OS X Mountain Lion Is Released
Published:
Apple released OS X Mountain Lion in July 2012, continuing the transfer of ideas from iOS back to the Mac. Notification Center, Messages, Reminders, Notes, and deeper iCloud integration made the desktop operating system more closely connected to Apple’s mobile devices.
The release also introduced Gatekeeper, which could restrict applications based on digital signatures and where they came from. Developers could sign software with an Apple-issued identity, giving the operating system a way to distinguish known developers from unsigned programs without requiring every Mac application to come from the App Store.
Gatekeeper became an important security compromise. Apple could reduce casual malware installation while still allowing software distribution outside its store, preserving more desktop openness than on iOS.