MacBook Pro with Touch Bar User Guide for macOS High Sierra; If you’ve previously downloaded the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV user guides through iBooks, you should see refreshed content when you open them in iBooks. IBooks for Mac informs you if there are any updates available to the electronic books you have downloaded to your Mac. Sep 20, 2016 Apple macOS Sierra: Complete guide to everything new in latest Mac software Siri and Apple Pay come to the Mac with the free macOS Sierra update, available now from the Mac App Store.
- Upgrade to macOS Mojave. When you upgrade to macOS Mojave, you’ll get a host of new features inspired by its most powerful users but designed for everyone. Stay better focused on your work in Dark Mode. Automatically organize files using Stacks. Take more kinds of screenshots with less effort.
- MacOS Mojave: The Missing Manual: The book that should have been in the box David Pogue on Amazon.com.FREE. shipping on qualifying offers. Answers found here! Apple’s latest Mac software, macOS Mojave, is a glorious boxcar full of new features and refinements.
A version of the macOS operating system | |
Developer | Apple Inc. |
---|---|
OS family |
|
Source model | Closed, with open source components |
Initial release | September 20, 2016; 2 years ago |
Latest release | 10.12.6 (16G2128)[2] / July 29, 2019; 20 days ago |
Update method | Mac App Store |
Platforms | x86-64 |
Kernel type | Hybrid (XNU) |
License | APSL and Apple EULA |
Preceded by | OS X 10.11 El Capitan |
Succeeded by | macOS 10.13 High Sierra |
Official website | macOS - Apple at the Wayback Machine (archived August 30, 2017) |
Support status | |
Partially supported. Extended support ends in September 2019. iTunes, in August 2020 |
Part of a series on |
macOS |
---|
|
macOS Sierra (version 10.12)[3] is the thirteenth major release of macOS (previously OS X), Apple Inc.'s desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. As the successor to OS X El Capitan, it was the first version of the operating system issued under the June 2016 rebranding as macOS. Sierra is named after the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California and Nevada.[4] Its major new features concern Continuity, iCloud, and windowing, as well as support for Apple Pay and Siri.
The first beta of macOS Sierra was released to developers shortly following the 2016 WWDC keynote on June 13, 2016. The first public-beta release followed on July 7, 2016. It was released to end users on September 20, 2016, as a free upgrade through the Mac App Store.[5]
- 2Changes
- 2.1System features
- 2.2Application features
- 2.3Security improvements
System requirements[edit]
macOS Sierra requires at least 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage space and will run on:[6]
- iMac: Late 2009 or newer
- MacBook and MacBook 12-inch: Late 2009 or newer
- MacBook Pro: Mid 2010 or newer
- MacBook Air: Late 2010 or newer
- Mac Mini: Mid 2010 or newer
- Mac Pro: Mid 2010 or newer
- Xserve is no longer compatible.
Sierra is the first version of macOS since OS X Mountain Lion, released in 2012, that does not run on all computers that the previous version supported.[7] Developers have created workarounds to install macOS Sierra on some Mac computers that are no longer officially supported as long as they are packed with a CPU that supports SSE4.1.[8]
Changes[edit]
The default desktop picture is an image of Lone Pine Peak.
System features[edit]
Siri[edit]
A demonstration of Siri on macOS Sierra Beta.
The user can access the Siri intelligent assistant via the Dock, the menu bar or a keyboard shortcut and results are shown in a window in the upper-right corner.[9] Siri can send messages, search the web, find files and adjust settings. Results can be dropped into other applications or pinned to Notification Center.[9] For instance, pictures from search results can be dragged into a document.
iCloud Drive and Optimized Storage[edit]
This image shows what the Optimized Storage suggestions are.
iCloud Drive can upload the user's documents and desktop directories and sync them to other devices. The System Information application has a new section that gives the user detailed information about space usage per application or file and provides tools and suggestions for freeing up space. For instance, the user can let the system upload old files to iCloud Drive and remove their local copies, keeping them available on-demand in Finder. It can also remove old files from trash automatically. iTunes can delete watched, purchased films and TV programs from its library.[10][11]
Auto Unlock and Universal Clipboard[edit]
Building upon Continuity, an 'umbrella term [for] features that facilitate the communication between [Apple devices]' using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Sierra adds two features.[10] With Auto Unlock, the user can unlock their user account by holding a paired Apple Watch close to the device. Time of flight is used to prevent relay attacks. Auto Unlock requires a Mac that was introduced in 2013 or later. With Universal Clipboard, the user can share the clipboard for cut, copy and paste between macOS Sierra and iOS 10 devices, including text and rich content, such as pictures or videos.
