macOS Big Sur: A Design Review
This is perhaps the biggest design update Apple has given macOS in years. The changes are more visible and not so subtle. For example, the Dock has new icons for applications: they are more square since Apple has removed the more rounded look. The apps in the Dock seem to be well spaced and feel less cluttered. The text in the menu bar is now also based on appearance. If you are using your Macbook in dark mode, the text in the menu bar is also darkened, which was not the case before.
One of the most interesting features, taken from the iPhone, that macOS Big Sur brings is the Control Center. The Control Center is now located in the upper right from where you can access Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth connections, and manage sound and brightness levels.
The other feature borrowed from iOS is the new Notification Center, which allows you to respond to notifications without opening a particular app.
macOS Big Sur: Messages, Safari Get More Features
Messaging on Mac always got a bit sloppy compared to iPhone and iPad. Not anymore, since macOS Big Sur does it completely well. You get features like pinned messages, group messages, and even memojis. An India-centric feature is support for expressive messaging. For example, if you wish someone Happy Diwali via Messages, they will see fireworks in the background. The feature will apply to greetings sent in 23 Indian languages.
Apple has also added 20 new document sources that have been designed just for India.
Privacy has always been on Apple’s mind and with macOS Big Sur, Safari gets new features. The Privacy Report feature will tell users of trackers that Safari prevented them from being profiled on various websites. It’s a nice feature to have and you will be surprised to see in a week how many sites are looking to track your information and data. More customizations are available in Safari, including a new home page where you can also add a personal background image. Safari also has a built-in translation feature, finally after many years, under which it can detect and translate entire web pages from seven languages.
macOS Big Sur: New Battery Features, More
The optimized battery charging feature also comes to MacBooks with macOS Big Sur. Seen with older versions of iOS, the feature basically improves battery health as it ‘holds’ the battery after 80% charge levels. So if you connect your Mac for longer hours, you optimize the long-term battery life. You can also view detailed battery usage history for the last 24 hours up to a maximum of 10 days. Please note that this feature is available on MacBooks that come with Thunderbolt 3.
The Photos app on Mac has editing tools, even for videos. Features like filters and adjustments can now also be applied for video editing.
Other important things you should know
macOS Big Sur is between 11 and 12 GB in size, and depending on your data speed, it may take about an hour to download. The models that are compatible with macOS Big Sur are: MacBook 2013 and later; MacBook Pro (Late 2013 and later); iMac 2014 and later, iMac Pro 2017 and later. MacBook 2015, Mac Pro 2013 and later, and Mac mini 2014 and later are also compatible with macOS Big Sur.
Overall, macOS Big Sur has a new look, a host of new features that make using the MacBook more fun and useful.
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