Apple uncages Mountain Lion OS

CUPERTINO, Calif., July 25 (UPI) -- Apple's new Mac OS X Mountain Lion brings the company's desktop and laptop computers closer to the iOS operating system of its iPad and iPhones, experts say.

Mountain Lion, released Wednesday, is the ninth significant upgrade to OS X in 11 years and in its look and feel echoes many features in the OS of Apple's prized tablet and smartphone, USA Today reported.

Features from the iOS mobile system such as Notification Center, Notes, Reminders, Game Center, Messages, Dictation and AirPlay Mirroring have made their way into Mountain Lion.

Twitter and Facebook integration comes by way of a handy "share" button within apps, allowing users to share photos, videos, Web links and documents.

Apple's iCloud online storage service is also integrated in Mountain Lion.

The new OS carrying version number 10.8, which Apple says contains more than 200 new features over its predecessor Lion 10.7, is available only as a download from Apple's App Store, priced at $19.95.