What Can You Expect From macOS Sierra?
You are currently using Mac OS X but as Apple has recently rebranded its desktop and laptop OS, you can now upgrade your operating system to macOS Sierra (also known as macOS 10.12).
So what can you expect from it?
Let us start by summarizing the design of this new operating system. Design-wise, macOS Sierra is almost identical to its predecessor El Capitan. The ‘flattened’ visuals still exist. However, there are some exceptions. User interface differs a little bit. You can now use tabs in a wide range of first- and third-party apps rather than just Safari and other web browsers.
First-party apps that support tabs from launch include Maps, Mail, Text Edit and all three iWork apps. Third-party apps need to support multiple windows.
You can now enjoy a new picture-in-picture viewing mode. Picture-in-picture allows a video from Safari or iTunes to float in a window over your desktop as you work. You can pin this video mini-window to one corner of your screen, where it will stay even if you switch spaces. What does it mean to switch spaces, you might ask? Space feature (introduced with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard in 2007) allowed a user to create multiple virtual desktops which act as individual workspaces. So switching spaces is essentially switching tasks. When you switch tasks, you simply move from one workspace (like Calendar) to another (like Word).
How about the new features of macOS Sierra? There are 6 of them.
One of the top features is Siri on Mac. This one is significant as you can now speak to your Mac using the Siri voice-recognition engine from the iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch and Apple TV. A particularly useful application of this is that you are now able to verbally search through documents using Siri. Another useful feature is Apple Pay on Mac. Unfortunately, as Mac does not come equipped with a fingerprint scanner, you will need to tap your iPhone or iPad in order to verify your identity. Apple Pay icons will now be visible on the buy pages of certain merchants. You will just need to verify your purchases with Touch ID on your iPhone or using your Apple Watch.
In addition, you are now able to Auto Unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch. How could I do that, you might ask? Well, within a certain distance, your Mac will detect your approach and unlock if you are wearing an unlocked Apple Watch.
MacOS Sierra now also gives you the ability to share your entire desktop (and Documents folder) with other devices such as your iPad or iPhone’s iCloud Drive, another Mac’s desktop or Documents folder or PC’s iCloud for Windows app.
Optimized storage removes certain duplicate files for you such as caches, logs and so on, automatically storing seldom used items in iCloud.
More emphasis is now placed on Messages’ emoji and visual effects. Photos have a new Memories feature which recognizes and understands people, places and events. Finally, Apple Music has been redesigned visually.
With all the benefits and upgrades of the new macOS Sierra, its operating system is more demanding than El Capitan so it won’t work on every Mac. Following Macs enable you to install the macOS Sierra upgrade: MacBook (Late 2009 or later), MacBook Air (2010 or later), MacBook Pro (2010 or later), Mac mini (2010 or later), Mac Pro (2010 or later) and iMac (Late 2009 or later).
As early impressions of macOS Sierra are good, Mission Repair Centre recommends that you make the upgrade as soon as you can.
Darius Romanek
Mission Repair Centre Team 🙂