Tabs and Picture-in-Picture[edit]
Applications that support multiple windows can support multiple tabs within a single window, allowing the user to keep windows organized similarly to Safari.[12] With Picture-in-Picture, videos can be played in a window that follows the user across the system.[13]
Apple File System[edit]
Apple released a preview of a new file system in Sierra, called Apple File System (APFS), to overcome the limitations of HFS Plus. It is intended for solid-state drives and flash memory and will adopt several features found in modern file systems, such as snapshots and cloning, as well as native support for features that Apple already provides in HFS Plus through supplementary software, such as file-system encryption and TRIM support. The file system was released in macOS High Sierra.[14]
Night Shift[edit]
Night Shift is new in macOS 10.12.4, with the same functionality as its iOS counterpart. Night Shift reduces blue light at night to aid sleep. This can be scheduled in the System Preferences app (in the Displays menu) and can be toggled on or off in the Notification Center or using Siri.[15]
Since this feature relies on the Metal framework,[citation needed] Night Shift is not available on all systems that support macOS Sierra.[16]
Application features[edit]
Photos[edit]
Apple says it has improved the face recognition of the Photos application, adding object and scene recognition. It groups similar pictures together using faces, locations and object recognition to create 'memories'. Memories contain picture slideshows with transitions and music selected by the algorithm, which can be modified to the user's liking. The 'People' album organizes photos by the people in them, and Places shows all photos on a world map.
Safari and Apple Pay[edit]
Safari provides an 'extension point' which enables developers to bundle Safari extensions within their Cocoa applications and communicate with them directly from the applications.[17] Safari conceals the presence of installed 'legacy' plug-ins, such as Adobe Flash Player, Java applets, Microsoft Silverlight, and QuickTime – from websites and requires the user to enable a specific plug-in on a per-use or per-website basis.[10]
Apple Pay allows vendors to embed an Apple Pay button on their websites. In Safari, users can click the Apple Pay button to check out, then complete a purchase using an iPhone or Apple Watch. Apple Pay requires a Mac that supports Continuity (2012 or later models) and either an iPhone 6 or later with iOS 10, or an Apple Watch with watchOS 3.
Messages[edit]
The Messages app adds aesthetic effects to messages, such as three times bigger emojis and click back with hearts or thumbs-up on a message bubble.[18] The ability to play YouTube videos and preview links in a conversation was introduced.[19] Users can view interactive content added to iMessage in iOS 10. The app also allows you to turn on or off read receipts on a conversation by conversation basis.[20][21]
iTunes[edit]
![Mac os user guide Mac os user guide](/uploads/1/2/4/7/124713661/266034559.jpg)
Apple Music within iTunes has been redesigned, making it simpler to find favorite songs and discover new ones. A new 'For You' tab has been added, which suggests new music the user might like (similar to the existing Genius).[citation needed] A refined MiniPlayer with the ability to view lyrics while listening has also been introduced.[22]
Notes[edit]
The Notes app allows the user to share and collaborate on notes. This is done by clicking on a share button at the top of the window.[22]
Other changes[edit]
- Disk Utility regains the ability to format and manage RAID sets, after it was removed in El Capitan.[10][23]
- Finder has an option to show folders always at the top of the view hierarchy, for instance in list views.[10]
- Mail adds a control to the top of email lists to quickly filter them, for instance, by read status or the presence of attachments.[10]
Security improvements[edit]
Gatekeeper[edit]
macOS Sierra slightly changes the Gatekeeperuser interface and adds two new mechanisms. A new default in System Preferences hides the 'Anywhere' option which allows the user to disable the mechanism and execute programs from any source without needing to approve each new one individually.
