Starting with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, macOS Server is no longer offered as a separate operating system instead, server management tools are available for purchase as an add-on. Since then, several more distinct desktop and server editions of macOS have been released. MacOS was first released in 1999 as Mac OS X Server 1.0, with a widely released desktop version- Mac OS X 10.0-following in March 2001. To ease the transition, versions through 10.4 were able to run Mac OS 9 and its applications in a compatibility layer. The transition was a technologically and strategically significant one. However, the current macOS is a Unix operating system built on technology that had been developed at NeXT from the 1980s until Apple purchased the company in early 1997.Īlthough it was originally marketed as simply "version 10" of the Mac OS (indicated by the Roman numeral "X"), it has a completely different codebase from Mac OS 9, as well as substantial changes to its user interface. That system, up to and including its final release Mac OS 9, was a direct descendant of the operating system Apple had used in its Macintosh computers since their introduction in 1984.
macOS High Sierra lets developers create interactive virtual reality experiences on Mac for the first time, using the new iMac with Retina 5K display, the new iMac Pro coming in late 2017, or any supported Mac paired with an external GPU.3 With optimized support for Valve’s SteamVR and the HTC Vive VR headset, and content creation apps like Final Cut Pro X, Epic Unreal 4 Editor, and Unity Editor, developers have everything they need to create immersive new worlds for you to explore.The history of macOS, Apple's current Mac operating system formerly named Mac OS X until 2012 and then OS X until 2016, began with the company's project to replace its "classic" Mac OS. Whether you play games, create content, or develop software, Metal 2 provides the power to bring your imagination to life.
Now Metal 2 not only takes the visual experience to the next level, but also adds capabilities like machine learning, virtual reality, and external GPU support for entertainment and professional creative apps.
Metal is a technology built into macOS that allows apps to unleash the full power of the GPU. And GPUs are becoming more and more powerful. Today’s Mac experience relies more than ever on the graphics processor (GPU) in your computer. Using HEVC, videos stream better and take up less space on your Mac, while preserving the same visual quality. With the rising popularity of 4K video, a new industry standard arrives on Mac - HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding, also known as H.265).1 It can compress video up to 40 percent more than H.264, the current standard for video compression. With macOS High Sierra, we’re introducing the Apple File System to every Mac with all‑flash internal storage, with an advanced architecture that brings a new level of security and responsiveness.
But today’s flash‑based Mac systems open up new possibilities for innovation, so it’s time to lay a new foundation. Our current file system was designed in the early days of Mac, and it has performed beautifully ever since. And a file system is what organizes all that data into files and folders you can access with a click. To your Mac, everything you care about is data. From rearchitecting how it stores your data to improving the efficiency of video streaming to unleashing the full power of your graphics processor, it’s all central to today’s Mac experience. MacOS High Sierra introduces new core technologies that improve the most important functions of your Mac.