Yesterday, Apple Announced OS X Lion stating “The world’s most advanced operating system, advances even further with OS X Lion.” We’ve sifted through the 250+ new features to compile a list of the top 10 reason you are gonna love the King of the Jungle.

10.  Mulit- Touch Gestures

This feature changes the way you interact with your Mac.  iPhone and iPad users will be familiar with gestures such as Tap, Scroll, Pinch and Swipe, now used to navigate around your Mac.  The goal is to create a more intuitive or  ”natural”  way to control your screen.  Every new Mac comes with a multi-touch trackpad.  Laptops already have trackpads built in but if you’d like to upgrade for your iMac, choose between the Multi-Touch Magic Mouse or the even more gesture-friendly Magic Trackpad.

9.  Full Screen Apps

Take apps full screen with a click and navigate between them with a single gesture.  Full screen apps let you utilize every inch of your display, making it more practical to work on smaller screens. Just click on the icon to switch between full screen mode and desktop views.

8.   Mission Control

Mission Control combines: Exposé, Dashboard and Spaces to create a new way to navigate between everything you are working on.  The new Full Screen App feature works beautifully with Mission Control.  Get an arial view of everything that’s running by clicking onthe Mission Control icon in the dock OR just swipe 3 fingers upward to activate.

7.   Mac App Store

The big change to the App Store is the one click download and install.  The Mac App Store will now be built into OS X Lion making iteven easier to get the apps you want.  Special Note:  OS X Lion will not be available on disc, only from download on the Mac App Store.

6.   Launch Pad

Launch Pad is the new way to quickly view all your applications.  You can arrange your apps into groups, organize them into folders or even delete.  When you download an app from the new Mac App Store it automatically appears in Launch Pad.  To use Launch Pad simply click on the icon in your dock.

5.   Resume

Now when you reopen an app you can pick right back up where you left off.  With Resume you never have to start from scratch when you close an application or restart your Mac.  Everything will be set-up the way you like it, in the exact spot you left off. ( Plus, your work will automatically  be saved.  See Auto Save for more info.)

4.   Auto Save

Auto Save combined with Versions, are my favorite new features by far.  Imagine never having to save again!  With OS X Lion, your work gets automatically saved for you when  you work, pause or every 5 minutes.  There are revert and lock options as well.  You don’t need to worry about Auto Save taking up too much space because it only saves the changes and does not create additional documents. This is huge for anyone that’s every dealt with the agony of losing your work because you didn’t save often enough.  My only concern is what programs this will work for.  So far, Apple has only talked about iWork programs but what about design applications like Photoshop?  That’s when you really need Auto Save!

3.   Versions

Working with Auto Save, Versions automatically creates a new version of a document each time you open it and also every hour while you’re working on it.  That way you can go back and review what you’ve been working on.  You can even copy and paste between your current version of a document and previous versions.  Versions shows you the current document next to a cascade of previous versions along a time line.  Time Machine users will notice that Versions has a similar interface.

2.   Air Drop

Bye Bye memory stick!  Bye Bye emailing your co-worker a file.  Air Drop lets you share your files with people wirelessly.  Although no wi-fi is required, this feature only works with people nearby (about 30 feet).  However, it’s cool because there is no special set-up to use Air Drop.  Simply click on the icon in the Finder side bar and drag a file to the person’s name you want to share with.  Once they accept the file appears in their downloads folder.  (The files are fully encrypted during transfer as well.)

1.   Mail

Last but not least…. Mail is being updated!  Apple says, “OS X Lion takes a few cues from Mail on iPad, then taps into the power of the Mac to deliver the best email experience you’ve ever had on a computer.”  The biggest change I’ve noticed is the new wide-screen, two column view.  Your messages and opened email are displayed side-by-side creating a lot more room to view your opened email.  The search feature has been greatly improved as well.  When you start typing in search, suggestions automatically begin to pop up such as: a keyword, title and name.  Search tokens help you to refine your search even further and tokens can be combined to really help you narrow it down.

Lion will be available in July for only $29.99, for download from the Mac App Store.

Check out this video for a quick preview:  YouTube Apple OS X Lion

Or For more in depth information about all of the new features of Lion visit Apple’s Website