Earlier this week, Apple released the latest update for its Mac operating system OS X Mavericks for free to all existing users across all devices running any incarnation of the operating system from 2007 on. Now it seems that more than three times as many users were reportedly using the new operating system on the first day of its release than those who did so with its predecessor OS X Mountain Lion.

According to the L.A. Times, in just 24 hours those who downloaded and installed Apple's new operating system were accounting for 5.5 percent of U.S. and Canada Web traffic coming from Mac desktops and laptops. This information comes from the third-party firm Chitika, which tracks such figures through its advertising network.

By comparison, Mountain Lion OS X accounted for just 1.6 percent of U.S. and Canada Web traffic 24 hours following its release last year, according to similar recordings by Chitika.

These numbers obviously indicate that Apple's latest operating system is being consumed and downloaded by users at a record setting rate. Apple made Mavericks OS X available for free on Tuesday in a surprising announcement at the same event where it unveiled the new updates to its tablet lineup, the iPad Air and Retina iPad mini 2.

"While Mountain Lion wasn't particularly expensive ($19.99), it's likely the lack of a price tag on Mavericks spurred additional users to upgrade in the early going," the Chitika report said.

Apple has been lowering the price of OS X with each new version. It also stopped charging for its iOS mobile upgrades a few years ago, so the company's decision to go free with mavericks was unexpected but not unsurprising. It's likely that the lack of price tag has lit the fuse on the high sales.

Take a look at the chart from Chitika below and tell us what you think of the new Mac operating system. Are you a fan of Mavericks? Comment and share your thoughts below.