From Macintosh System 1 to macOS Sequoia: The Epic Evolution of Apple’s OS

by Marcin Frąckiewicz
in Uncategorized
on 11 August 2025

Introduction: 40 Years of Mac OS Innovation

Apple’s Mac operating system has undergone a remarkable journey from the original Macintosh System Software in 1984 to today’s macOS Sequoia in 2025. Over four decades, the Mac OS (later Mac OS X and now macOS) has continuously evolved through revolutionary user interface changes, major architecture shifts, and deep integration into Apple’s ecosystem. This report chronicles the entire history of macOS – including milestone releases, transitions from Motorola 68k to PowerPC to Intel to Apple Silicon CPUs, the rise of OS X’s Unix core, and the latest AI-powered features – while highlighting key innovations, design changes, security improvements, developer tools, and the public reception at each step. We’ll also look at how macOS’s market position has changed and peek at what’s known (or rumored) about upcoming versions. Let’s dive into the epic evolution of Apple’s Mac OS.

The Early Era: Classic Mac OS (System 1 through Mac OS 9)

Apple debuted the original Macintosh in January 1984, introducing the world to a graphical user interface that was radically user-friendly for its time. The early Mac System Software (often just called “System 1”) established UI staples like windows, icons, menus, and mouse-based interaction – a paradigm shift away from command-line computing. Over the late 1980s and early ’90s, Apple iterated through System versions 2 to 6, gradually adding support for things like color displays and cooperative multitasking. However, these early systems lacked modern operating system features; for example, they did not have protected memory or preemptive multitasking, meaning a single misbehaving application could freeze the entire machine. By the mid-1990s, rival operating systems (Windows NT, OS/2, UNIX variants) had introduced true memory protection, multi-user support, and preemptive multitasking, while the classic Mac OS was showing its age en.wikipedia.org. Apple’s OS had become notorious for extensions conflicts and instability – one tech journalist quipped that Mac OS was a great “friend” but “needed to be restarted” often when it forgot who it was 512pixels.net.

System 7 (1991) was a major update that finally added virtual memory and 32-bit addressing, breaking the memory limitations of earlier Macs en.wikipedia.org. System 7 (renamed Mac OS 7.6 in 1997) also introduced a more colorful UI and built-in networking (AppleTalk) features, making Macs popular in design and education markets throughout the early ’90s. Mac OS 8 arrived in 1997 with a refreshed “Platinum” interface and greater performance. Notably, Apple jumped from version 7.6 to 8.0 partly to terminate third-party Mac clone licensing – a controversial move at the time – and reassert exclusive control over Mac hardware. Mac OS 9, released in 1999, was the final iteration of the “classic” Mac OS. It added usability tweaks (like multi-user logins and the Apple Software Update utility en.wikipedia.org) but still lacked the robust foundations (memory protection, modern kernel) that contemporary systems enjoyed. By this point, Apple’s market share had eroded (sinking into single-digits) as the aging Mac OS struggled against Windows; Apple knew a total overhaul was needed en.wikipedia.org.

In a symbolic moment at WWDC 2002, Steve Jobs actually held a “funeral” for Mac OS 9 on stage – complete with a coffin – to signal the end of the classic OS and make way for the new generation. Jobs eulogized Mac OS 9 fondly as “a friend to us… always at our beck and call, except when he forgot who he was and needed to be restarted” 512pixels.net. It was a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment that the classic Mac OS, while groundbreaking in the 1980s, had become unreliable by the 2000s. Apple’s future would be built on a completely new foundation.

The Birth of Mac OS X: NeXT Steps and a Unix Core

Facing the limitations of the classic OS, Apple embarked on a quest in the mid-90s to create a next-generation system. After an internal project code-named Copland failed, Apple in 1997 acquired NeXT, the company Steve Jobs founded after leaving Apple in 1985. With NeXT came a modern UNIX-based OS called NeXTSTEP, and Apple used it as the basis for what would become Mac OS X en.wikipedia.org. This was a turning point: the Mac’s new core would be built on a UNIX (BSD) foundation and the Mach kernel, giving it protected memory, preemptive multitasking, and a stable, multi-user architecture for the first time en.wikipedia.org. In effect, Apple grafted the beloved Mac user interface onto the rock-solid underpinnings of UNIX. Steve Jobs returned to Apple and oversaw this transformation.

After several developer previews (code-named Rhapsody) and a public beta in 2000, Apple released Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah in March 2001. It was a radical redesign compared to Mac OS 9. The new Aqua user interface featured glossy, candy-colored buttons and translucency effects; as Jobs famously said, it was “so attractive, you just want to lick it” (a line that became emblematic of Aqua’s bubbly look). Mac OS X introduced the Dock for launching and managing applications, an all-new Finder with sidebar and search, and built-in workflows like QuickTime and PDF support at the system level. Under the hood, OS X 10.0 included the Darwin OS layer (BSD UNIX) and Apple’s object-oriented Cocoa frameworks derived from NeXTSTEP.

Early reviews of Mac OS X noted its tremendous potential but also some growing pains. The initial 10.0 release was considered slow and missing features (for example, DVD playback and CD burning weren’t available at first). Apple rapidly issued Mac OS X 10.1 Puma in late 2001 as a free update to improve performance. By Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar (2002), the system was gaining traction: it added the Quartz Extreme graphics engine to offload UI compositing to the GPU, introduced useful apps like Address Book and iChat, and generally became more polished and stable.

During this transition, Apple provided a bridge for users of old Mac apps via the Classic Environment – essentially a Mac OS 9 emulator within OS X – so that PowerPC Macs could run legacy apps until developers produced native OS X versions. This helped ease the pain of switching to the new OS. Even so, it took a few years for many Mac users (and software developers) to fully move over from Mac OS 9 to OS X. Apple officially stopped booting into Mac OS 9 on new Macs after mid-2002, signaling confidence that OS X was the future 512pixels.net.

Importantly, Mac OS X’s Unix underpinnings and modern architecture won praise for delivering the kind of stability and security that classic Mac OS never had. As tech journalist Walt Mossberg observed a few years later, OS X proved “as powerful and versatile for mainstream consumers as Windows, yet easier to use and more secure” macdailynews.com. This robustness set the stage for Apple to innovate rapidly in the 2000s.

OS X 10.3 to 10.5: Refinement, Features, and the Intel Transition

By Mac OS X 10.3 Panther in late 2003, Apple had refined OS X into a much faster and more fully featured system than the initial release. Panther introduced Exposé, a novel window-management feature that instantly tiled all open windows for easy selection – a real wow-factor demo at the time. It also brought improvements like fast user switching and FileVault encryption for user data. The Mac platform was gaining momentum again, with many erstwhile Mac OS 9 holdouts finally embracing OS X.

Apple hit a new stride with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger in April 2005, often remembered as one of the best OS X releases. Tiger introduced Spotlight, a powerful system-wide search that indexed files and metadata for instant results – a significant innovation that predated similar desktop search on Windows macdailynews.com. Tiger also added Dashboard widgets (mini apps for quick info like weather and notes) and core graphics technologies (Core Image and Core Video) that attracted developers. Notably, Tiger was the first version of OS X to start laying groundwork for a processor transition that would soon shock Mac users.

