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The iPad can get closer to the territory of the computer every day, but the experience of desktop software on a Mac always has something that can not be replaced by a mobile device. (More so if your MacBook's keyboard works!) But mobile software has its advantages – speed, ease of use, simplicity – so it's not surprising that MacOS 10.15 Catalina, the system of Mac's newest run, borrows some features from its iOS mobile cousin. Think of it as the best of all iWorld.
MacOS Catalina has been available as a public beta since the end of last month, which means anyone can download and test it on their own machine. However, it is still not the final version of the operating system. So you can expect bugs and incomplete features if you decide to try it. And as always, back up your computer before installing this preliminary software so that you can restore your Mac to its previous state of functioning if something disastrous happens.
Here are some things you expect when navigating through Catalina.
More iOS apps on Mac
Project Catalyst, formerly known as "Marzipan," was one of Apple's most important announcements at its annual software conference last month. It is a framework that allows developers to easily transfer iOS applications to Mac, which means that mobile applications such as Twitter (and many others, once the application developers have time to get there locate), can now be run as MacOS applications. On the one hand, this potentially means optimized, faster, and more responsive versions of applications that you normally access through a web browser. On the other hand, it means running more applications.
As part of this new initiative, Apple is moving some of its native iOS applications to Mac, including Apple News, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Home.
And then there's all this iTunes stuff …
The big break
It's the elephant in the room, and that's what some have called the death of iTunes. In MacOS Catalina, Apple separates iTunes and assigns them to its different parts of their own application containers: Apple Music, Apple TV and Apple Podcasts.
The new Apple Music in macOS Catalina
Apple
Apple Music focuses, unsurprisingly, on music; Podcasts allow you to search, download and listen to podcasts. Apple TV is a bit more dispersed (especially since there will soon be a Apple TV + the Apple TV app), but that's where you'll buy and rent movies and shows, which you had to do before through iTunes. In the Apple TV app, you can also view items you've purchased, access third-party streaming apps, such as HBO or Hulu, and search for personalized recommendations on what to watch.
iTunes is not quite right, though. It now runs in a Finder sidebar. So you can always connect and sync your iDevice according to your needs.
iPad gets an elevator in Sidecar
SideCar, a new feature in MacOS Catalina, turns an iPad into a mirror for your Mac, as well as a multipoint mouse pad and drawing pad for applications running on your Mac. This feature is already offered by third-party applications such as Duet Display, Luna and Air Display, but Apple now offers it in native mode. This feature promises little or no latency between the iPad and the Mac with its native software, provided both devices are at a distance of 10 meters from each other if you connect them without thread.
I have not been able to test this yet, but it seems that having the iPad wirelessly connected to your Mac can be extremely convenient for a range of use cases. , whether it is to sign documents, draw or even just to gain more space on the screen. . And one of the advantages of this solution is that it should work immediately in applications that already support a stylus. Developers do not need to do extra work.
The focus on accessibility
MacOS Catalina will be one of the most impressive accessibility features of Apple in recent years and it is not limited to Macs. A new voice command feature allows users to fully control their Mac, iPad or iPhone with voice commands. To do this, it creates a system of numbers or grids, which allows you to indicate where you want to navigate to the screen and select items vocally rather than using a mouse or pad touch.
If you frequently use multistep gestures (for example, Apple sends emails or messages with Fireworks), you can predefine them, and then use voice commands to execute them. Catalina also includes enhancements for the visually impaired, including the ability to hover over a text to get a higher resolution display. And if you make a presentation, you can zoom in on your own device text, while maintaining the same resolution on external devices, like freelance journalist Steven Aquino. note here.
Big screen
You already know how much time you spend on social media and how many notifications you receive on your phone; why not extend this knowledge to your Mac? As it does on iOS, Screen Time on MacOS tells you how much time you have lost on Facebook and how much time you spend on productivity applications (you should really access this information if you do not have it yet; might be surprised by your statistics).
If you use multiple Apple devices, this information will also be synced via iCloud so you can see a breakdown of the screen time per device. It also comes with options to build small guardrails for yourself. You can set time limits for specific applications and warn you a minute when you are about to meet this limit. You can also set parental controls for Fortnitea young human obsessed with Snapchat that you are raising.
To take notes
In MacOS Catalina, the Notes application now has a view of the gallery and you can invite someone to view and collaborate on the entire Notes folder, not just on a note. (Similarly, you can limit the ability for a person to edit your note so that it does not accidentally magnify your travel itinerary while allowing you to view it).
In addition, the search function – the most important feature in an application loaded with texts and disparate photos – is much improved. When you search for a keyword such as "chat", for example, the application will invite you not only to buy cat food or notes from the last visit to the vet, but also photos of the cat you have thrown in Notes. Awww.
Apple Watch for Auth
It's a small thing – literally small – but if you have an Apple Watch, you can use it to authenticate your identity in even more MacOS Catalina locations. It is already extremely useful to use an Apple Watch to unlock new Macs or validate a payment you are trying to make in Safari. But you can now use it to approve app downloads, reveal passwords (again in Safari) or unlock a locked note. It's one of those seemingly iterative things that can really make a big difference, anyway for watch wearers, in terms of workflow.
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