According to the Cupertino-based company Mac OS X Lion boasts over 250 new features, including new multi-touch gestures, system-wide support for full screen apps, as well as Mission Control. The latter provides users with a view of everything running on their Mac and makes it easier to switch in between open applications.

Also new within Lion is a completely redesigned Mail app and the addition of the Mac App Store, which is now built right into Mac OS X and, like its iOS counterpart, makes it simple to find, download and install useful and entertaining apps. The job of locating and launching these downloaded apps falls on Launchpad, another new feature of Mac OS X Lion that houses Mac apps.

“Lion is the best version of OS X yet, and we’re thrilled that users around the world can download it starting today,” said Philip Schiller yesterday, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Lion makes upgrading a Mac easier than ever before; just launch the Mac App Store, buy Lion with your iTunes account, and the download and install process will begin automatically.”

Pricing & availability

 

Mac OS X Lion is available as an 4 GB upgrade to Mac OS X version 10.6.6 Snow Leopard from the Mac App Store. Lion requires an Intel-based Mac with a Core 2 Duo, i3, i5, i7 or Xeon processor and at least 2 GB of RAM. Apple stated that Mac users will be able to purchase a USB thumb drive from which to install Mac OS X Lion, at an Apple Store later this August for $69 (approx. R475). No local release info on this USB drive is available yet.