Apple to end Messages Beta for OS X Lion on December 14

Earlier this year, Apple had announced that those who could not wait to use some of the features of OS X Mountain Lion could install the Messages Beta app for Macs running on the Lion operating system. However, Apple have decided that this beta version is to come to an end. It is issuing email notifications to its users stating that support for this program will end on Friday, December 14, 2012.

According to the email issued by Apple, the Messages Beta program team states, “The Messages Beta program for Lion will end on Friday, December 14, 2012. We hope you’ve enjoyed the opportunity to preview Messages. If you’d like to continue using Messages, upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion from the Mac App Store. Messages is one of many great new apps and features built right into OS X Mountain Lion.”

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Messages Beta to be no more for Lion

This notification from Apple has not come out of the blue. In the past, a month before the launch of Mountain Lion, Apple had stopped the ability to download this software for running the Messages application.

If one wants to continue using Messages in its entirety, then one would need to cough up $20 and download Mountain Lion in which this feature is an inbuilt part of the software update. However, a range of older devices are not compatible with the latest operating system from Apple, so it would put users in a bit of a fix.

At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple announced that its next big Mac operating software, Mountain Lion will be available by July. Apple had announced a week after OS X Mountain Lion was released that it has been downloaded more than three million times, making it its most successful OS X release.

Apple claims that Mountain Lion has more than 200 new features, and it is the ninth major release of the Mac OS. This software is available through the Mac App Store as an upgrade to Lion or Snow Leopard users for $19.99.

Commenting on the 3 million milestone, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at Apple, Philip Schiller said, “Just a year after the incredibly successful introduction of Lion, customers have downloaded Mountain Lion over three million times in just four days, making it our most successful release ever.”

Some of the Mountain Lion features are:

• It claims to offer better integration with social networks such as Facebook. It will also come with built-in features to allow sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and other services. For instance, you’ll get notifications when you get a message or a mention in a Facebook or Twitter post. You need to sign in only once, and you can share directly from other apps you are using.
• Power Nap ensures that Mac gets updated even while it’s in power-saving ‘sleep’ mode. It will get your email messages, back up your files and download software updates automatically. It will work with recent MacBook Air computers and the higher-end MacBook Pro model, the one with the sharper, ‘Retina’ display.
• It comes with a new Messages app, which has been taken from Apple’s mobile operating system, will replace iChat. It will allow users to send messages to other Apple users, whether that person is on a Mac or an Apple mobile device.
• Mountain Lion will be integrated with iCloud, the new Internet storage service designed for the mobile devices.
• The software will bring dictation to Macs, essentially allowing the computer to type as you talk.
• Game Center will store high game scores and help users find opponents on both Macs and Apple mobile devices.