Top 5 Features in Mac OS X Mountain Lion: Why Upgrade

If you love your iPad or iPhone, Apple's OS X 10.8 is a desktop OS that was made for you. Popularly known as "Mountain Lion," the latest system software builds on the features of 10.7 "Lion" while offering a computing experience closer to that of the mobile iOS. Mac owners downloaded Mountain Lion from the App Store 3 million times just in the first four days after its release on July 25, 2012. If you're on the fence about upgrading, understand that Mountain Lion will also sync better with your iDevices and share better with integrated options for social media. There are over 200 new features in this version of OS X, including a few you've probably been waiting for.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

NotificationsSwipe two fingers rightward on your trackpad and you'll see a list of your latest email messages, upcoming calendar events, Twitter interactions and more. Each type of notification is configurable to appear briefly onscreen, remain until you dismiss it or stay hidden until you summon the Notification Center panel. This feature was created to match notifications in iOS 6, offering a consistent experience on the desktop or mobile.

Gatekeeper 

The Mac may be much less vulnerable to malware and viruses than its PC counterpart, but it's still better to be safe than sorry. Apple believes that too, because Mountain Lion comes equipped with Gatekeeper, an anti-malware app lauded by security experts for offering both security and control. By default, Gatekeeper checks every application you install for a developer ID, indicating trusted software. If you want more or less security, you can tell Gatekeeper to allow only apps you download from the App Store, or to let you grab all of those open-source apps you enjoy.

Mobile Integration 

For the longest time, syncing your calendar, notes and other items from your iPhone or iPod to your Mac required a USB cable. With iCloud, Apple has provided you with the means to keep everything up-to-date without manual prodding. Mountain Lion kicks up the integration, syncing your contacts, notes, reminders, messages, email, GameCenter and even Safari tabs between your Mac and your other Apple devices.

If you love Messages on your iOS device, the new Messages app brings the same functionality to the desktop. Send text or photo messages to anyone with an compatible Apple device, chat using services such as AIM and Google Chat, or start a FaceTime session. Features like delivery receipts and typing notification match the mobile version of the software. 

GameCenter 

You read that right: GameCenter finally arrives on the Mac. If you've been playing games with friends and climbing the leaderboards on your iOS device, log right in and enjoy. GameCenter recommends games you can play with your Apple-owning friends, or finds you opponents who are logged in and ready. If you have an Apple TV, play your games on your big-screen TV using AirPlay Mirroring. 

Social Sharing 

Need to tweet? Apple has integrated Twitter so tightly into Mountain Lion that you may forget it has a website. Bring up the Notification Center and click to tweet, and your Mac notifies you of any retweets or replies. Use the sharing button in Safari, iPhoto and other apps to share using relevant services, including Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube, Flickr, or in a fall 2012 update, Facebook. 

Miscellany 

With so many new features in OS X 10.8, this incomplete list is sure to leave out some you'll love, whether it's Dictation, Reminders or Power Nap, which updates your Mac while it sleeps. At a lower price point than any previous major system upgrade -- and that includes Lion -- these are significant improvements for your small investment.

By Michael Cox, eHow Contributor 

Michael Cox

Michael Cox writes about lifestyle issues, popular culture, sports and technology. In a career spanning more than 10 years his work has appeared in dozens of magazines, books and websites, including MSN.com, "Adobe Magazine" and "Yahoo! Internet Life." Scott holds a professional certificate in technical communications from the University of Washington.