How To Get To History On Mac

Mac OS, operating system (OS) developed by the American computer company Apple Inc. The OS was introduced in 1984 to run the company's Macintosh line of personal computers (PCs). The Macintosh heralded the era of graphical user interface (GUI) systems, and it inspired Microsoft Corporation to develop its own GUI, the Windows OS.

Apple's marketing for the introduction of the Macintosh focused heavily on its operating system's intuitive ease of use. Unlike virtually all other contemporary PCs, the Mac OS (initially designated simply System Software, with a version number appended) was graphically based. Rather than typing commands and directory paths at text prompts, users moved a mouse pointer to visually navigate the Finder—a series of virtual folders and files, represented by icons. Most computer operating systems eventually adopted the GUI model. In the 1980s Apple made an agreement allowing Microsoft to use certain aspects of the Mac interface in early versions of Windows. However, except for a brief period in the 1990s, Mac OS has never been licensed for use with computers made by manufacturers other than Apple.

Technician operates the system console on the new UNIVAC 1100/83 computer at the Fleet Analysis Center, Corona Annex, Naval Weapons Station, Seal Beach, CA. June 1, 1981. Univac magnetic tape drivers or readers in background. Universal Automatic Computer

Britannica Quiz

Computers and Operating Systems

How does the Internet move information between computers? What is the operating system made by Microsoft? Log into this quiz and test your knowledge of computers and operating systems.

Later Mac OS releases introduced features such as Internet file sharing, network browsing, and multiple user accounts. In 1996 Apple acquired rival NeXT Computers, which was founded by Steven Jobs after his departure from Apple, and in 2001 the company rolled out Mac OS X, a major redesign based on both the NextStep system and Apple's most recent OS release. OS X ran on a UNIX kernel (core software code) and offered technical advances such as memory protection and preemptive multitasking, along with a more versatile Finder, an elegant-looking interface called Aqua, and a convenient graphical "Dock" bar for launching frequently used applications. Updates to OS X added features such as automated backups and a "Dashboard" manager for small, handy applications called widgets.

From 2007 Apple unveiled a number of mobile devices that could access the Internet, including the iPhone smartphone and the iPad tablet computer. Apple soon emphasized the ability of OS X to connect with these devices. In 2011 Apple introduced iCloud, a cloud computing service that allowed users to share data among all of their Apple devices, for both OS X and the mobile operating system iOS. Apple added more features allowing connectivity between devices to successive updates of OS X, iOS, and later watchOS (the operating system for the Apple Watch smartwatch). These features included the ability to receive phone calls (made to the iPhone) and the means of quickly sharing data (such as photos and text) among devices.

Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now

This article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.

Learn More in these related Britannica articles:

operating system

operating system (OS)
, program that manages a computer's resources, especially the allocation of those resources among other programs. Typical resources include the central processing unit (CPU), computer memory, file storage, input/output (I/O) devices, and network connections. Management tasks include scheduling resource use to avoid conflicts and interference between programs. Unlike…
Apple Inc.

Apple Inc.
, American manufacturer of personal computers, smartphones, tablet computers, computer peripherals, and computer software. It was the first successful personal computer company and the popularizer of the graphical user interface. Headquarters are located in Cupertino, California.…
Firefox

Firefox, free open-source Web browser created by American software company Mozilla Corporation. In 1998 American Internet services company Netscape Communications Corp. decided to designate its Navigator browser as open-source for users, who began the development of Mozilla Firefox. The Mozilla…