6 Theories on Why Apple's OS X Mavericks Is Free

Apple shocked fanboys and girls on Tuesday, after announcing that its new desktop operating system, OS X Mavericks, would be available for free.

Yes, you heard us right. That's zero, zip, zilch dollars. So what's the catch?

See also: 10 Other California-Inspired Names Apple Could Have Used for OS X Mavericks

In this Sunday comic, Nitrozac and Snaggy of The Joy of Tech wonder why Apple would ever just give away software, free of charge. It's got to be some NSA-related trick, right?

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

1. 

   Tim Cook on Stage

   Apple CEO Tim Cook opens the event.

2. 

   OS X Mavericks

   Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, shows off the features of OS X Mavericks.

3. 

   "Free is good."

   Federighi announced the new price for OS X Mavericks: free. It's available Tuesday.

4. 

   MacBooks

   Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, unveiled updates to the company's line of MacBooks.

5. 

   Mac Pro

   Schiller outlines off the Mac Pro's features.

6. 

   Mac Pro

   Schiller shows the Mac Pro in action.

7. 

   Making of the Mac Pro

   A video captures how the Mac Pro is made.

8. 

   iPads Sold

   Cook says 170 million iPads have been sold.

9. 

   iPad Air

   Schiller reveals the new iPad and its new name: iPad Air. It's thinner, lighter and has a smaller bezel.

10. 

    The New iPad: iPad Air

    The iPad Air will be available in white, black and space gray.

11. 

    iPad Air Specs

    The chip inside the iPad Air is the same as the one in the iPhone 5S, the 64-bit A7.

12. 

    iPad Air and iPad 2

    The iPad 4 gets discontinued, but Apple is keeping the two-year-old iPad 2 in its lineup, starting at $399 for 16GB.

13. 

    New iPad Mini and iPad Air

    The iPad mini also gets a refresh, Schiller revealed.

14. 

    iPad Mini

    The Retina iPad mini has a screen resolution of 2048 x 1536 and maintains the same form-factor as the original.

15. 

    Apple's Line of iPads

    Here are Apple's new iPads and their pricing.

16. 

17. 

    Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

    The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, the night before Apple's product launch took place here.

Comic illustration provided by The Joy of Tech. Published with permission; all rights reserved.