As the road to the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) rolls on, Apple has launched a beta version of the next OS X 10.8.
The update is part of OS X 10.8.4 beta with build number 12E52. The beta version was released just a week after OS X 10.8.4 beta was released to developers.
The beta is only for developers as part of Apple's Software Customer Seeding, a program where "customers are invited to test pre-release software products in order to provide Apple Software Engineering with real-world quality and usability feedback."
According to Apple Insider, the build's release notes asked developers to focus on three components: Wi-Fi, Graphics Drivers, and its Safari Internet browser.
The 12E52 build is the seventh of its kind under OS X 10.8.4, and it continues Apple's efforts to introduce the 802.11ac Wi-Fi protocol.
As for the Software Customer Seeding, any release to developers is considered to be confidential.
"Use of pre-release software is strictly confidential," noted Apple. "All potential participants are required to sign a Customer Seed And Confidentiality Agreement before being accepted into the program."
Seeding is Apple's effort to obtain feedback before it formally launched an update worldwide.
"We want to collect feedback from our customers to improve the overall quality of our products by testing it in many different environments. Your experience with our products impacts our future success and this program will help us facilitate that goal."
It does appear though that Apple has high expectations for developers who participate through the seeding. According to Apple, failing to participate in assisting any builds they distribute could result in disqualifying the user from future seeding programs.
The beta comes less than a month before Apple's annual WWDC, where it is expected that Apple will make announcements on the next operating system, both in Macs and mobile devices.
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