OS X 10.9 to Bring Enhancements to Finder, Safari, Multiple Monitor Support, and Multitasking

9to5Mac shares some details on Apple's upcoming OS X 10.9 operating system, noting that the update will focus in large part on "power-user" features while also incorporating a few more concepts from the company's iOS operating system. Among the enhancements said to be included in OS X 10.9, codenamed "Cabernet":

- New tabbed browsing and tags in Finder
- Redesigned backend for Safari to bring "improved page loading, speed, and efficiency"
- Ability to keep a dedicated Space or full-screen app open on a single monitor within a multiple monitor setup

finder_safari_fullscreen_icons
On the user interface side, the report suggests that there will be some changes, but that they "will not be drastic ones". As part of a management shakeup late last year, Apple's hardware design chief Jonathan Ive also took on responsibility for the Human Interface group on the software side, and it seems to be unclear how widely any changes resulting from his vision will show up in OS X 10.9.

Today's report also indicates that Apple has been working on new ideas for multitasking that could be included in OS X 10.9, drawing some inspiration from iOS.

According to one source, Apple has been testing a new multi-tasking system for OS X that is similar to the quick-app-switcher function on iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches. The multitasking feature will be functional for applications in the background, according to this person. Additionally, Apple could use app-pausing technologies from iOS to pause background application processes in OS X. This is significant as full performance could be given to foreground apps, which could help optimize battery life on Apple’s notebook computers.

Finally, the report draws into question previous claims of Siri integration in OS X 10.9, suggesting that changes to Apple's management structure have led to a complete reexamination of feature plans, and thus it is now unclear to what extent Siri will be integrated into OS X 10.9.

Apple will be showing off its next versions of both OS X and iOS and its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) scheduled for June 10-14 in San Francisco. Last week, tickets for the conference sold out in two minutes.

Tag: 9to5Mac

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

iPhone Foldable Display Said to Feature iPad-Style 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Friday March 28, 2025 3:44 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming "iPhone Fold" will feature a foldable screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, according to a Chinese leaker who previously leaked the book-style device's display dimensions. The Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station claims that Apple will adopt a "roughly" 4:3 aspect ratio on the inner display in order to achieve consistency between the outer display, as well as to ensure parity...

Top Rated Comments

longofest Avatar
156 months ago
wait... so are you seriously saying that safari... will be... "snappier"?
Score: 117 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zedsdead Avatar
156 months ago
Power user features....nice! Tabbed browsing in Finder is a def. plus.

Dual Monitor Setup is also a long time coming.

How about some iWork and Aperture love!
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jent Avatar
156 months ago
I try to give Apple the benefit of the doubt when most people bash the company, but I have to say, features like multi-monitor support for full screen applications should have been done right from the beginning, or at the very least made right in OS upgrades like Mountain Lion, when they had already had more than enough time to review customer complaints, analyze the technical aspects, and test any improvements. That being said, I'm looking forward to the new features described in the article.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ideal.dreams Avatar
156 months ago
The dual display issue has been here since 10.7. Fixing it isn't a feature, it's a bug fix and they should be embarrassed that it's taken two MAJOR OS releases to correct the issue.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sshambles Avatar
156 months ago
Fix the "reload when going back a page" first, please.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
156 months ago
"Additionally, Apple could use app-pausing technologies from iOS to pause background application processes in OS X. This is significant as full performance could be given to foreground apps, which could help optimize battery life on Apple’s notebook computers."

This is not multi-tasking; it's the opposite actually. Pausing background apps to give the foreground app full resources is not "multi". I really hope this is configurable somehow, or could be disabled.

I'd like to be able to continue rendering in the background while checking my gmail in the foreground.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)