Apple released its latest update to Mac OS X (now simply "OS X") last Wednesday, and since I've been working with it full-time for the last few months I thought it a good time to start sharing my thoughts about what it means for the future of the platform, and for those of us who rely on it in our institutions.

Education as a sector is typically slow to upgrade existing computers to the latest OS, so Apple's declared intention to deliver smaller, more frequent, and cheaper updates on an annual basis is something of a challenge. The new approach of delivering these updates directly into the hands of individual users through a simple App Store download looks like a direct assault on centralised IT policies, but plays well to the BYOD trend that's growing within many universities and colleges.

Head over to the newly-minted user interface blog UI/UX (more on which soon) to follow what's likely to be a series of posts examining Mountain Lion from a non-technical user perspective.