The PowerPC-to-Intel Leap (2005–2006)

In a surprise announcement at WWDC 2005, Steve Jobs revealed that Apple would transition the Macintosh from PowerPC processors to Intel x86 processors. “It’s time for a third transition,” Jobs proclaimed on stage macrumors.com – referring to prior transitions (68k to PowerPC in the ’90s, and classic Mac OS to OS X around 2001). This move was driven by concerns about PowerPC’s roadmap and the need for cooler, faster CPUs for laptops macrumors.com. Apple had secretly been maintaining an Intel-compatible build of OS X (code-named “Marklar”) for years macrumors.com, so OS X was already “processor independent” by design. Starting in 2006, new Mac models shipped with Intel chips, and Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger was released in a special Intel variant.

Apple navigated this architecture change with remarkable success. A key was the Rosetta translation technology, which let Intel-based Macs run older PowerPC Mac apps transparently via dynamic binary translation macrumors.com. For developers, Apple’s Xcode tools could compile Universal Binaries that contained code for both PPC and Intel. Jobs promised a quick transition – and indeed, by the end of 2007 Apple’s entire Mac lineup was on Intel, ahead of schedule macrumors.com. The Intel switch unleashed a new era: Macs could now natively run Windows (via Apple’s Boot Camp dual-boot feature introduced with Mac OS X 10.5), and they gained a performance boost that made them competitive with PC hardware.

Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard arrived in October 2007 as the first version built universal for both Intel and PowerPC (it was also the last to support PowerPC Macs). Leopard was a feature-packed release – over 300 new features, Apple touted. It introduced Time Machine for automated backups to an external drive, a hugely popular addition. Leopard also brought Spaces (virtual desktops), a revamped Finder with Cover Flow browsing, and Boot Camp officially (to easily install Windows alongside macOS). Under the hood, Leopard was the first fully 64-bit version of Mac OS X (though it could still run 32-bit apps). It also discontinued the Classic environment, formally ending support for running Mac OS 9 apps on new Macs.

Leopard’s reception was very positive. Reviewers noted that Apple had managed to significantly advance the OS while Microsoft’s Windows Vista (released around the same time) was facing criticism. Walt Mossberg wrote in 2007, “Leopard…builds on Apple’s quality advantage over Windows. In my view, Leopard is better and faster than Vista” macdailynews.com macdailynews.com. USA Today’s Edward Baig chimed in that with Leopard, “Apple’s operating system widens its lead aesthetically and technologically” over Windows osnews.com. By 2007, the Mac’s resurgence was evident – helped by the halo effect of the iPod and the buzz from the newly introduced iPhone, more people were considering Macs, and Apple’s market share began a modest climb.

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (2009) followed with a different approach: it was marketed as having “zero new features.” Instead, Snow Leopard focused on optimizations, stability, and slimming down – it dropped PowerPC support entirely, meaning it ran only on Intel Macs (freeing the OS from legacy code). The strategy paid off; Snow Leopard was lauded for its snappier performance and reliability, much like a tune-up that polished what Leopard introduced. Many longtime Mac users still remember Snow Leopard as one of the high points in terms of a rock-solid OS release.

OS X 10.7 to 10.11: iCloud, iOS Convergence, and Free Upgrades

In 2011, Apple launched Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, amid the post-iPhone era where Apple was increasingly bringing ideas from iOS “back to the Mac.” Lion introduced features like Launchpad (an iPad-like grid of apps), Mission Control (combining Exposé and Spaces), system-wide auto-save and versioning for documents, and more multitouch gestures. It also marked the debut of the Mac App Store (actually introduced on Snow Leopard in early 2011) as the preferred way to distribute Mac software – part of Apple’s effort to bring the curated, easy app installation model of iOS to Mac macdailynews.com. With Lion, Apple also made downloading the OS standard; it was the first Mac OS not sold on DVD, coming through the online App Store instead.

Lion had its share of controversies: it removed support for running PowerPC apps by eliminating Rosetta, which angered users who still relied on older software. It also introduced some interface changes (like “natural” scrolling direction that mimicked touch screens) that took adjustment. Nonetheless, Apple pushed ahead. OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (2012) accelerated the iOS-ification of the Mac. It brought the Messages app (integrating iMessage on Mac), Notification Center just like on iPhone, and built-in Twitter sharing. Mountain Lion also introduced Gatekeeper, a security feature requiring apps to be signed by an Apple-approved developer ID by default, to prevent malware from unidentified sources macdailynews.com. Around this time Apple also rolled out iCloud (2011), replacing the failed MobileMe, which became deeply integrated into Mac OS for syncing mail, contacts, calendars, and documents across devices.

Perhaps the biggest change with Mountain Lion was not a feature but a trend: Apple began updating macOS annually and, starting with OS X 10.9 Mavericks in 2013, made these updates free for all users osnews.com. OS X Mavericks was named not after a big cat (ending a decade-long naming scheme) but after a California location, inaugurating a new naming tradition (places in California) that continues today. Mavericks focused on under-the-hood improvements like better memory management and battery life. Notable additions included Finder Tabs and Tagging for files.

In 2014, OS X 10.10 Yosemite delivered a major visual overhaul. Inspired by the flat design of iOS 7, Yosemite gave Mac OS a cleaner, flatter look with minimalistic window designs and translucent effects. This was the biggest UI change since the original Aqua – some loved the modern look; others missed the older aesthetic. Yosemite also kicked off “Continuity”, Apple’s initiative to seamlessly integrate Macs and iOS devices. New features like Handoff allowed users to start a task on their iPhone (an email, document, etc.) and continue right where they left off on their Mac (and vice versa). The Mac could now also make and receive phone calls and SMS relays through a nearby iPhone, and a universal clipboard let you copy text on one device and paste on another. This tight integration with the Apple ecosystem became a hallmark of the modern macOS experience – a true selling point for those who owned multiple Apple products.

OS X 10.11 El Capitan (2015) arrived as a Snow Leopard-style refinement year, improving stability and performance after Yosemite’s big changes. It introduced features like Split View (snap two apps side by side fullscreen) and enhanced Spotlight search, but overall its slogan was “Refined, not reinvented.” Under the hood, El Capitan introduced System Integrity Protection (SIP), a security feature at the core OS level that locked down critical system files even from admin users (to thwart malware). By this point, Apple was firmly positioning macOS as a secure, privacy-respecting platform. All apps in the Mac App Store were required to run in sandboxed mode, and Gatekeeper was enforcing stricter code signing. These moves sometimes drew criticism from power users but generally kept the Mac ecosystem relatively free of malware.

The “macOS” Era: Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave (2016–2019)

In 2016, Apple rebranded OS X to simply “macOS” to align with the naming of iOS, watchOS, tvOS. macOS 10.12 Sierra was the first to carry the new name. Sierra’s headline feature was bringing Siri to the Mac, allowing voice commands for searches, messaging, and more on desktop setapp.com. Sierra also introduced Auto Unlock (unlock your Mac with an Apple Watch) and Universal Clipboard as part of Continuity. Another convenience was Optimized Storage, which integrated with iCloud to offload older files to the cloud automatically. These features underscored Apple’s strategy of making Mac a well-integrated citizen in its device and cloud ecosystem (e.g. accessing your desktop files on all devices via iCloud Drive).

The next year’s macOS 10.13 High Sierra (2017) was mostly an under-the-hood upgrade – notably converting the Mac’s decades-old file system (HFS+) to the new APFS (Apple File System) to improve performance, reliability, and encryption. High Sierra also updated the graphics API to Metal 2 and added support for VR content creation. While light on user-facing changes, this release became (in)famous for a glaring security lapse: a bug allowed anyone to gain root access with a blank password in High Sierra’s preferences – a lapse The Guardian described as “a serious security flaw” that was embarrassing for Apple theguardian.com theguardian.com. Apple scrambled to issue an emergency patch theguardian.com, and even Edward Snowden chimed in on the absurdity of the bug: “Imagine a locked door, but if you just keep trying the handle, it says ‘oh well’ and lets you in” theguardian.com. Aside from that incident, High Sierra’s legacy is largely the behind-scenes shift to APFS, setting Mac storage up for the future (especially important as Macs started shipping with all-Flash storage).

