That version was available only to registered developers, who pay $99 annually to download previews, utilize Apple's APIs and submit products to the company's App Store and Mac App Store. What is a public beta? It's a preview of an upcoming operating system, in this case macOS High Sierra, available to any Mac owner.Īccess is what separates the public beta from its predecessor, the developer-only beta Apple debuted June 5 at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). We have the proof: Answers to questions about everything from release cadence to support. If the past is any predictor, as many as 3 million Mac owners worldwide - the number estimated to have downloaded and installed last year's public beta of macOS Sierra - gave High Sierra a go before Apple tapped it as done.Īpple runs its public beta program a lot differently than does Microsoft, the enterprise king. The first public preview of the upcoming OS arrived June 29.Ī summertime beta program let anyone with a Mac - including workers with their BYOD MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros, and IT admins responsible for supporting Apple's OS - try out the upgrade, test application compatibility and explore its new features and functionality.
Apple has released a golden master candidate for macOS High Sierra, the desktop operating system slated to debut Sept.
