Apple OS X 10.9 Mavericks is a gentle evolution of Mac's operating system. This newest version comes with a couple of under-the-hood tweaks and a long list of fresh features. Also, it is a free upgrade to a wide range of Apple users out there. Here is how to download and install the Apple OS X 10.9 Mavericks.

Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook speaks about their new Mac book computers during an Apple event in San Francisco REUTERS/Robert Galbraith

Getting Started

Similar to the Mountain Lion, the Apple OS X 10.9 Mavericks is available to download from the App Store. However, unlike the Mountain Lion, the Mavericks is available for free to anyone running Snow Leopard or newer.

1. Verify Compatibility

Apple OS X 10.9 Mavericks requires your device to be running either Mountain Lion or OS X Lion and at least 8GB free disk space and 64-bit Intel processor. Basically, the following list of Mac computers can be upgraded to the OS X 10.9 Mavericks:

  • iMac (mid 2007 or newer)
  • MacBook Pro (13 inches mid 2009 or newer), (15 inches late 2007 or newer), (17 inches late 2007 or newer)
  • MacBook (13 inches aluminium from late 2008, or 13 inches plastic model from early 2009 or newer)
  • MacBook Air (late 2008 or newer)
  • Mac Mini (early 2009 or newer)
  • Mac Pro (early 2008 or newer)

In layman's term, Macs running the Lion or OS X Mountain Lion from last year will be able to run the upgrade.

2. Update All Apps

Before you proceed to the upgrade you must make sure that all apps are fully updated, otherwise the upgrade can make the apps unusable or unstable after the installation. As such, make sure that you are running the newest version of all apps before you head to the App Store. To update apps from the App store, simply go to the App Store, click on the "Updates", then click on "Update all". On the other hand, third party applications require additional work. You can open each app and see if it will suggest an update, otherwise you need to visit the developers Web site and manually check for updates.

3. Perform System Maintenance

Another thing that you should keep in mind before you proceed with the download is to perform system maintenance. First you must click on "Spotlight" in the right corner and look for "Apple's Disk Utility" application. Click on the hard drive found on the left-hand corner. It is called Macintosh HD. Afterwards, click on "Verify System Permissions". The process could take several minutes depending on how big the hard drive is.

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