OS X 10.9 Mavericks supersedes OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and is the first version of OS X to be free. Although it doesn't introduce any revolutionary changes to OS X, it includes some nice features, especially for fans of iOS, Maps and iBooks.

Maps comes to OS X

Mavericks continues Apple's recent trend of launching more regular low-cost updates to OS X without any major changes but which add some new features and improve integration with iOS. The most notable additions are from iOS such as the much troubled Apple Maps and e-book library iBooks. Other system enhancements include Finder tabs, support for multiple displays and Keychain integration with iCloud.
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The launch of Apple Maps on iOS wasn't exactly covered in glory but some of the problems that plagued it on launch have been ironed out and now Mac users have a useful alternative to Google Maps. Obviously, Maps isn't as useful on a Mac as it is on an iPhone or iPad (unless you like to navigate around town carrying your Mac), but it is useful for planning itineraries and journeys which you can then sync with iCloud for using instantly on your iPhone or iPad.

Read iBooks on your Mac

Another iOS feature that's arrived on Mac is iBooks. Now you can read anything that you've downloaded with iBooks on your iPhone or iPad on your Mac. Again, reading books on a Mac isn't exactly the most popular pursuit for many users but for students and academics, it can be a useful took when it comes to writing essays and quoting textbooks. And with iCloud, iBooks always remembers which page you were on no matter which device you are using.

Enhanced Calendar, Keychain and Safari

Most of the other changes in Mavericks concern system enhancements such as an improved Calendar, iCloud integration for Keychain and usability improvements to Safari. Calendar now features more ways to inspect and overview your schedule and iCloud now remembers your login details for your favorite sites. Meanwhile Safari has been integrated with Twitter and LinkedIn so you can see updates from your contacts in the sidebar without visiting the sites or using a separate client. Apple also claim it offers a speedier, snappier web surfing experience than previous versions.

Tabbed Finder, Multiple Desktop support

Other cosmetic improvements include the long overdue tabbed browsing in Finder, although this is already possible with various third party add-ons. Those who regularly connect their Mac to another screen or monitor will welcome the new Multiple Screen support feature which allows you to run multiple desktops and Docks, not just an expanded desktop as is currently possible. Those who like to connect their Mac to their HD TV with a HDMI cable, can now use AirPlay to connect wirelessly instead either for use as an extra large screen or to watch movies.

An all-round faster OS X

Like every new release of OS X, there are also improvements to the overall general speed of OS X courtesy of improved memory management and a new feature called App Nap which aims to conserve processor use and battery life for MacBooks. Although recent versions of OS X seem to have solved operating speed issues, if you find your current versions is lagging then upgrading to OS X 10.9 Mavericks may well solve your problems. Note however that if you rely on major applications such as Photoshop or Parallels to work on your Mac, you should probably wait before upgrading to OS X 10.9 Mavericks as there will inevitably be compatibility issues with various applications on launch.

A modest improvement to OS X

OS X 10.9 Mavericks continues the closer integration of OS X with iOS which started in earnest with Mountain Lion. If you're an iPad or and iPhone user then Mavericks is definitely worth upgrading to, especially if you're a frequent Maps or iBooks users. Other users will see less need to upgrade but there are general usability improvements that consolidate OS X as an excellent operating system.