MacOS 11 Big Sur Review: A Long Time Coming

Apple has finally released its newest operating system, MacOS 11.0 also known as "Big Sur." The new OS is a major update for the company's laptop and desktop computers that will be available to download from Apple starting on September 24th, 2018. In this article we'll review some of the most notable features in this release including:

•  A completely redesigned App Store experience
•  A redesigned Finder with a Gallery View option to showcase your photos and videos
• Siri Shortcuts which let you integrate custom commands with native apps like Safari, Calendar, Maps and Music.

Last week might’ve been the most important of this year for laptop computers. Apple announced their new M1 chip, which if they are able to deliver on performance promises could redefine our expectations when it comes time for processor updates in future laptops from other companies as well- but there's another release coming soon that will also have big implications: macOS Big Sur!

The M1 chip is just one of many steps Apple has taken in recent years to make its products cohesive across different platforms. Many features on the newest iPhones and iPads are familiar, as they come from their iOS roots; but Big Sur brings some new innovations including 3D Touch that lets users access more information by pressing harder into what's being displayed or clicked with an index finger (or thumb).

If you're looking for a way to bring more iOS-like features into your macOS experience, Big Sur is an excellent starting point. The app brings many small tweaks and refinements that make the operating system mimic its mobile counterpart while adding some novel additions of their own in order increase convenience on both platforms - all without sacrificing any user control or customization options!

Should you update? My advice is usually to wait a few weeks and let early adopters report all the problems, especially with your primary work device. In this case though I would actually feel okay updating today - Apple really seems ironed out any bugs that popped up during their surprisingly rough beta period! The final release doesn't have much of an issue on stability without being riddled by major issues either so now might be worth getting caught up if possible.

One thing that’s a bit different about High Sierra is its lack of major changes. For example, there are no more 32-bit app support and Catalina's removal from earlier this year was an exception to the rule with MacBook Pro models getting stuck on black screens if you're running one from late 2013 or mid 2014 onward (the update has been causing these issues). We reached out Apple for comment but haven't heard back yet so hopefully they can address some user concerns soon!

You should take the leap and switch to an iPhone or iPad. You’ll notice a difference! If you're not already using one, it'll feel like new technology at first but eventually grow on your if everything is working well in this newer device of yours.

The OS X redesign features a number of tweaks that will sound small on paper but add up to an aesthetic. The whole system has been given a new look, which Apple says is its biggest design update since the debut of OSX more than 10 years ago!

For example: the dock icons for Apple’s apps now all have the same rounded-square shape. (Windows have rounder corners now as well, as do other elements like menus, checkboxes, dialog boxes, and sliders.) A number of apps also have new icons that look like their iOS 14 icons. Music is now the white eighth notes on a red background, Mail is the white envelope on a blue background, the Safari compass has been placed on a white background, etc. I do not have strong opinions on icon shapes, though I’m sure many people do. The old ones were fine; the new ones are fine, too. Overall, though, they contribute to a new, distinctly iPhone-y look and feel.

Another change you may notice is that Big Sur makes greater use of transparent and translucent layers. The menu bar at the top, previously white on a dark background was now made to look more like glass by changing its color into something light while remaining fully viewable as before with nothing blocking your vision through it - just like in apps where scrolling past pictures causes text colors or icons adapt depending on what kind of screens their being used for (light vs dark).

The new feature is great, but some apps haven’t been updated to take advantage of it. One such app I use regularly and find myself having trouble with at times because its menu bar doesn't show up on a white background - Hour being an example among many others! You can turn off transparency in Accessibility settings if you want; however this removes all interface elements including pictures/videos etcetera which makes everything look pretty ugly overall so not worth doing just for those few selectivity-focused programs.

Third-party apps are still not in sync with Microsoft's new design. While some third party software may never be updated to work properly on the 18th century inspired dashboard, most of them have been making patches and updates ever since Windows 10 released last year so you should have no problem using your favorite program or games without experiencing any bugs!

In 2021, the Apple operating system will be designed with a modern and unified look. The menus are more spacious throughout all aspects of its design as well has having taller sidebars that don't require scrolling when using them which makes life easier for people who use their phone primarily through gestures or voice recognition software instead going into settings by hand! There's also less gaps between various parts within this new update such how much better do.

