![]() There's an updated Maps app with a whole slew of new features, and with Live Text, Macs can now detect text in photos or provide details on animals, art, landmarks, plants, and more in images. The Shortcuts app from iOS is now available on the Mac, and Focus helps people stay on task by cutting out background distractions. Notes has a new Quick Note feature for jotting down thoughts, and collaboration is easier with mentions and an Activity View. Shared With You keeps track of the music, links, podcasts, news, and photos that people are sent in Messages, highlighting it in the relevant apps. There's a new AirPlay to Mac feature, and Safari still has support for Tab Groups for organizing tabs.įaceTime has gained spatial audio, a Portrait Mode on M1 Macs, and Voice Isolation for cutting out background noise. Though the Safari changes have been undone, macOS Monterey introduces quite a few new features. Safari by default now looks like Safari did in macOS Big Sur, but there is a "Compact" toggle to turn on the new Monterey design for those who prefer it. With the first RC, Apple introduced sweeping changes to Safari, undoing many of the design tweaks that were implemented in the Monterey beta testing process. Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences. The release candidate is listed as version 12.0.1, presumably because Apple has made a few tweaks since 12.0 started being loaded onto the new MacBook Pro models, so the official release version made available to everyone on Monday and as an update for new MacBook Pro owners will be 12.0.1. The release candidate represents the final version of macOS Monterey that will be released to the public, and it comes just a few days after the first RC. Want to check it out for yourself? Click the Apple icon at the top of your screen, click 'About this Mac,' click 'Software Update,' and have fun.Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of macOS Monterey, the newest version of the macOS operating system. Outside of those two outliers, macOS Monterey is a solid update. For someone who can't risk any potential downtime for their computer, waiting for the second or third build doesn't hurt. This is a risk that comes with any major software update. There's also the chance of lingering bugs that didn't get squashed during the betas. If Universal Control is the main reason you're looking forward to macOS Monterey, this initial build may be a bit disappointing. There are really just two situations where someone should consider holding off and updating at a later date. FaceTime calls are made better than ever, Safari is more powerful, Focus modes are genuinely useful, and so on. ![]() The improvements it does provide, however, are all worth using. MacOS Monterey isn't a dramatic update over macOS Big Sur. Apple says the features will be available "later this fall" and doesn't offer a more specific release date beyond that. While in a FaceTime call, SharePlay allows you to simultaneously experience a song, movie, or TV show with everyone in the call. It has the potential to be a productivity game-changer, but for now, it isn't anywhere to be found. This is the feature that allows someone to work across their Mac and iPad with a single mouse and keyboard. Universal Control - one of the most exciting things about the update - isn't available. ![]() That said, the macOS Monterey available today isn't exactly the macOS Apple promised a few months ago. Regardless of someone's workflow, chances are there's something in macOS Monterey to make your day-to-day just a little bit easier. Other notable features include Focus modes to help minimize distractions throughout the day, easier access to the Notes app, and the ability to AirPlay content from an iPhone or iPad to a Mac. It has a sleeker design, an optional compact tab view, and supports tab groups for more organized browsing. Safari received a few significant improvements as well. Every macOS update makes the Mac experience better than the last one, and macOS Monterey is no exception to that rule. Use FaceTime a lot? macOS Monterey adds spatial audio for more natural-sounding calls, new microphone modes, and (finally) a grid view for less chaotic group calls. ![]() Apple's certainly done a good job with macOS Monterey's availability, but it raises an interesting question: Just because someone can download macOS Monterey on their Mac, should they? For most people, that answer is a resounding yes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |