I honestly can't I remember when I started writing mobile creep in macOS. It happened little by little, update after update. My previous fears that he would have completely surrendered to the influence of iOS have not been realized so far, but the iPhone operating system continues to be the clearest indicator of future desktop updates.
It is clear, of course, why one of the Apple operating systems shouldborrow so freely from another. The iPhone has been the company's best dog for over a decade now and continues to monopolize resources and serve as a test bed for its most cutting-edge experiences. Although the Mac prepares for its most radical update in recent memory with the move from Intel to custom ARM processors, the shadow of iOS is looming on Big Sur.
There are a million reasons why this year's WWDC was strange. One of the most unknown instances was the surprise which revealed that the next version of macOS would be 11.0. The fact was never explicitly mentioned during the keynote, although the number was displayed on the screen during a demo. It is certainly worth mentioning the first update of the primary number in 20 years, but who can ultimately say why Apple does the things it does?
What we can say with certainty is that Big Sur, in fact, represents a big step forward in the evolution of macOS in a couple of ways. The first and probably the most important is the aforementioned hardware update. These first systems are expected to arrive later this year, probably in the form of new iMacs and MacBooks. The second and probably more symbolic is one of the most radical changes in the design of the recent memory of the operating system.
For those who are less familiar with the operating system, the design changes probably seem subtle. For those of us who spend practically all day, staring at the operating system every day, they are inevitable. Big Sir borrows freely from the iOS design language. The familiar circular icons are gone, leaving room for the variety of squircles that you will find on the iPhone. As always, it's up to third-party developers to decide if they want to join in the fun. Right now, my app folder is a mix of rounded circles and squares. There are fun little touches throughout, like this address on the Mail icon envelope:
Another influence of iOS comes in the form of a push towards greater translucency in the user interface, in particular in the form of a menu bar, which is closer to the drop-down menus themselves. Those are bigger, meanwhile, and offer a little more room to breathe. Spacing in general is an important thing when updating.
This includes the new Finder windows, which also adopt more translucent elements and rounded corners. The dock, meanwhile, is always located slightly above the bottom of the screen. Default audio updates may take longer to get used to. I only found out while taking a screenshot for this review: the familiar camera shutter sound was swapped out for a bit of a record. I'm not sure how I feel if I'm honest.
Perhaps the biggest Finder update is also the most noticeable lift in iOS. Merge other elements like Notification Center and Launchpad is Control Center. As with iOS, it's a translucent drop-down menu that offers quick access to settings. Here it is accessible via an icon in the menu bar, but every element here screams touchscreen. Seriously, the Display Brightness and Sound sliders ask to be manually adjusted. A clear indication of plans for future Macs? Apple has long insisted that PCs and touchscreens are like oil and water, but there are some indications that the company's stance may be easing.
Other control panel options include a do not disturb mode, media playback, WiFi, Bluetooth and Airdrop. The available controls are customizable and you can also drag an option out of the panel and add it to the menu bar.
Speaking of the Notification Center, there is also an update there. It's free to float, like other new design elements, and offers many more information options, including weather, actions and calendar events, along with upcoming third-party widgets. Like the Control Center, it is customizable, both in terms of content and size of the widget. Some forms of content such as email and new podcasts can also be interacted directly from the Notification Center.
It is worth noting a number of updates to the Messages app itself. Conversations can be easily blocked at the top of the list by dragging and dropping. Group messaging has been enhanced, with the ability to comment specific messages online, a feature that is also implemented simultaneously in iOS 14. Specific members can be quoted directly with an "@" symbol and a photo can be set to designate the group.
Also noteworthy is an improved search. Honestly, the search has long been a nuisance for the desktop version of the app. Here it groups links, photos and other highlights. There are a lot of new message effects here, on iOS, with things like balloons, confetti and lasers for the celebration. Memojis can now be edited on the desktop and Apple has also added Memoji stickers for faster reactions.
Safari always seems to get maximum love in updates. It is clear that Apple really wants its browser to remain competitive with the likes of Chrome and Firefox. Key updates include the ability to set a customizable background image and home page, manually adjust bookmarks and support other extensions.
The tabs have been redesigned and the favicon now appears by default, while hovering over a tab shows a preview of the hidden page, a really useful addition. Loan rates have improved and the company says the browser is overall more energy efficient than previous versions. Apple has also found another way to directly take over Google by adding a new translation feature that is currently in beta in seven languages: English, Spanish, simplified Chinese, French, German, Russian and Brazilian Portuguese.
A handful of new map features deserve to be mentioned here. Look Around offers a new Street View style feature, which allows you to easily reach your destination or simply to live vicariously in this moment of immobility. By clicking on "Look inside" in certain places such as airports and shopping centers, in the meantime, a top view of the internal map will be shown. Cycling directions have been added to a handful of cities (they don't seem to have been launched in New York on the beta I'm using), along with an electric vehicle direction feature that shows you the route with access to the station. recharge more charge.
The Big Sur public beta is available today. The final version of the software is scheduled for release in the fall.
