Say hello to macOS High Sierra, Apple’s newest operating system update for Macs. Whether you’re on an iMac or one of the Touch Bar-outfitted MacBook Pro models, there is a lot to love in this latest release of Apple’s desktop operating system.
This possibly may be the biggest macOS update to date, though not all of it is visible on the surface. We are going to take a look at some of the biggest changes, leaving the rest to our accompanying list and a hands-on video walkthrough.
Video: everything new in macOS High Sierra
Before we discuss new feature changes in macOS High Sierra in detail, be sure to watch our hands-on video walkthrough of everything Apple’s software update has to offer.
Continue reading for a detailed overview of the most important changes in macOS High Sierra.
Apple File System
APFS (Apple File System) is the successor to HSF+, Apple’s longtime file system on Macs.
It was introduced previously on iOS, before now making the jump to your Mac. While there were no big issues with HSF+, it wasn’t build for modern storage like SSDs. APFS was built not just for today’s storage needs, but storage needs of the future as well. I know a file system doesn’t sound particularly exciting, but it offers quite a noticeable list of improvements for users.
Built-in encryption makes securing your Mac easier than ever and your data is also more protected with perks like automatic system snapshots. This makes recovering data easier, and backups (like Time Machine) better than ever.
APFS is fully designed for 64-bit architecture.
One of my favorite features is the speed and efficiency.
APFS can help you save space in various ways, especially when duplicating files. On a traditional drive, copying a file or folder literally makes a copy. On an APFS drive, however, only one copy of the file exists on the disk as all the copies are simply referenced.
That’s right, duplicating files on an APFS drive no longer takes up any additional space. As a huge bonus, APFS can literally copy a half a gigabyte of larger file instantly and gather the size of a folder with almost no delay. By making common file operations happen instantly, APFS also makes your Mac more responsive than before.
Safari 11 in macOS High Sierra is faster and more responsive than ever.
Apple boasts many new JavaScript benchmarks that keep Safari ahead of the other popular browsers. More interesting. however, are its new site-by-site features. You can now go in, on a per-site basis, and set up individual settings such as auto-Reader mode, microphone and camera access, zoom level, content blockers, auto-play and location privileges.
Autoplay blocking is another favorite feature.
Ever land on a site that autoplays a video with sound? Safari now stops that cold.
You now have the options of stoping all videos, allowing all videos, or just pausing those that contain audio. This is a super handy feature that has worked very, very well in my testing.
Of all the apps in High Sierra, Photos has seen the biggest improvements.
There’s now a wealth of new features for amateur and pro photographers alike. You can organize your library quicker with all-new filters, a new persistent sidebar lets you sort media by type, Memories now include over a dozen new slideshow types and more.
Plus, Photos now comes with built-in support for animated GIFs.
The editing experience has received significant improvements and a brand new layout.
The Edit view now provides precise curve-based editing, several new professional filters and the ability to open images directly in a third party app for more in-depth editing. And with all-new Project Extensions, third-party apps can make various project-based features available to Photos, like creating print products, websites or slideshows.
And last but not least, macOS High Sierra brings support for HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding, also known as H.265, which is the latest standards-based video compression technology) and HEIF (High Efficiency Image Coding) formats that can cut storage space taken up by your photos and videos in half.
Of course, a more powerful Mac will deliver better HEVC performance. Apple says that encoding and editing of 4K HEVC content requires a Mac with a sixth‑generation Intel Core processor or newer, like the latest iMac and MacBook Pro models.
Bits & bobs
There are many, many otherunder-the-hood enhancements in macOS High Sierra.
For instance, you can now snap a Live Photo of a FaceTime call with both parties being notified when a photo was taken. macOS High Sierra is also the first Mac operating system release with comprehensive support for virtual (VR) content creation and rendering—something many people will be looking to take advantage of on their Mac.
Even system shortcuts on your notebookćs Touch Bar have received improvements in macOS High Sierra with the addition of all-new buttons for AirPlay, NightShift and Picture-in-Picture while watching a video.
List of 100+ features in macOS High Sierra
The following new technologies and features in macOS High Sierra make your Mac more reliable, capable and responsive whilst laying the foundation for future innovations.
Media & VR support
Miscellaneous
Still with us?
Wrapping it all up
We’ve been very impressed so far with macOS High Sierra.
Overall, it feels like a standout release that has reasons to exist beyond iOS, especially with Apple having put a lot of effort into optimizations for power users and pros that use their machines day in and day out.
What about everyone else out there? Are there any specific features that Apple, in your personal opinion, has neglected to implement but you’ve hoping to see? Let us know in the comments!
