This is Carlos, MyITpros’ own “Apple guy” here to bring you the latest news about Apple’s updates and products. It’s no surprise that businesses look to Apple for insight on how to create something magical for the everyday consumer. It is one of a select few companies (Microsoft and Google being the other two) that sets expectations on what’s ahead for everyone working in the computer industry.
My Apple roots go back to when I bought my first iPod as a teenager and was able to carry my whole music collection with me at all times. That product was the first item that let me dive into the features of an Apple device: beautifully designed, ultra-portable, long battery life and an easy user interface. Steve Jobs’ “It just works” mantra really was true, and although it sounds very simple to create such a product, it’s really hard to do. This ease of use and seamlessness convinced me to move over to a Mac, and I’ve never looked back.
The latest operating system: MacOS Sierra
MacOS Sierra is Apple’s latest and greatest operating system update. Ever since OS X Yosemite, Apple has made the upgrade process less of a headache – gone are the days of backing up your data and reformatting your system to get that “clean install” feel. The average user only has to open the Mac App Store, click “Update” and continue with whatever they were working on. The system downloads and installs in the background, and lets you know when it’s ready for you to restart and finish the install (but you decide when to do so at your convenience).
MacOS Sierra is free to upgrade and comes with a lot of new exciting features, including:
- Siri, who is finally on your Mac – yippee! You can ask her where to find files and folders or have her send emails, set reminders and add meetings to your calendar. In fact, I find her to be a lot smarter on the Mac than on the iPhone. Ask her to give you information about the weather and sports scores, play music, open applications… the possibilities are endless.
- Picture in Picture! Who says you can’t get work done while watching episodes of “Real Housewives of Atlanta”? The video will be overlaid on your screen just like on the iPad, so no matter what program you’re running, you’re sure to see all the action.
- Improved syncing. With this macOS version, Apple has done a great job of syncing folders across all your Apple devices. Now when you make an edit to your keynote presentation on your iPad or iPhone, you will automatically see that change on your Mac. Start your work using one app on any device and add the finishing touches in another. How do you think I got this blog post completed?
- Messages, iPhoto and iTunes have all gotten a facelift, with more streamlined user interface interactions and a few new features. Another convenient feature is Apple Pay, which made its debut on the Mac. The transactions are confirmed via your Apple Watch and Touch ID on your iPhone. Gone are the days of typing in credit card numbers, and don’t worry – your credit card details are never shared and are kept encrypted on your device. One last cool little feature is that if you’re wearing your Apple Watch, you will automatically be logged into your Mac. No password-typing required!
The latest computer: MacBook Pro
In addition to macOS Sierra, the MacBook Pro is another exciting recent release from Apple! After all, what’s new software without new hardware to run it?
In my opinion, the main show-stopper and most surprising feature on the new Pro is the touch bar with included touch ID. This touchscreen panel runs across the top row of your keyboard, replacing the function keys. It acts as a control interface with sliders, control buttons and anything else you can fit on that horizontal display, and is a really forward-thinking way of introducing touch on a Mac.
Did I mention the Pro is thinner and faster, with a 2x larger force touch trackpad? It also packs an incredible 10 hours of battery life into its solid unibody aluminum design without compromising performance. What’s more, the latest MacBook Pro’s all-new display has a 67% higher contrast ratio. (Basically, it looks great in any kind of light, even if you’re outdoors.)
In short, the new MacBook Pro elevates portable computing, and Apple has finally gotten us to a place where we no longer have to worry about the constraints associated with working on the go. Now, we have enough processing power, storage and battery life to get the job done anywhere.
So, here’s to another year of Apple creating the future of personal computing. Looking forward to seeing what the company comes out with in March!
