Apple MacBook and iMac users are set for a huge upgrade later this year with the release of macOS Catalina.
This blockbuster update was announced last week during Apple’s WWDC Developers Conference with it bringing a swathe of changes to these popular PCs.
Numerous extras are included in Catalina but perhaps the most exciting new addition is the launch of something Apple is calling Sidecar.
This clever new feature will allow anyone with a Mac and iPad to link the two together and use the tablet as a second screen.
Sidecar not only gives you more space on your Mac’s display but also offers the ability to seamlessly edit images and graphics, in software such as Adobe Illustrator, using the Apple Pencil.
Along with this new iPad support, there’s also the addition of three new Apple apps in Catalina.
These will replace the current iTunes software with the US technology firm saying this change will greatly simplify and improve the way Mac users discover and enjoy their favourite music, TV shows, movies and podcasts.
Instead of the iTunes icon appearing in your Dock there will soon be dedicated Music, Apple TV and Apple Podcasts apps.
And that’s not the only big change to applications on the Mac as Apple has now made it much more simple for developers to create software for its desktops.
This means any iOS app can be very easily adapted and released for the Mac with Jira Cloud, Twitter and Asphalt 9 all shown off during the launch event.
Other new additions in Catalina include the addition of the Screen Time option which will show how long you’ve been looking at the display and improved security.
Now all Macs with the T2 Security Chip support Activation Lock to make them less attractive to thieves.
And with the new Find My app, the location of a lost or stolen Mac can be securely and anonymously relayed back to its owner by other Apple devices, even when it is offline.
“With macOS Catalina, we’re bringing fresh new apps to the Mac, starting with new standalone versions of Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and the Apple TV app,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering.
“Users will appreciate how they can expand their workspace with Sidecar, enabling new ways of interacting with Mac apps using iPad and Apple Pencil. And with new developer technologies, users will see more great third-party apps arrive on the Mac this fall.”
macOS Catalina will be officially available around September time but Apple will be pushing out its public beta next month.
This means anyone who wants to give it a try can download it on to their MacBook or iMac long before its released to the world.
If you fancy getting access to macOS Catalina early then you can sign up here at beta.apple.com with the US technology firm saying downloads will be available in July.
It’s worth remembering that, as public beta software has not yet been released to all users by Apple, this is not the finished or final product.
This means you shouldn’t install it on your main Mac with Apple strongly recommending loading it on a secondary system or device.
Apple’s WWDC news wasn’t just about software with the firm also revealing the ultimate desktop computer.
The new Mac Pro is one of the most powerful machines Apple has ever made with it offering users maximum performance, expansion and configurability.
Speaking about the Mac Pro Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said: “With its powerful Xeon processors, massive memory capacity, groundbreaking GPU architecture, PCIe expansion, Afterburner accelerator card and jaw-dropping design, the new Mac Pro is a monster that will enable pros to do their life’s best work.”
This beast will be out later this year and costs $5,999.
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