The name of Apple's Mac operating system, starting with the Sierra Version 10.12 in 2016. Since its introduction in 1984, Mac operating systems have been written for three hardware lines: Motorola, PowerPC and Intel. See
Macintosh,
operating system and
Sierra.
Name Evolution
The Mac originally used "System" designations, which then became "Mac OS." Starting in 1999, Mac OS X was a major upgrade. The Mac OS X moniker was used with a subtitle of an animal name and later a California location (see
Mac OS X).
Year
Intro Official Name
1984 (Classic) "System" 1 to 7.5
1995 (Classic) "Mac OS" 7.5.1 to 9.2.2
1999 "Mac OS X" 10.0 to 10.8
2013 "OS X" 10.9 to 10.11
2016 "macOS" 10.12 and up