os-x-109-lynxHere kitty, kitty! By March of 2011 and 2012, the OS X Lion and Mountain Lion developer betas, respectively, were already well under way. As Apple has said major releases will come on an annual schedule, many observers are wondering when OS X 10.9 will show its furry face. Will it be OS X Lynx, as many expect? What new features will it bring? Here’s a quick look at the possibilities.

As Tapscape noted back in February, a number of prominent Mac websites had begun noticing an uptick in visits from computers reportedly running OS X 10.9. Since then, no additional sightings have been noted.

Though Tapscape and numerous other sites have speculated that OS X 10.9 would be called “Lynx,” Macworld UK states that Apple’s 2003 trademark on the name was allowed to lapse in 2008 — that might not preclude its use, but certainly casts doubt on the likelihood.

That said, last year’s OS X Mountain Lion arrived without the word “Mac” tacked on the front. So, it perhaps wouldn’t be too terribly surprising if Apple chose ship to the 2013 OS X update sans any feline marketing references — less is almost always more in the Apple hive mind.

For what it’s worth, there is a small and vocal subset of Mac users hoping Apple will name its next major Mac operating system update OS X Grumpy Cat.

OS X 10.9 Features

Regardless of its name, or not, OS X 10.9 will almost certainly deliver new functionality. Topping most pundit lists are Siri and Maps.

9 to 5 Mac, quoting “reliable sources,” reports that Siri voice command will come “back to Mac” from iOS with the release of OS X 10.9. Likewise, Apple is also said to be working to port its mobile Maps app.

Though the grapevine hasn’t giving any inkling of it, many Mac users hope OS X 10.9 will include OpenGL 4.3 (graphics) and ZFS (file system) — sign the petition — two features that would modernize Apple’s aging and, to some minds, lackluster desktop operating system.

What features, fixes, functionality and name do you hope OS X 10.9 will arrive with? Sound off in the comment section below…

Image: otteronarock