Apple Releases MacOS High Sierra

Apple has released the fourteenth, final and stable version of MacOS 10.13, called “High Sierra”.

Though this update is being called a major one (and we might expect flashy and jaw-dropping new additions in the OS) there’s not a noticeable difference between Sierra and High Sierra. Not in the user interface at least.

It is a free upgrade which can be downloaded on Macs and Macbooks from 2010 and later. The total size of this update is around 4.8 GB

On-The-Surface Changes

Some new features might be noticeable, like the added photo editing tools and a different UI in the Photo app. Or the updated Safari app which can now automatically block auto-playing videos and features to prevent cross-site tracking of cookies.

Siri also received a new voice option plus some expanded functionality.

The Notes app now comes with support for tables, and the Spotlight app now supports flight status information.

Faster File Transfers

This update focuses mainly on performance improvements and technical updates and less on UI. The difference in performance between Sierra and High Sierra is hardly noticeable on a MacBook Pro (13-inch) 2017. However, High Sierra does provide really fast file copying on SSDs.

A new APFS file system was added for this purpose, which is an up-to-date version of the HFS file system.

The HFS file system was designed for hard drives. The APFS file system has been designed basically for modern flash storage (read: SSDs) present in most MACs nowadays.

If your device uses SDD instead of HDD or a Fusion Drive, you should definitely switch to High Sierra.

VR Support and External GPUs

In the growing market for Virtual Reality (VR), Apple had to integrate it into their OS to make a truly up-to-date platform.

Macs can now be used to create and use VR applications such as video games. SteamVR from Valve and HTC Vive are now optimized and supported on a Mac. Developers can also connect an external GPU over a Thunderbolt connector if additional graphical power is required.

Another new addition is the support for HEVC (or H.265) codec which is more efficient than its predecessor (H.264). It allows faster streaming and downloading as the files now take 40% less space without compromising their quality.

New Graphical API

Another cool thing added is the Metal 2 API. It is a low-level graphical API which improves performance and makes machine learning possible.

It can aid speech recognition, natural language processing, and computer vision. The Core ML improves machine learning even more, which is the machine learning framework which can be utilized by developers to integrate machine learning into their apps.

Improved Battery Life and Security Fixes

Battery life seems slightly better on the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2017. It now lasts 30 minutes more than before.

The new operating system also introduces some security fixes which weren’t present in Sierra. Obviously Apple will keep patching the older Sierra update as most enterprises and businesses still use it and Apple can’t compromise their security.

Enterprises and businesses are usually slow to upgrade which makes the patches a necessity.

Security Vulnerability Found

Only a few hours after High Sierra was released, ZDNet reported that a Keychain security vulnerability exists in this version of the OS. To which Apple said,

MacOS is designed to be secure by default, and Gatekeeper warns users against installing unsigned apps, like the one shown in this proof of concept, and prevents them from launching the app without explicit approval. We encourage users to download software only from trusted sources like the Mac App Store, and to pay careful attention to security dialogs that macOS presents.

This vulnerability is said to affect Sierra and High Sierra so it’s possible that updating won’t fix the problem until Apple decides to patch it out.

Should You Update Your Mac?

You should consider updating your Mac if:

  • Your device is SSD based, you definitely should as it will boost your device’s functionality.
  • You have an updated iPhone or iPad running iOS11 and you have been shooting pictures with the new file formats. The High Sierra utilizes these new formats allowing more storage and faster loading.
  • You are a big fan of the Photos app.
  • Security is one of your main concerns (The Keychain problem still exists though).
  • You like to stay up to date.



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