Apple may be well adopted by creatives when it comes to high-intensity graphics for video and photo editing, but tell your buddies you've bought a Mac mainly for playing games and they're going to laugh you out the room. The words Mac and hardcore gaming haven't traditionally gone together. Like AFS, this is about getting ready for the future, rather than necessarily fixing the storage issues of the past. So don't expect that huge 4K library of footage you have to suddenly be reduced. As VLC users may already know, there can be issues with the new format, especially when it comes to sound.įurthermore, Apple's adoption of HEVC will just be for new content that comes along, rather than content you've already recorded. The catch, however, is that it won't be compatible with all programmes from the off. Standing for High Efficiency Video Coding, this holder can compress video up to 40 per cent more than the current and much-used H.264 standard.
Everything is still backwards compatible.Īlso new is the adoption of the HEVC video (what some PC users already refer to as H.265). It has to change all your files and encrypt them at the same time. When you move to the new OS, everything will be transferred over to the new system, so you don't have to worry - although you should probably expect the move over to High Sierra to take a little longer than usual. Therefore it should be faster and more robust - that can only be a good thing.
The new Apple File System (AFS) has a new 64-bit architecture, has been designed to speed up common tasks like copying files, is more secure than ever before, and has been optimised for modern storage. There are top line stats that Apple is keen to share, of course.
Meanwhile, other applications like TextEdit, Pages, Mail, and Maps are getting Safari-like Tabs.There is a new file system, a new way of treating image saves, support for VR, an update to the way graphics are handled with Metal 2, and a handful of small updates to apps like Safari and Photos.Īs we were using the Public Beta we couldn't doing any meaningful testing on how the file system reacts or whether, in reality, general users will notice any difference. Safari’s big improvement in macOS Sierra is picture-in-picture for watching videos – something that’s already available on select iPads. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to access the iOS 10 Messages app. You also get the ability to watch video clips in the app, and other features like iOS 10’s bigger emoji, ‘tapback’ options that let you respond to messages with emojis (e.g. Messages on macOS Sierra is getting tweaked as well, with rich previews for web content as on iOS. It also curates your past photos into collections via a new tab called “Memories.”
Like on iOS 10, the Photos app has also been overhauled with new features that take advantage of computer vision to recognize the people, places and things in an album, then organize them into intelligent collections. It can also help you interact with your Mac, like turning on or off your Wi-Fi, start FaceTime calls, set reminders, or adjust your volume. The assistant can replace many of Spotlight’s features – like helping you find a file, perhaps, or search through photos. One of the most promising changes is that Siri is coming to the Mac for the first time. If it doesn’t open automatically, go to the Applications folder in the Finder and open the “Install macOS Sierra” app. After downloading Sierra from the App Store, the installer should open automatically.