Apple releases OS X Mavericks update with Mail fixes and more

By Trevor Mogg December 17, 2013

apple releases os x mavericks update with mail fixes and more desktop — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Following the launch of OS X Mavericks in October, Apple has released its first update for the new operating system, bringing with it a number of bug fixes and improvements, with its Mail app in particular getting a fair bit of attention.

Version 10.9.1, made available to users on Monday, now has improved support for Gmail within Apple’s Mail application, and also improves the reliability of Smart Mailboxes and search in Mail.

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The tweaks and changes fix an issue that Apple said prevented “contact groups from working properly” in Mail, and have also sorted a problem that stopped VoiceOver from speaking sentences that contained emoji.

Besides other bug fixes, the release also includes an updated version of Safari that brings with it improvements to form-filling procedures, as well as to VoiceOver compatibility with Facebook.

In addition, Shared Links open in Safari sidebar should now refresh periodically, rather than by way of a manual refresh.

The download can be grabbed from Apple’s App Store now. According to MacRumors, “Apple has also released a specific version of OS X 10.9.1 designed for the late 2013 13- and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros with ‘system specific enhancements’ designed to improve stability and compatibility.”

As a precaution, the Cupertino company advises Mavericks users to back up their system before embarking on the installation. This can be done using Time Machine or a cloning tool such as Carbon Copy Cloner.

Mavericks replaced Mountain Lion as the operating system for Mac computers several months back, bringing with it improvements to the likes of Safari and Finder, as well as new features like KeyChain and greater iCloud support. New apps for Maps and iBooks were also introduced.

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Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

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