Apple has been as productive as a company can expect to be over the last few weeks. A plethora of hardware and software announcements have thrust the company into the media and public spotlight, with the subsequent releases of those products ensuring that the focus remains on the Cupertino-based company. Now, the wait is finally over for all you Mac owners out there. After months of testing and development, Apple is finally letting you download and install Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan for free from the Mac App Store.
Apple initially introduced the world to OS X El Capitan during this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) back in June, as has become company tradition. In the months that have followed that announcement, we have been privy to a number of beta seeds that have been issued to registered and enrolled members of the Apple Developer Program, to help them build El Capitan-specific software, as well as allowing them to upgrade existing apps to offer 10.11 compatibility. Apple also took the unique step of opening up the El Capitan pre-release cycle to members of the public via its public Apple Beta Software Program.
The final touches have been applied to El Capitan based on all of the feedback received by Apple from those developers and the public alike. It has been uploaded to Apple’s servers and made available via the Mac App Store, and like its predecessors, it’s being dished out by Apple as an entirely free-of-charge upgrade in the hope that a large percentage of those with compatible Mac hardware will upgrade in order to have as many users as possible running the latest operating system. If you’re excited about the release, check your Mac compatibility here:
- iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
- MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
- MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminium, or Early 2009 or newer)
- Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
- Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
- Xserve (Early 2009)
As we’ve mentioned a number of times in the run-up to this launch, OS X El Capitan is all about improving reliability, stability, and the underlying performance that’s experienced by end-users. Rather than offering sweeping visual and functionality changes, El Capitan has a dedicated focus on stabilizing things under-the-hood, which is similar to the iOS 9 ethos in that sense. With that said, there are a few nice little feature improvements that users can look forward to, such as the introduction of Split View apps, an improved Mission Control, and a highly improved Spotlight Search experience.
You can download OS X El Capitan 10.11 right now from the Mac App Store here and upgrade from there.
If you wish to do a fresh install (recommended) on El Capitan on your Mac, you can follow the instructions for it here: Clean Install OS X El Capitan On Your Mac The Right Way, Here’s How [Guide].
If you haven’t already done so, you may want to take a look at our advice on how to prepare yourself and your machine for the installation of El Capitan: How To Prepare Your Mac For OS X El Capitan [Guide].
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