The types of Mac operating systems

If you have ever heard of "Apple", then you are probably well aware that they have manufactured a multitude of operating systems for various devices. While there are many of these, this article will primarily focus on the different basic interfaces of operating systems Apple has created (e.g. for iPhone/iPod and OSX for full size computers).

iPod operating system

If you own an officially licensed Apple iPod, then you have almost certainly used an Apple operating system. Even if you own a hacked or "jailbroken" iPod, these still run off of official Apple firmware. Firmware Most of the time, operating systems for iPods are called firmware, as it is what the iPod relies on to run, just like a Mac would rely on OSX. These operating systems are normally released as software versions for whatever version iPod you own, and are available to download either on your "iDevice" or on your computer on iTunes. Note that for a while now, customised firmwares have been available on iPods. While the legality of these vary by country, typically they unlock certain functions, such as being able to stream FLAC formatted audio, and being able to install applications disallowed by the App Store. One such example is the very popular "Cydia".

Computer operating system

Mac opened its OSs on the market in the early 1980s, with an advert that will be remembered forever. It is available on YouTube, and is based off of the classic book entitled 1984.
Mac OS The classic Mac OS is called just that: Mac OS. It has no command line, and is many times in black and white. It could not support much else besides basic web browsing and word processing. Mac OS X The new generation Mac OS is entitled "Mac OS X". It is defined by having a command line, beautiful graphics, and its unique and fluent GUI (In general, it is a major Mac upgrade). Much more stringent requirements are needed to run this than the original Mac OS. Even though, Mac OS X is technically just the tenth in a series of Mac operating systems, it is considered by many experts to be in an entirely new generation of Apple operating system, and is what is used now. Note that there are variants of this OS, with unique names such as " Snow Leopard".