The Control Center, which you access by swiping up from the bottom of an iPhone and clicking on a button in one place. The Big Sur app allows for easier management with its many features such as taking photos without having to take your hands off screen or adjust any settings while recording videos - all just by lifting up slightly! The new MacBook Pro has all the features you need to stay connected, whether it's through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. You can also use AirDrop and mirror your screen onto a monitor for easy viewing of content on different devices! Get more done with smart keyboard lighting options that change how much light is coming from each side so there isn't any glare when working late into night without eyestrain due towards excess brightness's being displayed at once.

Control Center is just like a home for all of your device’s settings, but it feels more natural on an iPhone. There are features that I would otherwise have to dive into Settings or another app for in order fix them here, so Control center really helps me out with everything quickly and easily accessible at once when using my phone as intended--I can swipe up from anywhere on the screen! But while working with my MacBook Pro (where hands may find themselves), there's not much use having this same feature since you're already able access many options via keyboard shortcuts instead.

There are many ways to customize your Mac experience, but sometimes it's nice having features that can be found in other platforms. In System Preferences you'll find Accessibility Shortcuts and battery percentage among others which would probably make more sense by default rather than swapping them out every time they're needed. All things considered though I think this is an Understandable decision considering how different Apple laptops work versus PC counterparts.

I’ll just add that Control Center and native iPad apps would be quite useful on a touchscreen Mac. Obviously, Apple has never made one of those either but it's nice to know the company is considering our input when we see them at work in Big Sur like this design choice with some features tweaks from their past products which may mean more than what meets eye here!

The new Notification Center is a breath of fresh air for those who have been looking to replace the aging notification system in macOS. It's got all your favorite iOS widgets, shortcuts and more - right on top where you left them! The only thing I don't like about this update? You can't use these awesome features outside of MacOS...such as keeping an eye (or several) onto Screen Time tracking or calendars off-center instead aligning them with our desktop counterparts.

Now you can group notifications by app, which is much more convenient than having to wade through a single feed. You also have the option of responding directly from within the Notification Center and not needing any other apps open! I found myself using this feature quite often for my phone messages (and online chat services).

Safari 14 is the biggest update to Apple’s popular browser yet, but don't expect it to change how you use your computer. The company says that this release includes “security features" which will only protect against hackers who want access cards-and even then they're not all that effective!

Safari’s new features offer a more personalized and customizable experience. With options for customizing the start page, shortcuts of your choosing to favorite pages or search from within an app without opening it in full-screen mode (Siri suggestions), as well as settings that allow users control over their privacy report - all this coupled with other tweaks such like being able add multiple private tabs if you want them--the newest version does seem truly different than its predecessor both outside (in terms on content) but also inside too; now just by knowing some simple taps away!

Safari’s tabs now have favicons by default. You can enable this new feature in Settings if you want to, or just leave it enabled and enjoy the globe on your tab bar at all times! Safari was also beta tested with their native translation service that worked as quickly and accurately like Google Translate does--I even got a few pages translated in languages where they weren't supported yet (like Brazilian Portuguese). However there's only support for 10+ languages so far: English French German Russian/Ukrainian Spanish simplified Chinese Perncana Malay Indonesian Thai

The Safari Extensions category has just been added to the App Store. While there are not many extensions available yet, some you might be looking for such as Ghostery and Grammarly have versions that work in this browser with their WebExtension API enabled from Apple’s new policy change regarding third party developer imports on old browsers like Chrome which allows them easier access than before when importing those webpage elements into Safari via HTML5 technologies instead of having developers code up all kindsa separate.

Safari’s newest feature is tab previews. If you hover over a tab in the bar, it will pop up with an informative little preview of its content! This is another great Mac-centric benefit that makes using multiple windows much easier for those who use their computer professionally or at home - like myself (I have dozens!) The best part? You don't even need to open more than one website from Google Docs if favicons are not enough because Safari has already offered me everything I need right there on my screen without any additional work needed on behalf of either party; they're just so smart about how things go down these days.

Safari is a fast browser that will not drain your battery. Chrome, on the other hand can be very demanding of resources and takes longer to load pages than Safari does but in some cases this may not matter as much if you are looking for an efficient browsing experience which both browsers provide equally well.

Safari's new features give you more control over your browsing experience and protect the privacy of personal information. Click the shield on left side, click "Safari" then select Protect My Privacy from this menu that appears to customize which websites each extension can access or block them if necessary through third party plugins like AdBlock Plus for Chrome browser by blocking ads in webpages with ease!

