With good reason too. Firefox remains an incredibly powerful and customizable browser although persistent memory leakage problems and competition from Google Chrome have dented its popularity.

There are a few interesting improvements in Firefox 21. There's a new Enhanced three-state UI for Do Not Track (DNT) to enhance privacy protection. Firefox should also start a bit quicker on your Mac as it suggests what can be done to improve start-up time (such as disabling certain unused add-ons). There's also a new Firefox Health Report feature which monitors how stable and well oiled your version of Firefox is. Other than this, there have been some minor cosmetic changes to functionality and some developer focused improvements.

The interface is pretty much the same as previous versions of Firefox, with a minimalist toolbar and there's still no way of removing elements that you may not want such as Java and .Net Framework. The major downside for most users however is that some plug-ins or add-ons won't work with the latest version of Firefox yet - so if you have a lot installed, prepare to be disappointed.

One major problem that persists is the high usage of RAM when Firefox is displaying Flash videos such as YouTube. Firefox runs an extra "Plugin-container" process for Flash videos that can occasionally consume 100% of your CPU and cause your Mac to freeze temporarily.

Something that's been introduced in more recent versions of Mozilla Firefox is Facebook integration. Firefox now supports Facebook's social API so you can have dedicated buttons for Facebook in your browser. Mozilla Firefox supports Facebook's Messenger within Firefox, giving users desktop notifications as well as a persistent friends list and activity feed on the right. Conversations will open up as overlays on top of whatever website you're on so you can multitask while you chat.

Mozilla Firefox 20 isn't a revolution in the development of Firefox, but there are some useful improvements that still make it a decent browser.

Download Mozilla Firefox for Mac 21.0 in Softonic

Macs that come installed with Lion or above do not have Java installed due to Apple's decision to drop it over security concerns. Apple's version of Java for Mac is now only available as an optional download via Apple and is simple to install but you do need to close your browser before doing so. Alternatively, you can also download Java for Mac via your Java preferences in your System Prefs folder. If you've had problems downloading Java this way however, this download will install it manually.

This is the latest version of Java for Mac which has been updated to ensure your Mac is secure from the latest vulnerabilities. It also configures the Java web plug-in to disable the automatic execution of Java applets. Users may re-enable automatic execution of Java applets using the Java Preferences application. If the Java web plug-in detects that no applets have been run for an extended period of time it will again disable Java applets.

Java for Mac allows you to run Java apps on Macs running Lion OS X 10.7 or above.

Download Apple Java for Mac 1.6.0_45 2013-003 in Softonic

We've already given you a lowdown on the most important changes in Mountain Lion most of which are features taken from iOS. Here we will take a more in depth look at the features OS X 10.8.2 Mountain Lion has to offer.

A universal share button has been added to Safari's URL bar for reading later, add to bookmarks, e-mail, or Twitter. Facebook sharing has also been integrated into OS X 10.8.2 Mountain Lion, as anticipated.

Password Tabs allows you to see passwords saved in Safari.

Omnibar is an added feature to Google Chrome in Mountain Lion. It integrates the address bar and search box including Google searches, favorites and history.

Messages replaces iChat. Lion users can try the beta version of Messages which is the same as iMessage on iOS but the final stable version only works on Mountain Lion. Amongst other things, Messages offers unlimited free iMessages, video conferencing with Facetime and photo/file sending.

Time Machine now allows you to select more than one hard drive to save backups. Time Machine can now also run in PowerNap mode, which allows the operating system to update itself while the computer is sleeping.

Software updates are now fully integrated with the Mac App Store and can be downloaded directly.

Game Center is the same as on iOS. Gaming is becoming increasingly important on OS X and Game Center allows you to download games, play against friends and save your progress. AirPlay will allow Mac and iOS users to play against one another. You can also share your scores on Facebook, Twitter, Mail, or Messages in OS X 10.8.2 Mountain Lion. Additional integration with Facebook includes being able to "like" individual games and challenge friends to beat your high scores.

iCloud Synchronization is far more extensive in Mountain Lion than Lion where synchronization is limited to favorites and history. Mountain Lion extends the capabilities of Mountain Lion allowing the synchronization of documents too. iCloud will also sync settings, tabs, and bookmarks between Mac and iOS devices.

Mail. Contacts and Calender are all in sync thanks to iCloud in Mountain Lion and you can now configure it Microsoft Exchange, Gmail and Yahoo!, Twitter, Flickr, Vimeo and AOL accounts. In addition, your Facebook friends' contact information and profile pictures will now appear in Contacts as well.

Other surprises in Mountain Lion

- The screensaver now includes the option to create iPhoto style presentations

- Screen Sharing allows you to easily share your screen with other Mountain Lion users.

- Printing has been simplified.

- Searching for words in the dictionary is simpler. Three clicks have been replaced by one.

- Launchpad and Dashboard include a search tool, making launching apps quicker.

- Mail includes a Safari style search tool but ditches support for RSS feeds.

- X11 goes the same way as Java: you have to install it separately.

- AirPlay now support mirroring to an AppleTV with up to 1080p resolution but only stereo sound. Users can now give presentations or watch video on a TV from their Macs using AirPlay.

Final thoughts

The last major change to OS X was OS X 10.5 Leopard. It was followed by a faster and more subtly improved Snow Leopard 10.6. OS X 10.7 Lion was then released in summer 2011 with most major changes related to how you control OS X via a Trackpad to create a more iOS experience. Everything then points towards the fact that Apple are likely to release a new OS X once a year, the same as iOS for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch with OS X moving closer and closer to iOS with each release. Considering that the price of each OS X update has come down too, it’s foreseeable that future versions of OS X will be downloaded for free like iOS.

Naturally, this increasing move towards iOS will delight those that love using their iPhone and iPad. Those that prefer their mobile device and Mac to be treated as mainly separate user experiences, may not be so enthusiastic but Mountain Lion provides some great new functionality and is well worth the upgrade from Lion.

Download OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3 in Softonic

Java 1.6 is the latest version of Apple Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. It enables you to use Java applications on your Mac and is simple to install although you need to close your browser before doing so. You can also download Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard via your Java preferences in your System Prefs folder. If you've had problems doing this however, this download should solve it. Note that this version of Java has been updated by Apple to patch a security flaw that was exploited by the Flashback Trojan.

Java 1.6 allows you to run Java apps on OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard .

Download Apple Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard 1.6.0_43 Update 14 in Softonic

The tool removes the most common variants of the Flashback malware and contains the same malware removal tool as found in Apple's Java for Lion Update 2012-003. If the Flashback malware is found, a dialog will be presented notifying the user that malware was removed. Apple warn that in some cases, the Flashback malware removal tool may need to restart your computer in order to completely remove the Flashback malware. This tool is highly recommended for all OS X Lion users without Java installed.

Apple Flashback Malware Removal Tool is highly recommended for all those that have either removed Java from Lion or don't have it installed.

Download Apple Flashback Malware Removal Tool 1.0 in Softonic