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Apple hints at future ‘MacOS’ name change on new environmental webpage

Screen Shot 2016-04-14 at 5.26.11 PM

Earlier today, Apple unveiled the beginnings of its efforts for Earth Day 2016, and with it came an updated webpage that aims to answer all sorts of questions about Apple and its focus on the environment. One tidbit of information on that page, however, is that instead of referring to its desktop operating system as OS X, Apple again has referred to it as MacOS.

In a section on the webpage that discusses Apple’s process for conducting a product life cycle assessment, it refers to MacOS, tvOS, iOS, and watchOS devices. There’s no mention of OS X anywhere on the site.

Last month, an OS X 10.11.4 framework was found with the macOS naming scheme, which fueled speculation that the next major update to Apple’s desktop operating system would include a naming rebrand.

Today’s finding is also far more conclusive than the framework resource that was found last month. This is because developers often use macOS identifiers in filenames and code for convenience, while today’s MacOS mention clearly came from somewhere within Apple where perhaps they’ve simply gotten used to the new name.

It makes sense for Apple to rebrand its OS X operating system to MacOS. It puts the naming more in line with watchOS, tvOS, and iOS. Although, it’s somewhat interesting that Apple has referred to it here as MacOS and not ‘macOS.’ The difference, however, could be that Mac is a proper noun while ‘tv’ and ‘watch’ technically aren’t without the Apple stuck in front of them.

Nevertheless, it is looking more and more conclusive that Apple will soon rebrand OS X as MacOS. The company is still planning at least one more release under the OS X moniker, as it has recently released the first developer beta of OS X 10.11.5. The rebranding, however, could occur as soon as WWDC where the company will likely unveil the next major update for the Mac. We reported earlier this year that Apple is planning to bring Siri to the Mac with the next major update.

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Comments

  1. Chris Brighton - 8 years ago

    It makes sense, why are people getting surprised over this? We have iOS, tvOS and watchOS already. Why not have macOS as well?

  2. Paul Van Obberghen - 8 years ago

    I always had the feeling that the OS that operates the Macs has always been “MacOS” whatever nickname or numbering it receives, now being in version “OS X 10..11.4 El Capitan”. Anyway, I always say and surch for “MacOS” and never “OS X”. Then again, at 53, I’m old already.

    • I always get confused with “OS X” I always want to call it X OS or XO S or some other variation, i usually have to double check what the correct term is. I’m only 22 too lol. I think calling it MacOS will be great.

      • Jon Anderson - 8 years ago

        Officially, OS X is verbalized as “Oh-Ess-Ten” signifying the tenth iteration of the Mac Operating System. That might help you remember.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      Mountain Lion was the first time it was called OS X. Previous versions were called Mac OS X then the old numbered version before Mac OS X. After 16 years it’s time to change the name away from OS X. I think they will go with MacOS 11.

  3. Lawrence Krupp - 8 years ago

    We’ll know for sure at WWDC if they announce the successor to OS X 10.11

  4. I like this idea of changing the name from OS X to MacOS, because I always felt that OS X was out of place and awkward to same, especially in comparison to iOS, tvOS, and others. This will be great for Apple and its naming theme.

    • standardpull - 8 years ago

      So Mac OS X may be renamed to MacOS 10.

      Sounds the same to me. And it helps remove the confusing of the folks who mistakenly call it “O-S-Ex”.

      The big deal will be when Apple ticks up the version from v10.x to v11.0. I’m not quite sure what kind of changes will be necessary to make that happen.

      • dpcom - 8 years ago

        Right. I’ve been wondering since 10.6 or so what it’s gonna take for them to increment the major version number. What’s so special about 10 (or “X”) that they got stuck on it for so long? They waited around at “10” for so long that now WINDOWS has caught up with them! Windows 2000 was NT 5.0 (XP was 5.1) and they’re now on 10 (having skipped only 9). Meanwhile Apple has released in roughly that same time, 12 major OS versions from 10.0 to 10.11. Obviously names and numbers don’t matter but it’s funny.

  5. Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

    Changing the name to macOS makes sense. So would calling them phoneOS and padOS in addition to watchOS and tvOS.
    It’s time the iPad got it’s own version, not using the an inflated version of the one on the iPhone.

    • I’m not too sure about phoneOS and padOS, unless you are thinking of there being a difference for the two OSs. Because and iPhone and iPad are running the same OS, I don’t think there should be a different naming pattern.

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        I’m a fan of padOS. iOS for iPad has been mostly a blown up version of the iPhone and the UI has not been optimized for the larger screen sizes. The UI and software are. It tailored enough to take advantage of the screen size in the iPads or the extra processing power of the iPads. Apple needs either yearly iPad specific iOS updates yearly or change the name and tweak the OS and UI to make using the iPad a better experience and increase the productivity.

        iOS is the. Ingest drawback of iPads. Split screens apps is about the only iPad specific feature that has been added to iOS. The UI needs more tweaked then just split screen apps.

      • Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

        That’s exactly the point. The iPad has always, much to its detriment, been running a version of the same iOS run on iPhones. Slowly, however, the two are forking. There are more and more differences. I think Apple should stop the pretence and just give them different names. Then there would be less of a impetus to maintain continuity across these very different devices. padOS could be optimized with more features and abilities specifically for the larger, more powerful environment. Features that would not work on a phone. Features that the iPad really needs to be a computer replacement. The iPad does not need to run OS-X. OS-X is not optimized for a touch screen tablet. No the iPad needs it’s own OS, because it’s its own environment. Fortunately the core of OS-X, phoneOS, and padOS are the same so with the proper tools it should be possible to create an app once, and then compile it for each of the environments.

    • kijijigod - 8 years ago

      Well, with your logic it should really be changed to computerOS.

      And great idea with all the forked OS names! Counter Microsoft’s “Windows 10 everywhere” strategy with micro fragmentation.

      And as the code that is now loaded when updating iOS in different for each device to enable OS updates with much less available memory, we should extend it to padOS, padproOS, padairOS, podOS, etc, etc… we could have DOZENS of different OS’s!!!

      SO COOL!

  6. wdm6502 - 8 years ago

    “Mac Oh Es Twelve” here we come…

  7. Jordan Biffle - 8 years ago

    Not only does it make more sense to name it MacOS, but it helps avoid people confusing OS X with iOS X.

  8. Chris Deeming - 8 years ago

    I wonder how far they’ll go with dropping the X / 10 moniker. We would usually be expecting the next version to be OS X 10.12. This could mean we’d see macOS 10.12 or maybe they’ll shift to a different version numbering scheme also. I can actually kind of see the next version being macOS 12… I mean, technically, it would be macOS 11, but that might be confused with OS X 10.11. macOS 12 does sort of make sense… and it’s not as if a major operating system skipping a major version number is a completely alien concept…

    • wdm6502 - 8 years ago

      Not at all. After all Microsoft skipped 91 version numbers going from 3 to 95, then 1995 versions going from NT 4 to Windows 2000 :D

    • David Kaplan - 8 years ago

      Honestly I could just see them dropping the number and doing like macOS Cupertino and then like macOS IN-N-OUT Burger. (The second one was a joke.)

  9. David Kaplan - 8 years ago

    It could be an error though because as you can see the “M” is capitalized whereas the branding for the other operating systems starts with lowercase letters.

  10. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    Mac OS 7.6 was the first time Apple used Mac OS and is probably why Apple would use MacOS this summer.

  11. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    It is a welcomed change for me I have hated the numbering since we got OS X 10.10 with Yositme. Lion was the last time Apple used Mac OS X with Mac OS X 10.7. Mountain Lion is when Apple ditched the Mac from the OS name. I think we will get MacOS 11 then keeping adding a number with every yearly update after.

    Also I think MacOS will be built to run on Apple custom chips and a Intel chips.

  12. spiffers - 8 years ago

    They changed it back to OS X

  13. Ahmes Syahda (@ahmessyd) - 8 years ago

    the “MacOS” in the webpage has changed to “OS X” so…

  14. Christopher Estes - 8 years ago

    I hate the name “OS X.” It’s always followed by Arabic numerals, and you don’t mix Roman and Arabic numerals. “OS” Roman Numeral 10 then Arabic Numeral 10 is silly. “OS ten ten?” It’s a freaking letter. It’s “OS (letter) X” whether OCD geeks and Apple like it or not. There. Case settled.

    • dpcom - 8 years ago

      You make a good point. You must have especially hated Yosemite (OS X 10.10). GAAAAAAHHHHH!

  15. I think Mac OS will be an ARM-based desktop OS with Apple’s desktop-class ARM-processors and desktop-class graphics that Mr. Schiller keeps referring to.

  16. I was under the impression it’s full name was always Mac OS X.

  17. Peter Hillman - 8 years ago

    The website has already changed it back to OS X.

  18. Braulio Laguna - 8 years ago

    It looks like Apple edited their webpage.

  19. tktool2013 - 8 years ago

    now i suppose the pukes will take out some more OS features and won’t let more of my apps work with it, it is not that they wont work they just don’t because they won’t let the apps work with their new OS, until that is changed i am staying with Yosemite 10.10.5 until they do

  20. Abedoss - 8 years ago

    They switched back to OS X now.

  21. James R. Pannozzi - 8 years ago

    Ah ! a new name for a future Mac operating system !!! How about -> The “WE REMOVED THAT FEATURE” operating system, or “OS MINUS” or “OS-Xd” for short !

  22. Cristian Georgescu - 8 years ago

    A smarter move would be to call it Windows 11

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

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