. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
31. Brownlee, John (June 11, 2013). "OS X Mavericks: Here's What's New". Cult of Mac. Archived from the original on August 17, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
32. Guarino, Sarah (2013-10-26). "How-to: Setup and use iCloud Keychain for Mavericks and iOS 7". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on 2017-01-07. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
33. John Siracusa (October 22, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review – iCloud Keychain". Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
34. Zibreg, Christian (June 10, 2013). "OS X Mavericks has native LinkedIn sharing, but what about iOS 7?". iDownload blog. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
35. "Windows 8.1 vs OS X Mavericks: Which OS is Best?". Archived from the original on 2017-01-07. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
36. van Beijnum, Iljitsch (29 October 2013). "OS X 10.9 brings fast but choppy Thunderbolt networking". ars technica. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
37. "How to transfer large amounts of data between Macs quickly". CNET. Archived from the original on 2017-01-07. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
38. John Siracusa (October 22, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review – Notification Center". Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
39. "Hands-on with OS X Mavericks: Notification Center". Macworld. Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
40. "OS X Mavericks preview: Website push notifications deliver updates without Safari". iMore. Archived from the original on 2017-01-08. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
41. "Mac OS X Mavericks packs in features, but isn't a sea change". CNET. Archived from the original on 2017-01-08. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
42. Australia, PCMag (October 21, 2013). "Apple OS X 10.9.2 Mavericks (for Mac)". PCMag Australia.
43. John Siracusa (October 22, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review – Finder". Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
44. John Siracusa (October 22, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review – Tabs". Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
45. John Siracusa (October 22, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review – Tabs implementation". Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
46. John Siracusa (October 22, 2013). "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review – iBooks, Maps". Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
47. "Maps, iBooks, iCloud Keychain coming to OS X Mavericks". AppleInsider. June 10, 2013. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
48. "How to add Facebook events to the Calendar app in OS X". iMore. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
49. "Get to know OS X Mavericks: Calendar". Macworld. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
50. "Using Calendar's 'travel time' feature in Mavericks". Engadget. 14 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
51. Lardinois, Frederic (10 June 2013). "Apple Updates Safari With New Homepage, Sidebar, iCloud Keychain, Improved JavaScript Performance & Per Tab Processes". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 2016-03-30. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
52. "How to manage the Top Sites section in Safari for OS X Mavericks". iMore. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
53. "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
54. "OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 2017-01-09. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
55. "Generate Secure Passwords in Safari with iCloud Keychain for Mac OS X". OS X Daily. 2013-12-17. Archived from the original on 2017-01-05. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
56. "A eulogy for the Mac's Open Transport API". ZDnet. November 13, 2013. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
57. "iTunes 11 for Mac: Sync contacts, calendars, and other info with iPod, iPhone, or iPad". Apple. September 23, 2013. Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
58. "About SyncServices". Apple. January 1, 2014. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
59. "Why Mavericks' movies may not preview properly". MacWorld. October 28, 2013. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
60. DannBerg (2013-10-28). "Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks review". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
61. Parker, Jason. "Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks review: No reason to forgo this free update". CNET. Archived from the original on 2023-03-02.

Preceded by OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion)	OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) 2013	Succeeded by OS X 10.10 (Yosemite)