macOS

Every computer needs a program that manages everything else. This base program is called an operating system. It displays the screen, responds to mouse and keyboard, manages files, and launches other programs. On Apple's computers, the Macs, this base program is called macOS. It is thus the counterpart to Microsoft's Windows and to Linux, which runs mainly on servers. Unlike Windows, Apple does not sell macOS separately: it officially only runs on devices that Apple itself builds.

Why Apple builds hardware and system from a single source

An operating system determines which programs you can even use. Anyone who buys a Mac can only install software written for macOS. That’s why the question of which system to choose is not a minor matter, but a long-term commitment. Experts call this an ecosystem: device, system, programs, and accessories interlock and are difficult to replace individually.

Apple is one of the few manufacturers that develops computers and operating systems at the same time. Microsoft writes Windows, but the devices come from Dell, Lenovo, or HP. At Apple, both come from the same company. The advantage: the system only has to fit a handful of devices, not thousands of combinations. The disadvantage: you are dependent on a single provider, both for prices and for repairs.

Economically, macOS is not a separate business for Apple, but a selling point. The updates have been free for years. Money is made on the devices and on services like iCloud or the App Store, through which Apple earns a share of sales. In software development, macOS is particularly widespread because apps for iPhones may only be built on a Mac.

Unix core, windows, and Apple chips

Inside macOS is Unix, a system family from the 1970s that ran mainly on large computers. This is also where the Terminal comes from: a window in which you type commands as text instead of clicking. On top of that lies the graphical interface with windows, the Dock at the edge of the screen, and the Finder for files. Users only see this upper layer; the programming work often happens one level down.

Since 2020, Macs have run on Apple’s own processors, the M chips. A processor is the computing core of a computer. Before that, Intel chips were used, which understand a different instruction language. Old programs therefore run via a translation layer called Rosetta, which converts Intel instructions into Apple instructions during operation. Apple has carried out such transitions several times before in its history.

New macOS versions are released about once a year and are named after California locations, for example Ventura, Sonoma, or Sequoia. A common misconception: macOS and iOS, the iPhone’s system, are not the same thing. They share many building blocks, but iPhone apps and Mac programs are different things.

From school computer to AI advertising

In everyday life, you encounter macOS wherever image, sound, and text are worked with professionally: in graphic design studios, sound studios, editorial offices, and universities. The market share worldwide is about 15 percent of all personal computers, with Windows dominating by a clear margin. In wealthier countries and at schools, the share is often higher.

In tech news, macOS currently appears mainly in connection with artificial intelligence. Apple is building features under the name Apple Intelligence directly into the system, for example for rewriting texts or summarizing messages. Part of this computing work happens on the device itself, not in a remote data center. This is considered an advantage for privacy, but requires newer Macs with sufficient memory.

For investors, macOS news is interesting because it shows how strongly Apple ties its users to itself. Every new system feature that only runs on current devices is also an incentive to buy new hardware. And every App Store rule keeps competition authorities in Europe and the US busy.