Apple, Inc. has very quietly ditched its baffling secrecy (for now, at least) by opening the beta version of its upcoming OS X 10.9.3 update for its Macintosh computers to the general public.

The last time Apple permitted the public to obtain beta versions of a Mac operating system was way back in 2000.

Anyone and not just registered developers can now download and install a beta version of OS X 10.9.3, the latest update to OS X Mavericks, which is the tenth major release of Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macs. Before, only registered developers who paid $99 were able to retrieve unreleased copies of Apple's desktop OS.

To sign up for Apple's "OS X Beta Seed Program," one only needs an active Apple ID. There's no charge or eligibility requirement to enter the program besides agreeing to a long terms-and-conditions document. One of these conditions forbids participants from revealing any information about Mavericks 10.9.3 and future updates.

Analysts noted that similar provisions didn't prevent registered developers from revealing what they learned from beta testing. Having the public participate in beta testing will likely increase the risk of disclosing sensitive information.

Apple, however, seems willing to run the risk as it seeks to deflect public criticism it doesn't widely test its software before release, leaving users to be plagued by glitches and bugs. In contrast, Microsoft made several pre-release versions of Windows 8 available to customers.

Apple will install a "Feedback Assistant" in the Dock of the OS X 10.9.3 beta. The application will be used to send both feedback and diagnostic files to Apple.