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Overview of Mac OS X

Mac OS X is a modern operating system that combines the power and stability of UNIX-based operating systems with the simplicity and elegance of the Macintosh. For years, power users and developers have recognized the strengths of UNIX and its offshoots. While UNIX-based operating systems are indispensable to developers and power users, consumers have rarely been able to enjoy their benefits because of the perceived complexity. Instead consumers have lived with a generation of desktop computers that could only hope to achieve the strengths that UNIX-based operating systems have had from the beginning.

This chapter is for anyone interested in an overview of Mac OS X—its lineage and its open source core, called Darwin. Here you will find background information about Mac OS X and how your application fits in.

Contents:

The Family Tree
Mac OS X and Darwin
What Macintosh Users Expect

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