Messages Beta For OS X Lion to End December 14th
Messages beta for Mac OSX Lion will no longer be operational next month. In an email to users on Friday, Apple reminded Messages beta program participants that the preview period will end on Friday, Dec. 14, noting that the service will then only be available on OS X Mountain Lion.
AppleInsider was first to note the upcoming closure, which brings the OS X 10.7 Lion preview service to an end. Apple introduced a beta of Messages for Lion in February alongside the surprise release of a developer preview of OS X Mountain Lion. The latter went on sale in July for $19.99, a third less than its two predecessors.
Mountain Lion includes Messages, as well as several other features and services that debuted on iOS, Apple’s mobile operating system that powers the iPhone and iPad.
Apple pulled the download of the Messages beta for Lion in mid-June, when at its annual developers conference company executives revealed more information about Mountain Lion, including its price and a July ship date. Lion users, however, could still run Messages if they had already installed the beta.
If you’re still on Lion, you’ll have until December 14th to update to Mountain Lion, when Messages will expire. At only $19, it’s really a no-brainer if you haven’t updated yet.