The first new mechanism allows developers to code-signdisk images that can be verified as a unit by the system. This allows developers to guarantee the integrity of external files that are distributed alongside the application bundle on the same disk image. An attacker could infect these external files with malicious code and with them exploit a vulnerability in the application, without having to break the signature of the application bundle itself. By signing the disk image, the developer can prevent tampering and force an attacker to repackage the files onto a new disk image, requiring a valid developer certificate to pass Gatekeeper without a warning.[24]
The second new mechanism is 'path randomization', which executes application bundles from a random, hidden path and prevents them from accessing external files relative to their location. To avoid this, the developer has to distribute the application bundle and its external files on a signed disk image or in a signed installer package. The user can avoid this mechanism by moving the application bundle without its external files to a new location.[24]
Directory permissions and sudo[edit]
The Unix permissions for writing to the /Volumes directory are now restricted to root and no longer 'world-writable'.[25] Apple expanded System Integrity Protection to /Library/Application Support/com.apple.TCC,[26] a directory that contains a list of applications that are allowed to 'control the computer', and restricts write access to programs which were signed with an Apple 'private entitlement'. The file-hosting serviceDropbox has been criticized for manipulating the directory to add their Dropbox application to the list, rather than asking the user to do it for them explicitly in System Preferences.[27]
The sudocommand-line utility with which a user can execute a command as another user, typically as root, is configured with the 'tty_tickets' flag by default, restricting the session timeout to the terminal session (such as a window or tab) in which the user authenticated the program.[28]
Removed functionality[edit]
Sierra removes support for garbage collection from the Objective-Cruntime,[29] a memory-management system that was added in Mac OS X Leopard (version 10.5) and declared deprecated in favor of Automatic Reference Counting in OS X Mountain Lion (version 10.8). [30][31] Applications that have been compiled with garbage collection will no longer run.
Apple removed native support for the VPN protocol PPTP and made recommendations for alternatives that it considers more secure.[32]
The 'time remaining' estimate has been removed in the 10.12.2 update after complaints of the battery life of 2016 MacBook Pros.[33][34][35]
Welcome to budget-friendly wireless printing in your home. Install canon ij on-screen manual mac pro. Appreciate the simplicity of attaching your smart device, tablet and all your preferred gadgets effortlessly.
The Game Center app has been removed.[22] However, the service still exists.
Reinstallation[edit]
Following the download of macOS Sierra (10.12) from the Mac App Store, the installer does not show under a users' 'Purchased' tab in the Mac App Store app. Users can still re-download the Sierra installer by visiting the macOS Sierra page on the Mac App Store.[36]
Reception[edit]
macOS Sierra has received generally positive reviews. Users and critics have praised its functionality, including the addition of Siri and support for Apple Pay in Safari.[37]Macworld gave it 4.5 stars out of 5.[38]Engadget gave it a rating of 87 out of 100 praising the new features such as Siri integration, Universal Clipboard, and Apple Pay while criticizing the unreliability of Auto Unlock, that 'Siri isn't always smart enough' and some of the Messages features are only available on iOS 10.[39] Developers of apps that rely on the PDFKit library built into macOS have complained that radical changes to PDFKit introduced in Sierra are causing instability and potential data corruption.[40]
Releases[edit]
Previous release | Current release | Beta |
Version | Build | Release date | Darwin | Notes | Standalone download |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
10.12 | 16A323 | September 20, 2016 | 16.0.0 | Original Mac App Store release | N/A |
10.12.1 | 16B2555 | October 24, 2016 | 16.1.0 | About the macOS Sierra 10.12.1 Update | macOS Sierra 10.12.1 Update |
16B2657 | October 27, 2016 | ||||
10.12.2 | 16C67 | December 13, 2016 | 16.3.0 | About the macOS Sierra 10.12.2 Update | macOS Sierra 10.12.2 Update macOS Sierra 10.12.2 Combo Update |
16C68 | December 14, 2016 | ||||
10.12.3 | 16D32 | January 23, 2017 | 16.4.0 | About the macOS Sierra 10.12.3 Update | macOS Sierra 10.12.3 Update macOS Sierra 10.12.3 Combo Update |