By 2018, Apple released macOS 10.14 Mojave, which notably added Dark Mode – a system-wide dark appearance that was much requested by users setapp.com. Mojave also introduced Dynamic Desktop wallpapers that subtly changed through the day (for example, the Mojave Desert image shifting from day to night). This release continued the trend of convergence with iOS by porting several iOS apps to Mac using an early version of Apple’s new UIKit-on-Mac technology: Apple News, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Home all appeared on macOS for the first time. Mojave put a strong emphasis on privacy as well – it tightened security by requiring apps to get permission before accessing your webcam, microphone, messages history, and other sensitive data. It was also the last macOS to fully support 32-bit apps (with warnings to users that 32-bit software was “not optimized” and would be unsupported in the future).

In macOS 10.15 Catalina (2019), Apple made good on that promise by dropping all 32-bit app support entirely setapp.com. This was a significant architectural change that rendered older apps (including many games and legacy media software) unusable unless updated – a move that drew some ire from users and developers who had to rush out 64-bit versions. Catalina also saw Apple finally retire iTunes on the Mac, splitting its functions into separate apps: Music, Podcasts, and TV. This reflected the changing world of media consumption (streaming over downloads) and cleaned up a long-criticized aspect of the Mac’s software. Another key Catalina feature was Sidecar, which lets you use an iPad as a secondary display & drawing tablet for your Mac – further blurring the lines between Apple’s platforms setapp.com. Catalina also introduced Catalyst, Apple’s formal framework for developers to port iPad apps to the Mac with minimal changes (several of Apple’s own apps like Podcasts were built with Catalyst). While Catalyst had a slow start, it signaled Apple’s aim to bring more iOS-style apps to macOS. On the security front, Catalina made the entire system volume read-only to prevent tampering, and it introduced “notarization” – requiring that even apps outside the App Store be scanned by Apple for malware before they can run without user bypass. These changes reinforced macOS’s security posture into the 2020s.

Apple Silicon and macOS Big Sur (2020): A New Era for Mac

In June 2020, Apple announced perhaps its biggest architecture transition yet: moving Mac from Intel CPUs to Apple’s own ARM-based Apple Silicon processors. Tim Cook called it a “historic day for the Mac,” saying “the transition to Apple silicon represents the biggest leap ever for the Mac” apple.com. The first Apple Silicon chip, the M1, debuted in late 2020 in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13″, and Mac Mini, alongside macOS 11.0 Big Sur.

Big Sur itself was a landmark release. Apple finally bumped the major version number from 10 to 11 – symbolically breaking from the “OS X” era – and gave macOS its first significant UI redesign in years. Big Sur’s look brought macOS even closer to the aesthetics of iOS: redesigned app icons (squircle shapes), a new Control Center and notification widgets, and greater use of translucency. The changes were sometimes polarizing, but generally seen as a fresh modern coat of paint to unify Apple’s design language across devices.

Under the hood, Big Sur was built to natively support both Intel and the new Apple Silicon Macs. It shipped with Rosetta 2, an emulation layer to run x86 Intel apps on the ARM-based M1 with impressive efficiency. In practice, the M1 Macs running Big Sur astonished reviewers with their performance and battery life. Early tests showed even translated Intel apps often ran faster on M1 than on previous Intel Macs, and native M1-optimized apps absolutely flew. “The M1 undisputedly outperforms the core performance of everything Intel has to offer,” one expert noted, calling Apple’s chip a “goddamned monster” in terms of leap in speed and efficiency news.ycombinator.com. As TechCrunch summarized, Apple’s M1 earned “praise of critics and reviewers for significant performance benefits over not only their predecessors, but also much more expensive and powerful Macs powered by higher-end Intel chips” techcrunch.com. In short, Apple Silicon was a game-changer for Mac.

Big Sur also unlocked the ability to run iPhone and iPad apps directly on the Mac (since M1 Macs share the same ARM architecture as iOS devices) setapp.com. This meant the Mac suddenly had access to a vast library of mobile apps – though in practice only some were suited to mouse/keyboard use. Nonetheless, the lines between Apple’s platforms were blurrier than ever. Developers were also given new tools like SwiftUI to build apps more easily for multiple Apple devices from one codebase, and the Mac gained support for Apple’s Neural Engine for on-device machine learning tasks.

The public and expert reception of Apple’s M1 MacBooks with Big Sur was overwhelmingly positive – a huge turnaround from years when critics complained that Apple was neglecting Mac hardware or letting it stagnate. Now the Mac had a clear performance edge and a strong roadmap. Apple committed to a two-year transition, and true to promise, by the end of 2022 the whole Mac lineup (from MacBook Air up to Mac Studio) had moved to Apple Silicon, with only the Mac Pro awaiting its Apple chip upgrade.

macOS Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma (2021–2023): Iteration and Integration

Following the seismic changes of Big Sur, Apple’s next macOS releases focused on expanding features and further integrating the ecosystem. macOS 12 Monterey arrived in late 2021, bringing useful enhancements but not a visual overhaul. One highlight was the introduction of Shortcuts on Mac, letting users automate tasks with the same Shortcut scripts used on iPhone/iPad setapp.com. Monterey also launched features like Universal Control (delayed until early 2022) – an impressive trick that allows using a single mouse/trackpad and keyboard seamlessly across a Mac and an iPad placed next to each other setapp.com. You could drag and drop files between devices as if they were one, truly delivering on Apple’s Continuity promise. FaceTime in Monterey gained SharePlay (to share media and apps during calls) and Spatial Audio support, while Safari got a controversial redesign (later optional) and Tab Groups to organize browsing. Another small but nice Continuity feature: the ability to use AirPlay to Mac (stream audio or video from an iPhone/iPad to the Mac’s screen or speakers).

In 2022, Apple released macOS 13 Ventura, which will be remembered for two big changes: Stage Manager and a new System Settings app. Stage Manager is an optional multitasking mode that automatically arranges open windows into a strip on the side, focusing one app at a time in the center – borrowed from an iPadOS feature. It aimed to reduce clutter for those who get overwhelmed by too many windows, though adoption was mixed (some found it useful, others just turned it off) setapp.com. Perhaps more contentious was Apple’s overhaul of System Preferences – renaming it “System Settings” and redesigning it to look more like the Settings app in iOS. This change was widely panned by Mac power users for its confusing layout and inconsistent use of legacy UI elements. Over time Apple has been tweaking the System Settings UI to address complaints.

Ventura’s Continuity Camera was a hit feature: it lets you use your iPhone as an ultra-high-quality webcam for your Mac (automatically, wirelessly) setapp.com. This came at a perfect time with the work-from-home trend, dramatically improving video call quality for Mac users. Ventura also added nifty communication features like unsending emails in Mail and editing iMessages, as well as Passkeys in Safari (a next-gen passwordless login standard). On the gaming front, Ventura introduced Metal 3 graphics with a new Game Mode, and Apple even provided a Game Porting Toolkit to help bring more Windows games to the Mac by translating DirectX APIs – an intriguing development for Mac gaming en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org.

