OS X 10.9 Activity Ramping Up as Speculation on Developer Preview Release Increases

AppleInsider reported late last week that web traffic logs from machines claiming to run OS X 10.9 had jumped from "a few dozen" back in October into the thousands last month, suggesting that the new operating system may be close to making its first appearance. MacRumors is seeing a nearly identical trend, with a significant increase in OS X 10.9 activity since last November.

macrumors 10 9 jan13 activity
Hits on macrumors.com from systems identifying themselves as running OS X 10.9 in January 2013

Apple needs to test new platforms with a wide range of websites, and server logs can be examined to see which operating systems and browsers are in use, tipping off sites when a new OS appears. While such data can be easily faked in browsers, the trends currently being observed are consistent with past releases and previous examinations have shown OS X 10.9 hits coming from IP addresses associated with Apple.

macrumors 10 9 oct jan activity
Growth in hits on macrumors.com from systems identifying themselves as running OS X 10.9

Apple has recently been launching new versions of OS X on an annual basis, with OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion having launched in July of last year, a year after 10.7 Lion in July 2011. Apple released the first developer preview of OS X Mountain Lion in mid-February of last year, so it seems reasonable that the company could be looking at similar timing for OS X 10.9.

It has been rumored that OS X 10.9 will bring Siri to Macs for the first time, building on the dictation feature added to Mountain Lion. Rumors have also suggested integration with Apple's Maps, although the company has experienced significant criticisms with its maps app on iOS.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

Apple's Next iPhone SE Launching on Wednesday - Here's What We Know

Friday February 14, 2025 4:04 pm PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an Apple announcement that's coming on Wednesday, February 19, and it's looking like that mystery announcement will be the next-generation iPhone SE. We've been hearing about the iPhone SE 4 for quite some time now, and we essentially know everything to expect. If you want a sneak peek at what's coming, read on. Naming Apple first introduced the iPhone SE in...

Top Rated Comments

Unggoy Murderer Avatar
157 months ago
I hope Safari is one snappy bitch. Like my ex-wife.
Score: 74 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AQUADock Avatar
157 months ago
What's more interesting is that apple visits macrumours.
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kirky29 Avatar
157 months ago
I've lost so much enthusiasm for software releases from Apple recently. I hope OS X 10.9 and iOS 7 changes this though. :)
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nunyabinez Avatar
157 months ago
What's more interesting is that apple visits macrumours.

Shhhhh. Be quiet. Half the posters here think that they know how to run Apple better than Apple does. If there is actual evidence that someone from Apple visits here it will only get worse.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cambookpro Avatar
157 months ago
At last, some OS X news! I love my iPhones and iPads etc, but Macs and OS X are even better!
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yakapo Avatar
157 months ago
Up next, OSX Mountain Goat
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)