At its huge event today, in San Francisco, Apple announced that the next version of its desktop operating system, OS  X Mavericks, would be a free upgrade.

The new operating system has a number of added features, and redesigned core features that enable more efficient operation when it comes to using processor, memory, or battery resources. Apple stated that a new Macbook Air 13-inch running OS X Mavericks will have up to 1-hour more battery life by upgrading to the new software.

In the past Mac owners had to have the most recent version of Mac OS X before upgrading to a new version, but with Mavericks Apple is pushing to have as many users upgrade to the new operating system, thus making it free. It is also encouraging adoption of the new OS by making it available to users of older versions of Mac OS X, including 10.6 (Snow Leopard), 10.7 (Lion), and Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion).

The free update will be available from the Mac App Store. Clicking “Free Upgrade” will start the download – a 5.16GB file – and the installation will upgrade your existing OS in place.

While Microsoft released Windows 8.1 for free, it’s never released a major version of its operating system as a free download or upgrade. Apple claims that its move has turned the industry on its head – and we’re inclined to agree.

To download OS X Mavericks from the Mac App Store, click here.