Apple previewed its new desktop operating system known as macOS Big Sur today during its annual WWDC event, held at its Cupertino campus. This was only one of the announcements made, with the company providing an overview of many of the new features coming to its wider ecosystem, including improvements to iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and more.
Big Sur was unveiled as the most robust upgrade to the operating software in over a decade, particularly on the design side. It showcases a full redesign loaded with new features focused on navigation, personality, and a more immersive experience for its users. In addition to the new look of the system, Apple revealed improvements to Safari, Messages, and Maps incorporated with advanced privacy features.
What has set this years Apple presentation apart from previous OS reveals is its focus on the aesthetic. The redesign includes curved corners on windows, apps icons more in-line with other Apple interfaces, and fully customizable menu and notification bars. In addition to the overall refreshed look of Big Sur, a significant amount of time during the WWDC keynote was spent showcasing the new and improved Safari browser, a staple on all macOS devices since 2003. According to Apple, "Safari’s fast JavaScript engine helps it outperform other browsers on Mac and PC, and Safari loads frequently visited sites an average of 50 percent faster than Chrome." Other features include more available tabs onscreen with the ability to hover over a page to preview it, as well as a fully customizable start page. The latter feature along with downloadable Safari extensions offers a multitude of customizable features for its users. As previously mentioned, improvements to privacy have been a major focus this year. Apple once again reveals, "Users can choose when and which websites a Safari extension can work with, and tools like data breach password monitoring never reveal your password information — not even to Apple."
In addition to Safari, the Messages app has several new features. Users can now pin their favorite conversations to the top of their message list for quick interactions and direct message someone from a group text by simply typing their name. Additionally, Apple has added more capabilities for personalization. Mac owners can now fully customize their Memoji on their device and use them as stickers on messages. This feature was previously only available on iOS devices.
Another popular app that is seeing a complete overhaul is Maps. With the new "guides" feature, users can discover new things to do or places to go in a given vicinity, or they can create their own custom guides to share with others. Another newly announced feature titled "look around" offers users a 360-degree view of a given location. Lastly, users can route specific trips on their Mac and seamlessly share them to their iOS devices, such as their iPhone, to remain on the go but still know where they're actually going.
While WWDC is something tech fans can expect annually, along with much speculation and rumor, this years macOS preview has offered a more refreshing update compared to recent years. Big Sur offers an additional redesign of the look of the software rather than sole improvements to the performance of the software itself. Given that this is the largest upgrade from a design standpoint since the original macOS X launch in 2001, the new look will not go unnoticed by its loyal users. While the news of an expanded spectrum of colors, widgets, and interfaces may be appealing to users from a visual standpoint, the focus on improved privacy throughout the entire operating system and its subsequent apps should also help put their minds at ease. As an OS named after an area as beautiful as Big Sur, it's no wonder so much time went into developing a beautiful new look for Mac and if the software operates as beautifully as it looks, Apple Mac lovers should be quite pleased.
Source: Apple
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