By mid-2023, Apple announced macOS 14 Sonoma. Released that fall, Sonoma continued the annual cadence of moderate updates. It improved desktop personalization by allowing interactive Widgets on the desktop (previously widgets were stuck in Notification Center) setapp.com. These widgets even became interactive and could sync from your iPhone’s widget stack. Sonoma also added the ability to turn any web site into a pseudo-app icon (via Safari), introduced Profiles in Safari to separate work/home browsing, and brought fun screen saver and video-conferencing effects (like overlaying the presenter on slides in a video call, and reacting with hand gesture-triggered 3D AR emojis) setapp.com. A Game Mode in Sonoma offers smoother gameplay by prioritizing CPU/GPU for games and reducing latency with controllers or AirPods. Under the hood, Sonoma didn’t change as dramatically as some previous versions, but it continued Apple’s push on performance and efficiency for Apple Silicon Macs. It was also likely one of the last macOS versions to support certain Intel Macs, as Apple prepared to phase them out.

macOS 15 Sequoia (2024): AI Features Arrive

The latest release at the time of writing is macOS 15, known as “Sequoia,” launched in September 2024 en.wikipedia.org. Apple named it after Sequoia National Park in California, continuing the landmark naming tradition. macOS Sequoia’s banner feature is the introduction of Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of AI-powered capabilities, into the Mac experience macrumors.com. In many ways, Sequoia marks Apple’s entry into the generative AI hype – but in a privacy-minded, on-device manner.

One major addition is Writing Tools across the system (in apps like Mail, Messages, Pages, etc.), which can help rewrite or polish text, summarize documents, and even generate content on the fly using AI models macrumors.com macrumors.com. For example, Mail can suggest a more concise phrasing for an email, or Notes can summarize a long note into key points. Sequoia also includes an Image Playground app, where users can generate images from text prompts (akin to DALL-E or Stable Diffusion) and even incorporate personal photos to create stylized images macrumors.com. These image generation features are integrated into apps like Messages and Notes for easy use macrumors.com. Another fun addition is Genmoji – a tool in Messages to create custom emoji designs based on text descriptions (finally any emoji you can imagine, not limited to Unicode’s set) macrumors.com.

Siri in macOS Sequoia received a significant overhaul. Apple’s assistant became far more context-aware and conversational, with the ability to understand follow-up questions and take into account what’s on your screen or in your personal data when answering macrumors.com. It’s a notable leap from the relatively limited Siri of prior macOS versions, aligning with industry trends toward smarter virtual assistants.

Beyond AI features, macOS Sequoia adds iPhone Mirroring, letting you mirror and fully control your iPhone on your Mac screen (as a window) en.wikipedia.org. This is great for interacting with iPhone-only apps or features right from the desktop. (There is a catch: due to regulatory issues, iPhone Mirroring is reportedly disabled in the EU en.wikipedia.org). Sequoia also finally replaces the old Keychain Access app with a new dedicated Passwords app for managing passwords and 2FA codes, harmonizing with iOS’s Passwords interface en.wikipedia.org. Safari in Sequoia got a revamp as well – faster page loading and a redesigned reader mode, plus new anti-tracking protections enabled by default macrumors.com macrumors.com. Other fit-and-finish improvements include tweaks to System Settings for quicker access to common controls en.wikipedia.org and an updated Calculator app UI en.wikipedia.org.

From a compatibility standpoint, macOS 15 Sequoia continues to support both Intel and Apple Silicon machines, but Apple has signaled it will be the last macOS to support certain Intel Macs (including the iMac Pro and 2018–2020 MacBook Pros) en.wikipedia.org. Apple clearly views Sequoia as a swan song for the Intel era, as the next release is expected to drop support for most Intel models in favor of an all-Apple Silicon lineup.

Initial reviews of macOS Sequoia highlighted the useful new features but especially focused on Apple’s cautious embrace of AI. The consensus is that Apple lagged behind some competitors in rolling out generative AI, but with Sequoia it did so in a characteristically Apple way – on-device processing for privacy, and making the features enhancements to everyday apps (rather than a single chatbot). Many users found the iPhone Mirroring feature extremely handy as well. By integrating more of iOS into the Mac and vice versa, Apple continues to blur device boundaries, aiming for a seamless ecosystem experience.

Market Share and Impact of macOS

Despite its rich history and technical excellence, macOS has always been in the shadow of Microsoft Windows in terms of market share. In the 1990s, during the worst days of classic Mac OS and Apple’s near-bankruptcy, Mac’s share of the desktop OS market fell to around 3–5%. The switch to OS X and Apple’s renaissance in the 2000s slowly started to turn the tide. By the late 2000s, thanks to the “halo effect” of the iPod and iPhone attracting new customers, Mac sales grew. Microsoft’s missteps with Windows Vista (2007) also sent some frustrated users into Apple’s arms. As Mossberg noted in 2007, a variety of factors – security woes in Windows, Apple’s retail stores, the ability of Macs to run Windows, and the appeal of OS X – led to Apple “taking market share from Windows PCs” macdailynews.com.

Globally, macOS still remains a distant second to Windows on desktops and laptops, but it has reached its highest levels in decades. As of 2023–2024, macOS accounts for roughly 15–16% of worldwide desktop operating system usage, with Windows around 70% en.wikipedia.org. In certain regions and segments the Mac is stronger: for example, in the United States, macOS had about 29–30% share vs Windows ~57% as of early 2023 en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org. In niches like high-end laptops or creative industries, Macs punch above their weight. The move to Apple Silicon further boosted Mac sales, with Apple reporting record-setting Mac revenue in 2021 and 2022 as consumers and reviewers praised the new M1 and M2-based models. One report in 2023 noted macOS was steadily gaining ground on Windows in the U.S., closing a gap from 53 points to 22 points in a few years patentlyapple.com.

It’s important to remember that these figures exclude mobile devices – and in the broader landscape (if you count smartphones and tablets), Apple’s iOS actually rivals Windows in scale. In fact, as of 2025, if combining all device types, Android was about 46%, Windows 25%, iOS 18%, and macOS 6% en.wikipedia.org. Apple often emphasizes the installed base of active Mac devices (recently stating it’s well over 100 million Macs in use). More telling is that Apple has successfully positioned the Mac as a premium, profitable segment of the PC market, rather than chasing sheer volume. The synergy with iPhones and iPads – through services like iCloud and features like Continuity – has helped the Mac stay relevant and even grow while the overall PC market has at times stagnated.

Security and Privacy Evolution

One of the most significant shifts in macOS’s philosophy over the years has been the heightened focus on security and user privacy. Classic Mac OS was not a secure system by today’s standards – it had no user accounts (everyone was essentially an admin), no memory protection (making it easier for malware to crash things), and viruses like the famous Autostart 9805 or Word macro viruses did occasionally wreak havoc on Macs in the 90s. However, due to smaller market share, the Mac had relatively few malware threats compared to Windows during the early 2000s.