10.12.4 | 16E195 | March 27, 2017 | 16.5.0 | About the macOS Sierra 10.12.4 Update | macOS Sierra 10.12.4 Update macOS Sierra 10.12.4 Combo Update |
10.12.5 | 16F73 | May 15, 2017 | 16.6.0 | About the macOS Sierra 10.12.5 Update | macOS Sierra 10.12.5 Update macOS Sierra 10.12.5 Combo Update |
16F2073 | June 5, 2017 | ||||
10.12.6 | 16G29 | July 19, 2017 | 16.7.0 | About the macOS Sierra 10.12.6 Update | macOS Sierra 10.12.6 Update macOS Sierra 10.12.6 Combo Update |
16G1036 | October 31, 2017 | About the security content of Security Update 2017-001 Sierra | Security Update 2017-001 Sierra | ||
16G1114 | December 6, 2017 | About the security content of Security Update 2017-002 Sierra | Security Update 2017-002 Sierra | ||
16G1212 | January 23, 2018 | About the security content of Security Update 2018-001 Sierra | Security Update 2018-001 Sierra | ||
16G1314 | March 29, 2018 | About the security content of Security Update 2018-002 Sierra | Security Update 2018-002 Sierra | ||
16G1408 | June 1, 2018 | About the security content of Security Update 2018-003 Sierra | Security Update 2018-003 Sierra | ||
16G1510 | July 9, 2018 | About the security content of Security Update 2018-004 Sierra | Security Update 2018-004 Sierra | ||
16G1618 | October 30, 2018 | About the security content of Security Update 2018-005 Sierra | Security Update 2018-005 Sierra | ||
16G1710 | December 5, 2018 | About the security content of Security Update 2018-006 Sierra | Security Update 2018-006 Sierra | ||
16G1815 | January 22, 2019 | About the security content of Security Update 2019-001 Sierra | Security Update 2019-001 Sierra | ||
16G1917 | March 25, 2019 | About the security content of Security Update 2019-002 Sierra | Security Update 2019-002 Sierra | ||
16G1918 | March 29, 2019 | About the security content of Security Update 2019-002 Sierra | Security Update 2019-002 Sierra | ||
16G2016 | May 14, 2019 | About the security content of Security Update 2019-003 Sierra | Security Update 2019-003 Sierra | ||
July 22, 2019 | About the security content of Security Update 2019-004 Sierra | ||||
16G2128 | July 29, 2019 | About the security content of Security Update 2019-004 Sierra | Security Update 2019-004 Sierra |
References[edit]
- ^'macOS version 10.12 Sierra on Intel-based Mac computers'. The Open Group. Archived from the original on October 2, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
- ^'About the security content of macOS Mojave 10.14.6, Security Update 2019-004 High Sierra, Security Update 2019-004 Sierra'. Apple Support. July 29, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
- ^'Download - Apple Developer'. Apple Developer. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^Loyola, Roman (7 July 2016). 'macOS Sierra FAQ: What you need to know about the new Mac operating system'. Macworld. Archived from the original on 15 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^Majo, Benjamin (7 September 2016). 'macOS Sierra will be released on September 20 for free to Mac owners'. 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^'How to get macOS Sierra'. Apple. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ^Elliott, Matt (2016-06-13). 'See which Macs will -- and won't -- work with MacOS'. CNet. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^'MacOS 10.12 Sierra Unsupported Macs Thread'. MacRumors Forums. Archived from the original on 2016-06-16. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ^ ab'How to use Siri in macOS Sierra'. Macworld. Archived from the original on 2017-02-04. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
- ^ abcdefCunningham, Andrew; Hutchinson, Lee (September 20, 2016). 'macOS 10.12 Sierra: The Ars Technica review'. Ars Technica UK. Archived from the original on September 25, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^Clover, Juli. 'macOS Sierra: Save Disk Space With the New 'Optimize Storage' Option'. Archived from the original on 2016-11-26. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
- ^'macOS Sierra: Apps Gain Safari-Style Tabs'. Archived from the original on 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- ^'macOS Sierra: Picture in Picture Mode for Safari and iTunes Videos'. Archived from the original on 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- ^'macOS High Sierra: You'll Hardly Notice You've Upgraded - The Mac Observer'. The Mac Observer. 4 October 2017. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
- ^Clover, Juli. 'Apple Releases macOS Sierra 10.12.4 With New Night Shift Mode'. Archived from the original on 2017-04-01. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
- ^'How to Use Night Shift in macOS Sierra 10.12.4'. Retrieved 2018-06-13.
- ^'Safari App Extension Programming Guide: Safari App Extensions'. Apple Developer. Archived from the original on July 8, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
- ^'How to use Messages effects in macOS Sierra'. iMore. Archived from the original on 2016-11-23. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^'10 tiny macOS Sierra features I love'. iMore. Archived from the original on 2016-12-30. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
- ^'7 hidden features in macOS Sierra you may have missed'. Macworld. Archived from the original on 2016-12-30. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
- ^'How to Use Read Receipts on the iPhone and Mac'. TekRevue. Archived from the original on 2016-12-30. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
- ^ abcMatt Elliott (November 10, 2016). '10 hidden MacOS Sierra features you need to know'. Archived from the original on 2017-02-18. Retrieved 2018-06-09.
- ^'How to configure a software RAID in macOS Sierra's Disk Utility'. Macworld. Archived from the original on 2017-01-08. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^ abCunningham, Andrew (June 15, 2016). 'Some nerdy changes in macOS and iOS 10: RAW shooting, a harsher Gatekeeper, more'. Ars Technica UK. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^Trouton, Rich (September 21, 2016). 'macOS Sierra's /Volumes folder is no longer world-writable'. Der Flounder. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^Gruber, John (September 20, 2016). 'Dropbox's MacOS Security Hack'. Daring Fireball. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^Pauli, Darren (September 13, 2016). 'Dropbox apologies for clunky administrator account access on Macs'. The Register. Archived from the original on October 2, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^Trouton, Rich (September 21, 2016). 'tty_tickets option now on by default for macOS Sierra's sudo tool'. Der Flounder. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^'Xcode Release Notes'. Apple Developer. May 29, 2018. Section 'Xcode 8.3'. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
OS X 10.11 was the last major release of macOS that supported the previously deprecated garbage collection runtime. Applications or features that depend upon garbage collection may not function properly or will not launch in macOS Sierra. Developers should use Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) or manual retain/release for memory management instead. (20589595)
- ^Siracusa, John (October 29, 2007). 'Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: the Ars Technica review'. Ars Technica. At section 'Objective-C 2.0'. Archived from the original on November 17, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
- ^Siracusa, John (July 25, 2012). 'OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion: the Ars Technica review'. Ars Technica. At section 'Objective-C enhancements'. Archived from the original on November 17, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
- ^'Prepare for removal of PPTP VPN before you upgrade to iOS 10 and macOS Sierra'. Apple Support. July 16, 2016. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
- ^Kahn, Jordan (2016-12-13). 'Why Apple is removing 'time remaining' battery life estimates following MacBook Pro complaints'. 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on 2017-01-08. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^Schroeder, Stan. 'Apple's Sierra update 'fixes' Mac battery woes by removing 'time remaining' estimate'. Mashable. Archived from the original on 2017-01-05. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^O'Kane, Sean (2016-12-13). 'Apple removes the 'time remaining' battery estimate in new macOS update'. The Verge. Archived from the original on 2017-01-08. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^'How to download macOS Sierra'. Apple. October 17, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^'MacOS Sierra review: Six big ways it's going to change your Apple experience'. CNET. Archived from the original on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
- ^'macOS Sierra review: Mixing iOS with OS X to make a better Mac'. Macworld. Archived from the original on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
- ^Wollman, Dana (September 20, 2016). 'macOS Sierra review: Mac users get a modest update this year'. Archived from the original on 2017-02-18. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
- ^'Sierra PDF Problems Get Worse in 10.12.2'. Tidbits. Archived from the original on 2017-03-20. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
External links[edit]
- Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived August 30, 2017)
Preceded by OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) | macOS 10.12 (Sierra) 09/2016 | Succeeded by macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) |
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MacOS_Sierra&oldid=908817543'
With High Sierra, version 10.13 of Apple's macOS operating system, the company added subtle updates to improve the privacy of web browsing in Safari, rolled out its new file system as standard, and introduced updates that would allow for the creation of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) content. While the updates may seem simple, they help set the stage for Apple's approach to computing in the future.
To help tech leaders and IT pros better understand macOS High Sierra, we've put together the most important details and resources in this cheat sheet. This is a 'living' article that will be updated and refreshed as new, relevant information becomes public.
SEE: All of TechRepublic's cheat sheets and smart person's guides
Executive summary
- What is macOS High Sierra? macOS High Sierra is version 10.13 of Apple's desktop operating system (OS) series, macOS. It builds on its predecessor, macOS Sierra, and includes updates to Safari, Mail, Photos, its file system, and more.
- Why does macOS High Sierra matter? As a version of macOS, High Sierra will define the user experience for Apple computer users across laptops and desktops in terms of featureset and UI.
- Who does macOS High Sierra affect? The launch of macOS High Sierra affects Mac users and admins who have a compatible system and are planning on upgrading to the OS, or non-Mac users who are planning to purchase an Apple computer in the future.
- When is macOS High Sierra available? The first macOS High Sierra public beta came out in June 2017, but the public release of High Sierra was made generally available on September 25, 2017.
- How do I take advantage of macOS High Sierra? High Sierra is available for download through the Mac App Store.
SEE: Apple's first employee: The remarkable odyssey of Bill Fernandez (PDF download) (TechRepublic)
What is macOS High Sierra?
Apple's macOS 10.13 High Sierra is the latest Mac operating system, designed for use on iMac desktops and MacBook laptops. It was announced at the 2017 WWDC event in San Jose by Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi.
One of the biggest updates unveiled with the High Sierra macOS version is that the Apple web browser, Safari, will now block AutoPlay videos, so users won't encounter videos automatically playing when they open a web page. While the feature will improve the browsing experience for many users, it will make it more difficult for Apple to compete with advertising giants Google and Facebook.
High Sierra brings Intelligent Tracking Prevention for Safari, a new feature that blocks trackers of user data. 'Now your privacy, your browsing history is your own,' Federighi said at WWDC.
Mail search on Mac is also improved with High Sierra, while Photos received a new design and layout. Apple is known for its photo features, such as live photos in iOS and content management options in iCloud Drive, and High Sierra offers better facial recognition support for improved organization and more.
High-efficiency video coding (HEVC) H.265 will be supported by macOS High Sierra. H.265 is a next-generation video compression standard that basically allows video files of the same quality to be compressed to a smaller size. The standard is also supported on mobile starting with iOS 11, meaning the videos a user takes on their iPhone or iPad will remain high quality without taking up as much space.
With the announcement of macOS High Sierra, Federighi said that the Apple File System (APFS) would be the default for all Macs moving forward. APFS allows macOS users to more easily manage space between multiple volumes, in that they can easily add and delete volumes on solid-state drives (SSDs) within the Disk Utility.
'APFS-formatted volumes automatically grow and shrink—you never have to repartition an SSD drive again,' an Apple support page said. 'To see the format of a volume, select it in the Disk Utility sidebar—its format is displayed underneath the volume name in the middle of the window.'
Metal 2, which makes it easier to leverage GPU computing on a Mac, and will support more VR and AR content, was also announced as part of macOS High Sierra. Metal 2 offers external GPU support as well.
Additional resources:
- Apple macOS High Sierra kills AutoPlay in Safari, uses machine learning to improve privacy (TechRepublic)
- macOS High Sierra Preview (Apple)
- 7 best features of MacOS High Sierra (CNET)
Why does macOS High Sierra matter?
With an ever-increasing amount of work being done online, the refinements to Safari in High Sierra could help position Macs as a more viable business machine for certain industries. Additionally, Apple boosted the browser's speed. 'Safari is the world's fastest desktop browser with High Sierra,' Federighi said at WWDC.
What's Hot at TechRepublic
The additional privacy measures will help Safari—and, thus, High Sierra—win over some other users as well. New Safari Reader features will improve the readability of some web pages and articles by eliminating ads and unrelated content.
In the Notes app, tables can now be added to make quick graphical representations of something a user is working on. Business travelers can track flights in the Spotlight search window in High Sierra, making for a more efficient and productive process.
In keeping with its reputation as a powerhouse for creatives, Apple added some new features for its Photos app. Improved facial recognition shows that Apple is investing in the underlying technologies—like machine learning—that power artificial intelligence (AI), which is an area it has been lagging behind in relative to competitors like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. In High Sierra, Photos will integrate with other editing tools like Photoshop and Pixelmator, which could help draw more creatives deeper into Apple's proprietary ecosystem.
High Sierra is Apple's first major foray into AR and VR technologies. Metal 2 will make it easier for users to utilize GPU compute, but it will also support VR content creation—a first for Macs. Unity, Epic, and SteamVR integrations, along with Final Cut Pro X support for 360 video will help attract the next generation of creatives to Apple machines.
Additional resources:
- Mac users, meet APFS: macOS's new file system (ZDNet)
- MacOS High Sierra has some really cool new features (CNET)
- macOS High Sierra delivers advanced technologies for storage, video and graphics (Apple)
- Research: Virtual and augmented reality in the enterprise (Tech Pro Research)
Who does macOS High Sierra affect?
On a high level, the debut of macOS High Sierra matters to current Mac users and anyone considering a Mac for their next machine. However, it has more specific impacts for certain subsets of users.
Creative professionals can use the H.265 support to stream 4K video, and mobile users can leverage it to save space on their iOS devices, while the new Photos app could help boost efficient editing. Creatives looking to develop VR content could leverage the new OS features to build out their portfolio, too.
Developers will be affected by the the software update, as they can use Metal 2 to improve application development.
Security-conscious users will likely be interested in the new privacy features in Safari, such as AutoPlay blocking and Intelligent Tracking Prevention. And professional users might see slight productivity improvements with the updates to Mail and Notes.
Additional resources:
- WWDC 2017: Apple positions Mac updates, macOS High Sierra for VR developers (ZDNet)
- Apple developers: The 6 biggest takeaways from WWDC 2017 (TechRepublic)
- 5 hidden MacOS High Sierra features you need to know (CNET)
When is macOS High Sierra available?
On June 5, 2017, Apple unveiled macOS High Sierra for the first time at WWDC. It is only the second instance of Apple's use of the macOS moniker, which replaced the previous OS X title in 2016 when macOS Sierra was introduced.
At the WWDC event, macOS High Sierra was made available in beta. Apple released macOS High Sierra for general download on September 25, 2017. Various updates and patches have been released since then to address security issues and add feature improvements.
It should be noted that a late 2017 security flaw in macOS High Sierra reportedly gave attackers root user access, unless the user set a root password to protect the machine. A later 2018 bug in the Disk Utility revealed APFS-encrypted drive passwords in plain text, but this was patched in macOS High Sierra version 10.13.4. Apple has since released version 10.13.5 with additional bug fixes and patches. Information on how to upgrade to version 10.13.5 can be found on our sister site ZDNet.
Mac Os Sierra Download
Additional resources:
- macOS High Sierra comes with a flaw that leaves your passwords vulnerable (TechRepublic)
- WWDC 2017: Apple reveals macOS refresh, High Sierra (ZDNet)
- Welcome to Apple's new MacOS: High Sierra (CNET)
- Video: Apple introduces new MacOS High Sierra (CNET News)
- macOS High Sierra bug will show hackers what your password is (TechRepublic)
How do I take advantage of macOS High Sierra?
Currently, macOS High Sierra is available in the Mac App Store, but it will only run on certain Mac computers. Interested users with a compatible machine can download the OS today.
Determining compatibility for the macOS update starts with the model computer a user currently has. According to Apple's website, the following machines are eligible to run macOS High Sierra:
- iMac models from late 2009 or later
- MacBook models from late 2009 or later
- MacBook Pro models from mid 2010 or later
- MacBook Air models from late 2010 or later
- Mac mini models from mid 2010 or later
- Mac Pro models from mid 2010 or later
- iMac Pro
If a user has one of the compatible models, they also need to be running one of the following versions of Apple's operating system software:
- macOS Sierra
- OS X El Capitan
- OS X Yosemite
- OS X Mavericks
- OS X Mountain Lion
Mac Os Sierra User's Manual Downloads
To install the update, a user will need 2GB of free memory and 14.3GB of storage available on their hard drive space. Overall, macOS High Sierra requires roughly 1.5GB more storage space than macOS Sierra 10.12.6, Apple's website said. All of the information on a Mac's model, memory, storage, and OS version can be found under the About This Mac section in the Apple menu.
Additional resources:
- How to download macOS High Sierra and which Macs are compatible (TechRepublic)
- Mac Mini 2018: Cheat sheet (TechRepublic)
- 7 things to know before upgrading to MacOS High Sierra 10.13 (CNET)
- Apple Beta Software Program (Apple)
- Will your Mac run macOS High Sierra? (ZDNet)
- iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra second public betas now available (ZDNet)
Apple Weekly Newsletter
Whether you need iPhone and Mac tips or rundowns of enterprise-specific Apple news, we've got you covered. Delivered Tuesdays
Sign up today Sign up today