Apple OS X 10.9.1 Mavericks Released With Several Improvements For Mail, Safari, VoiceOver And More

Nearly two months after the release of the original version of the OS X 10.9 Mavericks, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) rolled out its first major update, OS X 10.9.1, for the new Mac operating system on Monday.

The latest update includes many changes and enhancements to email management and the Safari web browser, as well as a fix for an issue related to VoiceOver. The release of the OS X 10.9.1 was preceded by several beta versions released to registered developers beginning in November. Apple released the last beta, build 13B40, to developers on Dec. 3 and to AppleCare employees the next day.

With the release of the first maintenance update to the Mavericks platform, Apple has focused on the built-in Mail app by adding support for Gmail, and making the app’s search and Smart Mailbox functions more reliable.

In addition to Mail, OS X 10.9.1 includes a fix for other issues, such as one that prevented VoiceOver from reading sentences that contained emoji characters. The update also fixes bugs that caused the "Local items" keychain to become unlocked, and prevented iLife and iWork apps from updating on non-English systems.

The latest release also includes Safari 7.0.1, which improves text fields and brings periodic updating to the “Shared Links” list in the sidebar, among other enhancements.

The latest OS X 10.9.1 Mavericks can be downloaded via the Mac App Store webpage. In addition to the general OS X 10.9.1 build, Apple has also released a system-specific version of the OS designed for the late 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina display.

The software package for the 13-inch and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros can be found here, while the update package for all other supported Macs is available here.

Check out Apple’s full release notes below, and for more details on updating the system, click here.

The OS X Mavericks v10.9.1 Update is recommended for all OS X Mavericks users. It improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac. This update includes:

- Improved support for Gmail in OS X Mail, and fixes for users with custom Gmail settings

- Improves the reliability of Smart Mailboxes and search in Mail

- Fixes an issue that prevented contact groups from working properly in Mail

- Resolves an issue that prevented VoiceOver from speaking sentences that contain emoji

- Fixes an issue that prevented iLife and iWork apps from updating on non-English systems

- Addresses an issue that may cause multiple prompts to unlock “Local items” keychain

- Addresses an issue that may cause Japanese keyboards to retain a previously used language

- Includes Safari 7.0.1

*Fixes an issue that could cause Safari to become unresponsive when filling out forms on fedex.com, stubhub.com, and other websites

*Improves Credit Card Autofill compatibility with websites

*Improves VoiceOver compatibility with facebook.com

*Updates Shared Links periodically when open in the Safari Sidebar