OS X Yosemite Download Release Date & Time: Top 5 Features

Apple users have many reasons to be excited this month. Aside from the rumored release of the next generation iPad air, iPad mini, Retina MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air, it is also speculated that Apple will release its new Mac operating system, OS X 10.10 Yosemite.

Although it all remains as rumors and speculations, several blogs and news posts online have tackled the possible inclusion of the new operating system in the roster of Apple products to be released during the October 16 event. While many say that the event would focus on the new iPads, some have remained positive that it might also be a good time for Apple to launch their new operating system at the event.

As long as Apple has not released any confirmation about this, rumors will remain rumors. However, many believe that the long wait for the new OS X 10.10 Yosemite may finally be over as they still expect that it would still be released shortly after October 16, that's if the new operating system doesn't make it to the event.

The new operating system was already unveiled by Apple during the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote last early June. While a beta version of the next generation software was already made available to developers during the conference, the public still yet has to wait for the free upgrade in the fall of this year, MacRumors reports.

The report also said that Apple has released a public beta of the OS X Yosemite last July 24, catering to a million users.

One of the new features being looked forward to is its new look. According to MacWorld, Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of design at Apple, and Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, have been working together to redesign the Mac OS X for the launch of the OS Yosemite.

MacRumors said that there will be a "flatter, more modern look" for OS X. PC Advisor, meanwhile, quoting Apple, said that the new version's controls will be "clearer, smarter, and easier to understand."

MacRumors also noted that the base OS X system will be improved with a new "Today" view in the Notification Center, providing a wider variety of information including integration with third-party apps. Also part of the new feature is the improved Spotlight search which will now have new data sources such as Wikipedia, Maps, Bing, App Store, iTunes, iBooks Store, among others.

Improvements can also be seen in some of the core OS X apps. This will include Safari with a new streamlined toolbar, a new "Favorites" view for bookmarks, and frequently visited sites, MacRumors said. Now, it will also be easier to manage multiple open tabs across various sites through the new Tab View. 

PC Advisor meanwhile said that privacy features were also improved with the separate Private Browsing windows and a built-in support for non-tracking search engine DuckDuckGo.

Mail will also be improved. Editing and sending attachments will become easier, PC Advisor said. The new Mail Drop will also allow users to send large files such as videos and photos with up to 5 GB size to any email address.

Users can also keep their conversations synced across iOS and Mac devices with the ability of Messages on Mac to handle SMS messages. Audio and video clips can also now be send through Messages can now also be used to send audio and video clips.

As "continuity" is the major theme of the OS X Yosemite, users can move seamlessly between devices. Users, through the Yosemite and iOS 8, will now be able to use a new Handoff feature to switch devices and pick up right where they left off, MacRumors said. It also enables users to make and receive phone calls right from their Macs with iPhone integration. Mac users out of range of Wi-Fi networks, on the other hand, can now initiate Instant Hotspots on their iPhones with a single click on the Mac.