OS X Mountain Lion Pocket Guide

Chapter 6. Built-in Applications and Utilities

When you install Mountain Lion, a number of applications and utilities come along for the ride. You get the predictable apps like Safari, and the boring-yet-useful utilities like Activity Monitor, as well as brand-new applications like Reminders. And some of the older applications have been radically upgraded (and, in the case of iChat, renamed; it’s now called Messages).

Applications Installed with Mountain Lion

This section gives you a quick rundown of all the applications installed by default with Mountain Lion. Note that the list covers only applications that come with a Mountain Lion install—if you have a brand-new Mac or are upgrading an older Mac, you’ll likely have other applications that aren’t included in this list (such as iLife).

App Store

The App Store application is Apple’s electronic distribution client. If you’ve used an iOS device or any version of OS X after 10.6.7, you’re familiar with the concept. If you haven’t used the App Store before, it works like you might expect: When you launch this app, you’ll see a store where you can buy a huge variety of apps. The App Store offers recommendations, shows you what’s popular, and offers a search function so you can find the perfect app. Once you’ve made a selection (or several), you type in your iTunes or iCloud password and purchase the chosen app(s).

Note

Worried that you could lose the apps you’ve bought if your computer crashes? Never fear: once you buy an app, you can download ...