With the UNIX foundation in Mac OS X, Apple gained a far more secure base (multi-user permissions, etc.). Over time, Apple layered on many additional protections:

Sandboxing and Code Signing: Starting around OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard, Apple introduced app sandboxing (limiting what apps can do) and required developers to sign their apps with digital certificates. This was later enforced for App Store apps and encouraged for all apps.
Gatekeeper: Introduced in OS X Mountain Lion (2012), Gatekeeper by default prevents any apps from running unless they are either from the App Store or signed by an identified developer (users can override this, but it adds a layer of caution) macdailynews.com. Gatekeeper has been tightened over the years; since Catalina, even signed apps must be notarized by Apple (scanned for malware on Apple’s servers) or else macOS will refuse to open them without an override.
XProtect and Malware Removal Tool: Apple maintains an XProtect system (since 2009) that silently updates macOS with signatures to block known malware. It’s not as visible as third-party antivirus, but it’s a built-in first line of defense. macOS also occasionally will run a background removal tool if a known malware is detected.
FileVault: Apple added FileVault disk encryption back in OS X Panther (2003) for just home directories, then expanded it to full-disk encryption (FileVault 2) in OS X Lion (2011). Now, all modern Macs with SSDs have FileVault encryption (and on Apple Silicon/T2 chip Macs, encryption is hardware-backed and always on).
System Integrity Protection (SIP): Added in OS X El Capitan (2015), SIP prevents any user (even root) from modifying critical system files and directories, blocking many kinds of attacks. Developers and power users can disable SIP for legitimate needs (like some low-level tools), but most leave it on for safety.
Privacy Protections: Starting in macOS Mojave (2018), Apple dramatically expanded user privacy prompts. Now, whenever an app wants to access your camera, microphone, photos, contacts, calendar, location, keystrokes, downloads folder, etc., a user consent dialog appears. This raised awareness of what apps are doing and gave users more control – a philosophy borrowed from iOS.
Hardware Security: Modern Macs incorporate hardware secure elements (the T2 security chip in Intel Touch Bar MacBooks and all Apple Silicon chips) which enforce secure boot, secure Touch ID, and encrypted storage. The T2 and Apple Silicon also enable Activation Lock on Macs (so if a Mac is lost or stolen and tied to an Apple ID, it can’t be wiped and reused without permission). These were features that originated on iPhone to deter theft and have come to Mac.

All these measures have largely kept the macOS malware situation in check. While adware and trojans do exist on Mac, massive virus epidemics have been rare. One notable scare was the “Flashback” malware in 2012 that infected some Macs via a Java vulnerability, but Apple responded with removal tools and by deprecating old plugins. Another was the Mac Defender fake antivirus in 2011 that tricked users – prompting Apple to improve XProtect definitions. The macOS security approach has been praised for its layered defense, though critics occasionally argue Apple’s slower update cycle (once per year OS updates vs. Microsoft’s frequent patch Tuesday) could delay fixes – still, Apple does issue security updates for macOS in between major releases as needed (for instance, that emergency High Sierra root fix in 2017 theguardian.com).

On privacy, Apple has been very vocal, often contrasting itself with data-hungry companies. Mac OS by default does not do much telemetry (users can opt out of what little there is), and features like Mail Privacy Protection (in Mail app from 2021) block tracking pixels. In Safari, macOS has built-in anti-tracking features like Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) which launched in 2017, and by Ventura Apple even turned on advanced fingerprinting protection so websites have a harder time tracking Mac users across sites macrumors.com macrumors.com. These moves have generally earned MacOS a strong reputation on privacy; for example, Safari’s protections are often ahead of Chrome’s.

Integration with the Apple Ecosystem

One of Apple’s clear advantages is its tightly knit ecosystem, and macOS has increasingly become a central player in that ecosystem. It wasn’t always so: in the early 2000s, the Mac was somewhat isolated aside from syncing iPods or using iTunes. But as Apple’s device lineup grew, macOS gained features to interoperate with iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and even services like iCloud and now Apple Vision Pro.

Some key points in integration:

iTunes and iPod (2001–2003): The killer app that connected Mac to Apple’s new devices was iTunes, which started on Mac and managed music for the iPod. This was the first taste of how owning a Mac could be part of a larger Apple digital life.
iCloud (2011): Replacing MobileMe, iCloud’s launch alongside iOS 5 and OS X Lion meant seamless sync of mail, contacts, and calendars, and later files (iCloud Drive) and photos (iCloud Photo Library) between Mac and iPhone. This made having both platforms more convenient – take a photo on your iPhone, see it on your Mac’s Photos app instantly, etc.
Continuity and Handoff (2014): As mentioned, OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 introduced Continuity features: you could answer phone calls or texts on your Mac (using the iPhone as a relay) – a mind-blowing trick at the time. Handoff enabled cross-device app continuations for Apple’s apps and third-party apps that supported it. This was only possible because Apple controls both the mobile and desktop OS and could engineer them to talk to each other via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The “just works” integration gave Apple a unique selling point.
Apple Watch Unlock (2016): With watchOS 3 and macOS Sierra, an Apple Watch could automatically unlock your Mac when you wake it, if you’re wearing it. Small convenience, but delightful for those in the ecosystem.
Universal Clipboard (2016): Copy on one Apple device, paste on another – simple and extremely useful for anyone juggling a Mac and iPhone/iPad.
AirDrop (2011 onward): Apple made sharing files between nearby Apple devices easy with AirDrop, which came to Mac in OS X Lion and has been a quick transfer method to/from iOS devices as well. This further reduces any friction between using different devices.
Messages & FaceTime: Apple brought iMessage to the Mac with the Messages app in 2012, meaning you could continue text conversations on your computer. FaceTime launched on Mac in 2010 (OS X Snow Leopard) shortly after debuting on iPhone 4. By unifying these communications, Apple made the Mac a seamless extension of the iPhone experience.
Sidecar & Universal Control (2019–2022): Sidecar turned an iPad into a Mac’s second display, complete with Apple Pencil support for input – great for artists using Mac apps like Photoshop. Then Universal Control took it further, making a Mac and iPad feel like part of one multi-screen system rather than two separate devices setapp.com.
AirPlay to Mac (2021): Many people have iPhones or iPads but not an Apple TV; macOS Monterey let your Mac act like an AirPlay receiver, so you could throw content from your phone to your Mac’s nice big screen or speakers.
Continuity Camera (2022): As discussed, turning an iPhone into a Mac webcam was a clever integration, taking advantage of the excellent cameras on phones to solve the crummy webcam problem on laptops setapp.com.
Apple Silicon Synergy (2020+): When the Mac began using the same chip architectures as iPhones and iPads, new integration possibilities emerged. The ability to run iOS apps on Mac is one. Also, development between platforms is easier (developers can create cross-platform apps more readily). The shared architecture also means features like Apple’s Neural Engine, previously only on iDevices, is now on Mac – enabling things like on-device Siri processing or advanced machine learning features in apps. Apple even announced that Vision Pro (Apple’s AR headset) can work seamlessly with a Mac nearby, using it as an input/output device in the AR space, which again ties the Mac into the expanding device family.
Cloud and Handoff of Activities (2023): Apple extended Continuity with features like iCloud Shared Photo Library (so your Mac Photos app and iPhone camera can use the same library) and even continuity for calls (you can transfer a FaceTime call from iPhone to Mac or vice versa with a click).

The overall strategy has been clear: make the Mac a hub in a larger Apple lifestyle, where owning multiple Apple products exponentially increases the value of each. By 2025, many Mac features are not about the Mac in isolation but about how it works together with your iPhone (for Personal Hotspot, messages, calls, etc.), Apple Watch (for unlock or Apple Pay approvals), iPad (for dual screens or picking up tasks), AirPods (auto-switching audio output), HomePod (using Siri to send things to Mac), and more.

From the user’s perspective, this ecosystem integration often manifests as “it just works” moments – for instance, dragging a file from a Mac window and dropping it onto an iPad next to it controlling the same cursor, or seeing a verification code that was texted to your iPhone automatically appear as a paste option on your Mac. These small delights add up to a user experience that competitors (with less OS/hardware control) have struggled to replicate.

