Before yesterday, you needed a developer account to help test Apple’s upcoming software releases before they hit the general user population. You didn’t need to actually develop anything, but it would still cost you $99 per year to partake, and technically it was still sort of against the rules. Now, Apple introduced its OS X Beta Seed Program to make pre-release Mac operating system software available to all who want to help try it out.
You won’t need to be a developer in order to test out the latest version of Apple’s desktop operating system. The Cupertino company on Tuesday announced a new initiative that will give regular Joe consumers the opportunity to help test OS X software updates before they’re publicly available. Apple’s says the goal of its OS X Beta Seed Program is to collect quality and usability feedback in the hopes of making its software better. If you do decide to enroll, Apple does require users to sign a pretty serious confidentiality agreement. Unless you are communicating directly with other seed participants within a forum environment, Apple’s agreement says beta testers aren’t allowed to copy, reproduce, publish, blog, disclose or otherwise transmit any Apple Confidential Information.