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On Wednesday, Apple released the highly anticipated Mac OS X 10.7 Lion via the Mac App Store. The eighth major release of OS X, Lion marks the first version of the world’s most advanced operating system available exclusively through the Mac App Store. Bypassing the traditional CD/DVD format of past releases, Mac OS X Lion is a significant step forward both in terms of its new features and in how operating systems are acquired and installed.

Introducing over 250 new features, Lion is an enticing upgrade—especially given its very affordable $29.99 price point. The scale of Wednesday’s release is in line with the shift from Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard in the fall of 2007. While Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard acted as a bridge between Leopard and Lion, it was more of a refinement of the features already introduced in 10.5. Given this, Mac users have been waiting patiently for nearly four years for an upgrade of Lion’s scale, and thankfully it doesn’t disappoint.

Lion includes many groundbreaking new features including: enhanced Multi-Touch gestures, support for full screen apps, Mission Control, Launchpad, the Mac App Store and a completely redesigned version of Mail. As mentioned during keynotes and media events throughout its development, many of these new features are directly inspired by, or even copies of, features of Apple’s iOS mobile operating system. Due to this amalgamation, Lion has been toted as a synthesis of the best aspects of Mac OS X and iOS.

Almost as amazing as its new features is the way Lion is acquired and installed. No longer is a trip to the store to purchase a boxed version of the OS required. Users running Mac OS X 10.6.8 with compatible Intel Macs can download Lion from the convenience of their homes and offices through the Mac App Store. What many are already referring to as the simplest install of OS X ever, Lion can be installed and configured with just a few clicks. Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing contributed the following on Lion’s release and the ease of its install:

“Lion is the best version of OS X yet, and we’re thrilled that users around the world can download it starting today. Lion makes upgrading a Mac easier than ever before; just launch the Mac App Store, buy Lion with your iTunes account, and the download and install process will begin automatically.”

Supplementing the aforementioned features, Lion includes a series of refinements which look to radically change the way OS X is experienced and used. Among these Resume, Auto Save and Versions effectively eliminate the need to save files as they automatically preserve your Mac’s state prior to a restart or shutdown, continuously save your documents in the background and even keep a running history your of files as you work. Lion also introduces AirDrop, which revolutionizes file transfers to nearby Macs, making Sneakernet flash drive exchanges a thing of the past.

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion is now available on the Mac App Store, and retails for $29.99. To ensure your Mac is compatible and ready to upgrade, click here.

To purchase Lion, click here. (opens the Mac App Store)

System Requirements:

• Intel-based Mac with a Core 2 Duo, i3, 15, i7 or Xeon processor
• Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard
• 2GB of RAM
• 4GB available hard drive space

As of this morning, AT&T has officially announced tethering for iPhone. While this feature is long overdue and will undoubtably make many iPhone customers happy, not all of the news is good. With the announcement of tethering, AT&T has also made some major changes to both the iPhone and iPad data plans. By far the most controversial move on AT&T’s part is the introduction of data limits on their previously “Unlimited” 3G data plans.

Starting June 7th, AT&T will do away with their $30 unlimited plan for new iPhone users. In its place, two new plans with limited data caps will be introduced.

*Data Plus: 200MB for $15/month. (Additional 200 MB for an extra $15)*

This plan seems most ideal for “light” iPhone users, or those who have consistent Wi-Fi access throughout their day. Still, the plan seems a little stingy for anyone looking to stream any kind of media over the 3G network even if it is for a short period of time. Even regular web browsing/emailing over 3G can add up quickly when navigating to data rich pages or downloading attachments.

*Data Pro: 2GB for $25/month. (Additional 1 GB for an extra $10)*

While AT&T claims 98% of iPhone users use less than 2GB/month, the prospect of a limited data plan still seems a bit frightening. For anyone regularly streaming video to their device over 3G via apps like “Air Video”:http://www.inmethod.com/air-video/index.html;jsessionid=471FDB20A2C224C651F1FB031E413F4B, it is possible to hit 2GB of data in only a few days of regular use. Even over the course of a month, regularly using streaming radio apps like Pandora or Slacker can seriously add up.

*Tethering: Extra $20/month for Data Pro Customers*

Tethering is slated to be deployed with the release of iPhone OS 4.0 sometime this summer. As of now, the option is only available for Data Pro ($25/mo.) customers. The added $20/month to enable tethering raises the price of the comprehensive package to $45/month. That’s $15 more than the current Unlimited plan, but with the 2GB/mo. cap still in place.

The newly established Data Plus plan will become available on the 7th, and the Data Pro plan will replace the formerly available $30/month unlimited data option. AT&T has confirmed that this new limited plan will replace the current $30 Unlimited iPad plan as well.

If this isn’t quite music to your ears, don’t fret. AT&T claims that existing iPhone and iPad users with unlimited data plans will be “grandfathered” into the new program. This essentially means that existing iPhone and iPad users will be able to keep their current unlimited plans with the option of opting for a new plan at some point in the future if they choose.

This controversial move has riled up some customers and has generated a very mixed response towards AT&T. While light data users will benefit from the option of the cheaper $15/month Data Plus plan, the majority of iPhone and especially iPad users who enjoy streaming media services such as Pandora and Netflix over 3G will likely feel a bit upset. While I have my own opinions regarding this issue, it would be great to hear other thoughts as well.

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