Developer Tools and APIs in macOS

Apple’s relationship with developers on the Mac has evolved greatly since the early days. In classic Mac OS, development was done with tools like CodeWarrior or THINK C, using the Mac OS “Toolbox” APIs. With the transition to OS X, Apple offered developers a modern environment built largely on NeXT’s frameworks:

Cocoa: The new primary API for macOS apps, derived from NeXTSTEP’s OpenStep, using Objective-C (and later Swift). Cocoa was highly praised for its power and ease of building GUI apps. Developers coming from classic Mac had to adapt (as many had used Carbon or older Mac toolkits), but Cocoa’s advantages became clear over time.
Carbon: To help transition classic Mac apps, Apple provided Carbon, an API that let developers port OS 9 apps to OS X incrementally (it adapted many old APIs to run on OS X). Carbon was important in early OS X (Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office, and many big apps used it initially), but Apple never made Carbon 64-bit, effectively deprecating it by the late 2000s. By OS X Snow Leopard, Apple was nudging developers to move fully to Cocoa for 64-bit support and access to new features.
Xcode: Apple introduced its own developer IDE, Xcode, in 2003 (replacing the older Project Builder and Interface Builder from NeXT). Over the years, Xcode became the one-stop shop for Mac (and iOS) development, including a powerful Interface Builder for UI design, compilers, debuggers, and performance tools. Apple invested heavily in making Xcode and its SDKs robust – though not without occasional complaints (any iOS developer can attest to Xcode quirks). By providing free developer tools and documentation, Apple significantly grew its developer community.
App Store (2011): When Apple launched the Mac App Store in OS X 10.6, it created a centralized place for users to discover and download software safely. For developers, it opened a new distribution channel (with the usual 70/30 revenue split). Some developers embraced it for reach and simplicity of installation for users; others stayed away due to Apple’s rules (sandboxing, review guidelines, lack of upgrade pricing options, etc.). The Mac App Store never became as dominant as the iOS App Store – on the Mac, many apps are still sold or distributed independently – but it’s an important part of the ecosystem for consumer software and for ensuring casual users have a malware-free source of apps.
Swift language (2014): At WWDC 2014, Apple introduced Swift, a modern programming language meant to eventually supersede Objective-C for Apple platform development. Swift’s safety and ease-of-use (with features like optionals, type inference, etc.) attracted a lot of excitement. Over the next decade, Swift was adopted widely – though Objective-C still lurks under the hood of many frameworks. Swift’s evolution has been guided by the needs of both iOS and macOS, and its open-source nature even allowed community contributions. By 2025, many Mac apps (and virtually all new ones) are written at least in part in Swift.
Cross-platform frameworks: In recent years, Apple has introduced frameworks to bridge development between devices:
- Catalyst (2019) lets iPad apps run on Mac with minimal changes. This helped populate the Mac App Store with some popular iPad apps, although Catalyst apps initially felt slightly out-of-place on Mac until further refined.
- SwiftUI (2019) is a declarative UI framework that allows building interfaces that can run across macOS, iOS, watchOS, tvOS with largely shared code. It’s still maturing, but Apple clearly sees it as the future of UI development.
- Metal (2014 on iOS, 2015 on Mac) is Apple’s graphics API, replacing OpenGL. By controlling the graphics stack (and phasing out OpenGL and OpenCL), Apple optimized Metal for its GPUs – crucial now that Apple Silicon Macs use Apple’s own GPU designs.
- ARKit, Core ML, etc.: Apple’s newer frameworks for augmented reality and machine learning are available on macOS as well, thanks to the common architecture. For example, a developer can use CoreML to integrate a machine learning model into a Mac app just as they would on iOS.

Apple has also supported cross-platform development indirectly through virtualization and containers. For instance, Docker works on macOS for deploying server apps, and Apple’s Hypervisor framework (and now virtualization frameworks) let one run Linux or even ARM Windows in VMs on Apple Silicon.

From a developer ecosystem perspective, the Mac started as the original Apple computer platform with a dedicated following. During the 90s, Apple lost many developers as the market shrank. But OS X, by being POSIX-compliant and developer-friendly (including having great dev tools and languages like Objective-C, which many came to love), attracted a new generation of indie developers. The result was a renaissance of Mac software in the 2000s (one could argue the Mac fueled the whole “indie developer” culture that later extended to iPhone). Apps like Panic’s Transmit, Omni Group’s suite, Ambrosia’s games, etc., flourished on Mac.

Today, the lines have blurred: many developers target both Mac and iOS, or use cross-platform tools. But Apple’s unified SDKs and languages mean if you develop for one Apple device, it’s relatively easy to adapt to another. On the flip side, Apple has been criticized by some Mac developers for things like sandbox restrictions, or for making macOS a bit more like iOS (fearing a loss of “openness” on the Mac). For example, Gatekeeper’s strictness and the deprecation of kernel extensions in favor of system extensions have caused adjustments. Yet, compared to iOS, macOS remains flexible – you can still install apps from anywhere (with a couple of clicks to bypass Gatekeeper if needed) and develop software without Apple’s explicit permission.

A notable moment highlighting Apple’s commitment to developers was the transition to Apple Silicon: Apple provided a Developer Transition Kit (DTK) in 2020 (a Mac Mini with an A12Z iPad chip) so that developers could start porting apps to ARM months before the M1 Macs shipped apple.com apple.com. They also updated Xcode to support “Universal 2” binaries. The result: by the time M1 Macs launched, key apps like Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite were already running natively, and thousands of third-party apps followed quickly. This smooth transition earned Apple a lot of goodwill from both users and developers (especially compared to the chaotic Windows on ARM efforts in the PC world).

Public Reception and Notable Controversies

Over its 40-year history, the Mac OS has seen its share of fanfare and criticism from press, users, and developers alike. Here are some key moments of public reception and a few controversies:

