Apple OS X 10.9 Mavericks Pro Reviews

OS X goes free and gets ever friendlier with iOS, but there are real improvements for desktop users too

Mavericks adds new productivity features, under-the-hood changes to improve battery life, and new apps. It's a free update that's worth every penny you won't pay for it.

On balance, the experience is positive, but there's a feeling Mavericks is a touch unfinished and that this iteration of OS X was rushed. Our hope is that Mavericks represents further evidence of Apple rapidly iterating OS X, bringing new features and ideas across from iOS, but not trying to turn OS X into iOS. We also hope it sets a precedent for OS X updates once again appealing to power users and consumers alike.

Mavericks is a free upgrade so it's really hard to complain about, well, anything much. Quick Look seems initially slower than before, while Mail doesn't seem as speedy as its predecessor. We might also question why Apple hasn't gone down a more iOS 7 route with the design, and yet we're aware that plenty of Mac users out there will be really glad the company hasn't. The design language Mavericks uses remains different compared to the iPhone and iPad experience and while we believe that design should fit the environment you are in, we still feel there is not quite enough parity between the two for all users. Design quibbles aside the overall improvements Mavericks brings may appear seemingly invisible at first, but run much deeper and will make a huge difference in daily use - particularly if you're on an older version of OS X than Mountain Lion. Overall it's all about the battery boost - that alone is reason enough to upgrade. Put simply, if you want your MacBook to last longer before you have to charge it, download Mavericks right now. There are slight teething issues with Quick Look and Mail, but they're minor hiccups. Otherwise, for a free upgrade this is incredible stuff.