If you need a fast, privacy-respecting browser that's also available on Macs and iPhones then Safari is your best bet. It doesn't have the same number of features as Chrome but it does come with its own strengths which make up for these shortcomings in some cases - like battery life! If all else fails go ahead an use this powerful app while balancing convenience factors too because who wants another app taking up space?

In other news, Apple’s apps now look more like their iOS counterparts. All of them have an image search engine and Memoji stickers! There are also group photos that you can pin to see all your friends' faces at once in real life or on camera form for when they're not around anymore; plus there's a special section where everyone has the option make his/her own balloon which will appear if someone wishes him happy birthday while using this app so it feels less lonely without missing out on any important moments just because he doesn't want people bothering with how.

I like that you can now reply directly to a message in group chat and @ people too. Messenger has had versions of these features for some time (like Slack), but it's nice they're finally here on my computer instead! The threaded replies organize more like Slack than Facebook-Messenger style; there are separate lines where each comment is cordoned off under its origin so I don't need worry about scrolling through everything when reading someone else’s response at any given moment. And unlike with SMS texts, clicking “unfurl” brings up all previous conversations from within this thread--no jumping around between different threads or having scroll back.

Maps has also seen some major changes. The new tab on the left side of your screen features recent locations and favorite streets, while a Street View-esque 360 degree feature allows you to take flyovers tours around areas that interest you without having any trouble getting motion sickness! Bike or electric vehicle directions pop up when clicking an address so all information is quick delivered right where it needs be without having too much clutter distract from what matters most - getting done quickly with whom ever needs help fastest first.

I’ve been using the Maps app on my computer for a while now and I must say that it's just as good, if not better than its iOS counterpart. This is largely due to live updates which allow me get notifications about ETAs or indoor maps of buildings like malls--something you can't do with Google anymore! The bubbles are also really useful in trip planning at home; features such Flyover Tour make seeing all these details worthwhile even when using an apple product instead.

Easter eggs are special pieces of hidden content in apps. Big Sur supports automatic device switching for AirPods and you can now see which friends have signed into Apple Arcade, FaceTime has a new feature that detects when someone is using sign language during video chats while Game Center has an added dashboard letting gamers check their scores without leaving the game they’re playing! You might be finding easter eggs forever if this list doesn't make your mouth water with anticipation already. Developers can now include a privacy section in their app stores that will detail what data they collect and how it’s used. This is not yet available, but Apple says the information should be coming later this year after iOS 13's release next month (and likely before).

Mac users are in for a treat with the latest update to macOS. The new Arm-based Macs will be able to take advantage of this optimized software, which means better performance and longer battery life than ever before! The new MacBook Pros, Air and Mac mini will all run natively on Arm systems thanks to an emulation layer called Rosetta 2. If you want information about how well this works we'll review those products when they come out - but in general there shouldn’t be any problems!

One thing we'll find out is how well iPhone and iPad apps work on Big Sur. One advantage of the Arm chips will be that Macs can run those programs natively for the first time, with their new redesign they should look right at home! But as seen in Chromebooks sometimes creating a learning curve where it's not clear whether you should use app versions or browser versions from all your programs; tinker around until everything feels just right - I'll update this article after spending more time using arm systems myself.

I won't say "go ahead and upgrade" because, as I noted before, waiting a few weeks is always the safest course of action. But if you're excited about these changes then it may not break anything on your current system--and they'll improve performance for basic use cases like browsing with Chrome or Slack (depending). In paper terms Big Sur seems like an endless list small tweaks that don’t offer much by way up until. It's true that many of these features had been available in other software, but each addition is clearly thoughtful and addresses an area where Apple was behind. The result? An operating system with catching up capabilities!

The Mac may be a distinct product for now, but in some areas (like Maps) Apple has tailored their updates to the conventional computer user. But there are signs here that point further into the future: things like Control Center and an iOS-ified icons system aren't pragmatic on laptops; they're possible due largely because of how much we use our iPads or touch screens nowadays--even when they were first introduced as desktop replacements back in 2010!

Big Sur is a fine operating system as it is. It’s fast, nice to look at and full of useful features that make using your computer easy! But there are hints in Big sur for future Apple innovations like Siri or Person Search which will be bigger than anything else they do yet - so we can't wait until this one hits shelves next year.

 

 

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