Apple today seeded build 12F17 of OS X 10.8.5 to developers, offering a third version of the next Mac operating system update for testing. The release comes one week after the appearance of the previous beta of OS X 10.8.5, build 12F13.

12f17
As with previous betas, the update comes with no known issues and can be downloaded via Apple's Developer Page or through the software update tool in the Mac App Store.

Testing on OS X 10.8.5 comes as Apple is also continuing work on its next major version of OS X, Mavericks. Apple has already seeded two developer previews of OS X Mavericks and has announced that it will launch the new operating system to the public this fall.

Top Rated Comments

WildCowboy Avatar
163 months ago
Can any one explain to me why they are still doing this instead of putting extra work in Mavericks? Not that it bothers me, just asking

Mavericks isn't coming for months, and there are things in Mountain Lion that need fixing.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
beelzebubba Avatar
163 months ago
Can any one explain to me why they are still doing this instead of putting extra work in Mavericks? Not that it bothers me, just asking

Because many people still run ML and will even after Mavericks comes out. ML will likely be the end of the line for some older Macs and Apple has done fairly well in supporting legacy machines even past the five year end of life.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
laflores Avatar
163 months ago
Can any one explain to me why they are still doing this instead of putting extra work in Mavericks? Not that it bothers me, just asking

Because otherwise, people would start crying because "apple doesn't care about mountain lion any more" and some people will complain that mavericks is a piece of **** and they rather stay with snow leopard...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rdlink Avatar
163 months ago
Gonna miss those cats when they're gone.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iBug2 Avatar
163 months ago
(not trolling)

first time that safari has ever been snappier for me....running rMBP.....but it might also just be because safari in mavs is horrible

Are you kidding me? Safari 7.0 finally solves the memory issue which was introduced in 5.1 where when you open many tabs, web process just crashes. 7.0 does not have that, the single most annoying Safari bug in 2 years being solved finally.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darkknight14 Avatar
163 months ago
Gonna miss those cats when they're gone.

Me too, every time I look at that new wave background it makes me want to go for a p***
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...