1984 Introduction: The original Mac’s GUI was met with awe. The famous “1984” Super Bowl ad created buzz, and upon launch, the Macintosh and its System Software were lauded for making computing accessible. Byte Magazine in 1984 called the Mac’s interface “friendly” and said it “invites you to play” – a stark contrast to the command-line DOS. However, due to high price and limited software, the Mac was also doubted by some in its first years.
System 7 Bugs: In the early 90s, System 7 was powerful but also had notorious stability issues, especially as users loaded extensions (the little INIT icons that displayed at boot – Mac users often played detective to find which extension caused a conflict). It led to a common refrain “Macs crash too,” used by PC proponents. Still, loyalists stuck by Mac OS for its ease of use when working.
Copland Fiasco: Apple’s scrapped mid-90s OS project (Copland) never saw the light of day, and the delay tarnished Apple’s rep among developers. It was part of why Apple was struggling by 1996 – they didn’t have the modern OS that had been promised.
Mac OS X Skepticism (2001–2003): When OS X first came out, The Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg initially advised average users to wait, as 10.0 was rough. Some long-time Mac users refused to switch from OS 9 initially (there was even a term “the carbonization lag” for apps not ported to OS X yet). But as OS X improved (10.2 and 10.3) and Apple showed commitment, the skepticism faded. By 2005, Mossberg wrote: “OS X… has had five major versions in as many years, each better than the last” while Microsoft struggled with one Windows update macdailynews.com macdailynews.com.
“Vista vs. Mac OS X” (2007): Apple famously ran the “Get a Mac” TV ads (the Mac vs PC guys) in the mid-2000s. The campaign played on Windows frustrations (crashes, viruses) versus Mac’s simplicity. Many in tech media agreed Mac OS X 10.4/10.5 was superior to Windows Vista in 2007 macdailynews.com. Vista’s poor reception was a boon to Mac, with commentators like David Pogue and Mossberg often extolling OS X’s virtues in comparison macdailynews.com.
Quality Control in 2010s: Around 2015–2016 (OS X El Capitan, macOS Sierra timeframe), there were murmurs that Apple software quality had slipped a bit (coinciding with some iOS issues too). Prominent voices like developer Marco Arment suggested Apple’s annual release cycle might be too aggressive, leading to more bugs. For example, macOS High Sierra (2017) had that nightmare root bug theguardian.com, and macOS Catalina (2019) was criticized for being buggier than usual (with a lot of fundamental changes under the hood causing apps to misbehave). Apple seemingly heeded this by focusing macOS Big Sur and Monterey on stability after their initial feature pushes.
Mac App Store & “Gatekeeper” friction: Some controversies have been developer-oriented: the Mac App Store’s rules led a few high-profile developers (like the maker of BBEdit, or some utilities) to avoid the App Store, which in turn limited its catalog. Gatekeeper and notarization have occasionally caught out legitimate apps (e.g., an update not notarized properly will be blocked, causing user confusion). A notable incident: in 2020, when Big Sur launched, an outage in Apple’s notarization servers caused Mac apps to bounce (not launch) worldwide as Gatekeeper stalled – this raised privacy concerns too, that macOS was checking with Apple each time you open an app. Apple responded by explaining their security checks and adjusted the system to be more resilient and private (storing some approvals offline, and giving an opt-out for those concerned) theguardian.com theguardian.com.
“Catalina can’t run my printer/game/etc.”: The removal of 32-bit support in Catalina was very controversial for some. Niche professional software that wasn’t updated, old games, even some drivers and plugins simply stopped working. While Apple had telegraphed this for years, the reality hit home in 2019 and some criticized Apple for forcing obsolescence. In the long run, it was a necessary move to keep macOS modern and lean (and certainly needed before the ARM transition, since Apple Silicon chips cannot execute x86 32-bit code at all). But at the time, user forums were full of “Don’t upgrade to Catalina if you need [old app name]!” warnings.
Design Choices: macOS Big Sur’s refreshed design in 2020 got some pushback for things like oversized menu bar elements and new icon styles – mostly aesthetic nitpicks from longtime users resistant to change. Apple did fine-tune some of these in later updates. Similarly, the new System Settings in Ventura (2022) drew rare universal panning; even Mac-friendly outlets like Macworld called it “a confusing mess.” Apple is slowly improving that interface.
Hardware vs OS: Occasionally, macOS is indirectly hit by Apple’s hardware decisions – e.g., the 2016–2019 MacBook Pro’s unreliable “butterfly” keyboard was a hardware fiasco, but it affected Mac user satisfaction. Apple eventually reversed course. In 2020–2022, some high-end users complained macOS wasn’t utilizing the most powerful Apple Silicon fully (no support for eGPU on Apple Silicon, and initial Apple Silicon Macs limited to 16GB RAM, etc.), but these are niche concerns that Apple addressed with newer chips and devices (like the M1 Pro/Max and now M2 Ultra which offer far higher RAM and built-in GPU power).

Overall, the public commentary on Mac OS has often centered on a narrative of Apple “doing things right” in terms of user experience and innovation, even when the Mac’s market share was small. For instance, an Ars Technica retrospective in 2011, looking back at a decade of Mac OS X, concluded that betting on a Unix-based system and steadily improving it had paid off immensely, noting how features we take for granted came in – from Spotlight’s search to Time Machine backups to the polished UI – making macOS a trendsetter macdailynews.com osnews.com.

Experts have also pointed out how macOS influenced iOS: The iPhone’s OS was originally built as a fork of macOS (Apple engineers famously shrunk down OS X to fit in an iPhone). So, technologies like WebKit (Safari’s engine), and concepts of app sandboxing, all have shared DNA. Conversely, iOS’s huge success fed back into macOS improvements (as we saw with Continuity and shared frameworks). Craig Federighi, Apple’s software chief, has repeatedly assured that Apple won’t merge macOS and iPadOS into one – they believe in distinct experiences. However, the lines continue to blur, evidenced by how macOS and iPadOS share features and even apps now.

When Apple introduced macOS Sequoia in 2024 with generative AI features, public reaction was cautious optimism. Many were curious how Apple’s stance on privacy would shape its AI – Apple made a point that all the “Apple Intelligence” features run on-device (no data is sent to the cloud) macrumors.com, which limits some capabilities but keeps user data private. This was appreciated in contrast to cloud-based AI assistants from other tech giants.

One could say each era of Mac OS has a defining public image:

’80s Mac: revolutionary GUI that inspired Microsoft Windows (Bill Gates once quipped that Microsoft’s GUI was taking a “different path” to the same goal, though clearly the Mac set the standard).
’90s Mac: a bit stagnant, loyal fan base but shrinking mindshare as Windows 95 took over; often Mac was either loved by creatives or overlooked by the business world.
2000s OS X: comeback kid, the cool alternative to Windows; Mac vs PC ads played up that Mac “just works” and doesn’t get viruses. Apple’s move to Intel and the success of OS X Tiger/Leopard gave Macs a reputation of being the premium, stylish, and reliable choice. Quotes like “Leopard is powerful, polished and carefully conceived. Happy surprises, and very few disappointments, lie around every corner” from NYTimes’ David Pogue in 2007 osnews.com captured that mood.
2010s macOS: mature and polished, but some feared Apple prioritized iOS (the cash cow) over the Mac. Yet, things like the Mac Pro 2013 “trash can” controversy (Apple’s failed thermal design) were hardware, not OS. The macOS itself remained highly regarded, even as some long-requested features (like better window snapping, or touch screen support – which Apple stubbornly avoids on Mac) lingered. The integration with iCloud and services also made macOS feel more locked-in for some, but beneficial for others.
2020s macOS: the Apple Silicon boost and renewed attention on Mac (with new MacBook Pros getting rave reviews) put macOS back in the spotlight. There’s excitement that Macs are powerful and Apple is investing in Mac again. Even the developer community, which feared Apple might converge everything into iPad, has been reassured by moves like bringing more pro apps to iPad without dumbing down Mac versions, and by Apple introducing tools like the Game Porting Toolkit to attract game developers to Mac en.wikipedia.org.

One enduring controversy that flares up: should macOS be more open? Right now, on macOS, you can still install any app from the web, but some fear Apple might one day require all Mac apps to come via the App Store (like iOS). Especially with security being a constant concern, Apple has been tightening the screws. For instance, macOS Ventura initially required network filter apps (like VPNs or Little Snitch) to use Apple’s Network Extensions framework rather than kernel extensions, which caused some issues. There was also discontent when it was discovered that certain Apple apps bypassed third-party firewalls due to Content Filter Exclusion (Apple later fixed this in Monterey 12.2). These are technical squabbles, but they reflect a tension: Mac users cherish that their OS is more open than iOS.

The good news is that Apple execs have repeatedly stated the Mac is here to stay as a general-purpose computer, and they don’t intend to turn it into a “closed” appliance. The introduction of powerful new Mac hardware and Apple’s separate treatment of iPadOS (instead of merging it) shows they value the Mac’s legacy and future.

Looking Ahead: macOS Tahoe and Future Releases

As of 2025, Apple is poised to release the next major version: internally called macOS 14.0, but according to reports it will be branded with a new unified number “macOS 26” and carry the California name “Tahoe.” Apple is allegedly streamlining version numbers across its OSes, so that in 2025 all the systems (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, etc.) use “26” to signify the 2025–26 cycle macrumors.com macrumors.com. Thus, macOS Tahoe “26” will succeed macOS 15 Sequoia.

