Apple has delivered over 3 million downloads of its latest operating system, OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, making it the most successful desktop release in the company's history. As Mac is the preferred platform for the majority of the creative production community, a good number of us are among those millions who downloaded the new Mountain Lion. And for those who have yet to take the plunge, let me explain exactly why this latest OS is an excellent choice for the creative community.

First and foremost, the new Mountain Lion comes with an Xsan seat built in to every installation. For the industry, which prizes every seat, this means a savings of approximately $1,000 for the cost of a $20 download. Just about any Mac can be connected to Xsan, using the various Thunderbolt to Fibre Channel devices that are now available. 

Secondly, the new version has vastly increased security measures that come directly into play with the workflows that have sprung up involving the iPad and iPhone and their extended use in house and on set. OS X 10.8 not only lets you remotely manage all of your iOS devices, as well as the other Mac computers, but also enables you to lock those devices down or potentially wipe them clean. The risk of a rogue device’s proprietary content making its way into the wild is vastly reduced, as these devices can be swept of all material in case of an emergency; or simply as a standard procedure at the end of a project.

Another nice feature, Gatekeeper, lets administrators allow users to install applications, but limits them to programs provided by the App Store, or from trusted developers. This setting is enabled by default, but can be changed to allow installation of any application.

And last but definitely not least is the inclusion of AirPlay Mirroring. This is one of the more interesting new features in OS X Mountain Lion, which lets you wirelessly transmit your Mac desktop onto any television screen with an Apple TV device. We have customers already using this for dailies and playing back rough cuts. TV and movie production companies find it useful that a $99 Apple TV connected to their large-screen displays can show whatever they wish, without needing to scrounge for adapters or run cables. And content that needs to stay secure doesn’t have to leave your facility if you have to make a presentation. AirPlay Mirroring uses encryption, so while being quite convenient, it’s also very secure.

Steve McCracken is the Director of Engineering & Technology Services at MelroseTEC, the new IT consulting division of MelroseMAC. In addition to the traditional Apple products offered by MelroseMAC, MelroseTEC also provides solutions based on Avid, Adobe, HP, Facilis and numerous other industry-leading providers.