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Apple opens OS X beta program to everyone

Can’t wait to try out the latest features and tweaks to Apple’s desktop operating system? Do you need to be the guy running potentially unstable software that could have strange consequences for your Mac? Well then Apple’s new OS X Beta Seed Program is for you.

The new program allows everyday users to sign up to try out and submit feedback on the latest releases for the latest version of OS X or, as most of us know it, Mavericks. In the past getting hold of the latest beta releases of OS X required you to have an Apple developer account costing $99 a year (nearly R1 050), but it didn’t stop you from getting the release from your friends and installing them yourself. It was, however, an unnecessary pain to keep asking a friend to download it for you from their account every time a new release was posted.

To sign up for the program all you need to have is an Apple ID and be willing to agree to a list of terms and conditions which contains a nice clause that indemnifies Apple against any potential damage that may result from installing beta versions of its software.

“YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BY INSTALLING SUCH PRE-RELEASE SOFTWARE ON YOUR COMPUTERS, THESE COMPUTERS MAY NOT BE CAPABLE OF BEING RESTORED TO THEIR ORIGINAL CONDITION. APPLE SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY COSTS, EXPENSES OR OTHER LIABILITIES YOU MAY INCUR AS A RESULT OF YOUR TESTING, INSTALLATION OR USE OF PRE-RELEASE SOFTWARE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY DAMAGE TO ANY EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE OR DATA.”

Once you’re signed up for the program you will be prompted to download and install the ‘Beta Access Utility’ which will make the beta updates visible in the ‘Updates’ tab in the Mac App Store.  During the sign-up process, and again after you have installed the Beta Access Utility, Apple prompts you to make a Time Machine backup of your system in case it needs to be reinstalled for any reason. This is good advice in general, but especially good for anyone planning to take part in the program.

Interested? Head on over to Apple’s website to sign up and get your Mac some shiny new software today.

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