From what is known, macOS Tahoe is expected in Fall 2025 and focuses on a substantial UI refresh called “Liquid Glass” design macrumors.com macrumors.com. This design language uses translucent, glass-like materials throughout the interface, with dynamic reflections and depth. Early previews suggest the menu bar and Dock become more translucent, and windows and sidebars incorporate this fluid glass look macrumors.com macrumors.com. Apple is also adding more personalization – users will be able to tint icons and folders with custom colors or emoji for easier identification macrumors.com. The Control Center and menu bar will be more customizable too (a nod to power users who like tweaking their workspace) macrumors.com macrumors.com.

Functionally, macOS Tahoe is rumored to bring a couple of new apps and capabilities:

A full Phone app on Mac for the first time, integrating with the iPhone to handle calls (beyond the existing FaceTime audio) and visual voicemail, etc. macrumors.com macrumors.com. It will even support new features like Call Screening and Hold Assist, where your Mac/iPhone can ask a caller who’s calling and why, or wait on hold for you and alert when a human comes on – features borrowed from Google’s Pixel, interestingly macrumors.com.
A dedicated “Apple Games” app or hub might appear, alongside Metal 4 graphics. Apple seems to be making a gaming push on Mac, with a Games tab or app to organize your Mac and iOS games, and new developer tools (the Game Porting Toolkit’s next version) to entice more game titles to macOS macrumors.com macrumors.com.
Spotlight will get even more powerful, with the ability to perform quick actions (like send an email or run a shortcut right from the search bar) and a built-in clipboard history to retrieve past copied items macrumors.com macrumors.com. The goal is to make Spotlight a command palette for the whole OS, much like Alfred or LaunchBar tools have done in the past.
Cross-platform cohesion: Apple is reportedly aligning macOS and iPadOS design more closely in Tahoe, possibly even allowing more shared Home Screen concepts or App Library on Mac for parity macrumors.com macrumors.com. Features like interactive widgets introduced in Sonoma will continue to evolve.

Under the hood, macOS Tahoe is expected to drop support for several older Intel Macs entirely, as hinted. This would make Tahoe the first macOS that is Apple Silicon only (or nearly only) en.wikipedia.org. That will allow Apple to optimize the OS exclusively for its own chips. It may also allow features that were held back by Intel compatibility. For example, some AI features might be Apple Silicon-only due to the Neural Engine requirement – we could see more of that in Tahoe.

Looking further into the future, Apple has trademarked numerous California landmark names that could be used for macOS releases: candidates like Mammoth, Skyline, Redwood, Shasta, Grizzly, Pacific, etc. are on file twitter.com forums.macrumors.com. Each year there’s speculation (Sonoma was guessed by few, Sequoia was a correct rumor for 2024). One intriguing trademark Apple holds is “Mammoth,” which many thought would be used for macOS 12 or 13; it still hasn’t been used, so perhaps a future macOS 27 or 28 might finally be Mammoth (especially fitting if it’s a huge release) bgr.com. Another is “Redwood,” which was rumored for macOS 14 but Apple chose Sonoma instead reddit.com. These give a fun hint, but Apple can always choose something else entirely.

Feature-wise, artificial intelligence and machine learning will likely be a continued area of growth. We can expect Apple to refine the on-device AI introduced in Sequoia – perhaps by macOS 27 or so, Macs might get the capability to run larger language models locally as Apple Silicon chips become even more powerful (the way the M3 or M4 series might handle tens of billions of parameters easily, enabling a more SiriGPT-like experience but privately on-device). Also, Augmented Reality (AR) might play a part. With the Apple Vision Pro headset launching (running its own visionOS), Apple will surely ensure macOS works in tandem – maybe allowing a Mac’s screen to be used virtually in the headset, etc. Indeed, a Continuity feature between Mac and Vision Pro is expected so that you can see your Mac’s display in your AR space and control it there.

Another area to watch is developer-focused changes: Apple might eventually allow Xcode on iPad (which indirectly affects Mac because it shows how the platforms converge). Or Apple might unify app development further, making every app easily deployable to Mac, iPad, iPhone, which increases Mac’s app catalog.

From a user perspective, macOS will likely remain a distinct experience that values backward compatibility (to a degree) and the traditional desktop metaphor, while Apple incrementally modernizes it. They’ve been balancing adding iPad-style features (like Launchpad, or Full-Screen Spaces, or Stage Manager) with keeping the old windowed flexibility. This balance will continue to be shaped by user feedback.

One possible controversy on the horizon could be regulatory pressure: there have been talks, especially in the EU, about opening up ecosystems. On iOS 17, Apple reportedly is preparing to allow sideloading of apps to comply with EU’s Digital Markets Act. If that happens on iPhone, the Mac (which already allows external apps) might see even fewer restrictions (maybe eventually Apple could allow alternative app stores or payment systems on Mac App Store to preempt regulation). It’s speculative, but legislation is a new factor that could influence macOS’s policies.

In summary, the story of macOS is one of constant reinvention balanced with continuity. From the original Mac OS that introduced concepts still in use today, to Mac OS X which built a new foundation, to the current macOS that fuses the best of personal computing and mobile tech, Apple’s operating system has been a driving force in the industry. It set usability standards early on, survived near-extinction, rebounded by embracing change (UNIX, Intel, ARM, etc.), and now leads in integrating AI and multi-device experiences. As of 2025, macOS stands strong – a platform beloved by its users (with a satisfaction and loyalty that rivals can only dream of), and positioned for whatever the next decades of computing bring. As Apple often says, “the soul of the Mac is its operating system” – and that soul has only grown richer with time.

Sources:

Stephen Hackett, “Twenty Years Ago, Steve Jobs Held a Funeral for Mac OS 9,” 512 Pixels (May 20, 2022) 512pixels.net
MacRumors, “Macintosh Moving to Intel Processors” (June 6, 2005) macrumors.com macrumors.com
Samuel Gibbs and Matthew Weaver, “MacOS High Sierra bug: blank password let anyone take control of a Mac,” The Guardian (Nov. 29, 2017) theguardian.com theguardian.com
Walter S. Mossberg, Wall Street Journal via MacDailyNews, “Mossberg: Mac OS X has proved to be as powerful and versatile as Windows, yet easier to use and more secure” (Oct. 25, 2007) macdailynews.com
Thom Holwerda, “Reviews: Mac OS X Leopard” (quoting David Pogue, Walt Mossberg, Ed Baig), OSNews (Oct. 25, 2007) osnews.com osnews.com
Apple Newsroom, “Apple announces Mac transition to Apple silicon” – Press Release with Tim Cook quote (June 22, 2020) apple.com
Darrell Etherington, “Apple’s M1 Macs praised for performance gains over Intel Macs,” TechCrunch (Dec. 7, 2020) techcrunch.com
StatCounter Global Stats: Desktop OS market share (2024) – Windows ~71%, macOS ~16% en.wikipedia.org.
MacRumors, “macOS Sequoia is the newest version… adds iPhone Mirroring, Passwords app, and tons more” (July 11, 2025) macrumors.com macrumors.com
Wikipedia, “macOS Sequoia – announced at WWDC 2024, named after Sequoia National Park” en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
MacRumors, “macOS Tahoe: Everything We Know” (Aug 1, 2025) macrumors.com macrumors.com (expected features: Liquid Glass design, Phone app, etc.)