Apple has unveiled their annual refresh of the macOS for this year at its WWDC 2017 event held in San Jose, California. The macOS, previously known as Mac OS X has gone through a series of names, but this reiteration is probably the most “interesting” yet, as the name actually sounds more half baked than “fully baked”. Behold, macOS High Sierra.
By the sound of it, macOS High Sierra is probably macOS Sierra on steroids, and that is probably the case since Apple has brought some new features to its Mac operating system and its apps. First off, Apple will be using its own file system known as the Apple File System (AFS) to replace the conventional Hierarchical File System (HFS). In doing so, Apple claims to bring faster performance in a more secure operating system.
The Safari browser app gets a security boost with some handy features. Instead of having to manually stop autoplay videos on certain sites, Safari now has an autoplay blocker which allows users to browse the web with a peace of mind. This means that you won’t have to deal with annoying random autoplay videos opening visiting a website. On top of that, Safari will also be able to detect ad trackers and block them from tracking users.
The Mail app also sees a good downsizing as it is now claimed to occupy 35 percent less storage space on macOS. The app now supports full screen split view for the Compose window. The Photos app is now more feature filled than ever with added editing tools, giving an Adobe Photoshop-like feel. The app is also integrated with pro apps such as Photoshop when it comes to photo management.
With the introduction of macOS High Sierra, Apple has also announced VR support on macOS for the first time ever via Metal 2. The new version of Metal now brings Apple into the VR world, benefiting both consumers and developers.
What do you think of macOS High Sierra so far? Stay tuned for more updates from WWDC 2017!