With the iPhones and the iOS software getting all the attention, it was understandable if the Mac users felt that their MacBooks and iMacs weren’t being showered with the same software love as the iPhone. While that wasn’t entirely true, macOS did over the past year or so only focus on incremental updates and no wholesale changes. That led to the perception. However, those thoughts can be put to rest now, as Apple has rolled out the macOS Mojave operating system for MacBook and iMac line of computing devices.
Apple has confirmed that even older Mac devices will be able to run the new operating system. All MacBooks introduced in early 2015 or later, all MacBook Air introduced in mid 2012 or later, all MacBook Pro variants introduced in mid 2012 or later, the Mac Mini introduced in late 2012 or later, all iMac introduced in late 2012 or later, all models of the iMac Pro and the Mac Pro which were introduced in late 2013, as well as the mid-2010 or mid-2012 models with a Metal-capable graphics card.
This time around, Mojave introduces a whole new set of features and improvements, making this one of the biggest macOS update in years.
The highlight feature is the Dark Mode. This has been the direction in which a lot of apps have already headed, providing for darker screen elements for better visibility and comfort in multiple usage scenarios such as a low light environment or prolonged periods of screen time. But the macOS Mojave Dark Mode isn’t just a switch to flip the colors. Apple has redesigned all of its own apps, including Calendar, Mail, Photos and Safari to actually switch to a darker theme and not just swap colours.
The second element of the Dark Mode is the new feature called time shifting desktops. The desktop pictures automatically change according to the time of day. For instance, in the morning, you will see a morning shot of the Mojave desert, while that changes as the day goes on. Once the sun is down, the shot of the Mojave desert on your desktop will also be of one after dark.
Apple has redesigned the App Store in macOS Mojave. A lot of inspiration has been taken from the App Store for iOS devices, and the idea could be to build familiarity across platforms. The new App Store now also has curated editorial content including app lists. This is a great way to discover new apps as well. The tabs are available from the left side of the App Store window, and includes umbrellas such as Discover, Create, Work, Play, Develop and Updates. App developers will now be able to add video previews for their apps, which could give you a better idea of how it works before you download it—even more relevant for paid apps. The Mac App Store will now also be home to apps such as the Microsoft Office 365 and Adobe Lightroom, both of which were previously unavailable on the App Store, among many other apps.
The Finder app, which is critical to accessing your files and folders, has been given a new Stacks feature. Stacks will automatically organise your files, arranged by images, documents, spreadsheets, PDFs and more, all by themselves. If you tag files with project-specific metadata, it can be a great tool later to sift between a whole bunch of files. Stacks also supports multi-touch gestures—use two fingers on a trackpad or one finger on a multi-touch mouse.
There are new tools for screenshots, screen recording tools and the ability to drag screenshots directly into documents and then deleting them without cluttering up the local storage space.
FaceTime for macOS will also get the group calling feature with up to 32 participants, though this update will roll out later in the year. The Stocks, News, Memos and Home apps are now updated to be a part of macOS Mojave.
The update is now rolling out for compatible macOS Mojave devices, and can be downloaded from the App Store on MacBooks and iMacs.
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