Enhancing Your Mac Operating System Releasing New Compatibility and New Features

What is MacOS?

The operating system (OS) for Apple laptops and desktop computers is called MacOS. Every Mac is powered by a proprietary graphical operating system.

Operating systems communicate with a computer’s hardware by assigning it the resources it needs to finish tasks that are assigned to it, such executing an application. Operating systems assign memory, computing power, and file storage among other resources.

MacOS is generally fast and responsive since the operating system is tailored to the particular hardware. Almost year, Apple releases an update for macOS.

In 1984, MacOS was released to operate Macintosh personal computers (PCs). The operating system (OS) contributed to the rise in popularity of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), even motivating Microsoft to switch from its user input technique to GUIs for Windows OSes.

By October 2021, the existing version of macOS is macOS 12 Monterey.

MacOS Features and Uses

MacOS offers numerous features and applications that enable different tasks for end users. These include the following:

• • Media Features: Users can watch, listen and read content using applications like Music, TV, Podcasts, Books and Photos.
  • Creativity-Based Features: Applications such as Photos, GarageBand and iMovie enable users to view, edit and create media.
  • Productivity Features: Individuals can use applications such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote to work with graphics tools.
  • Communications Features: Users can communicate with one another using text, visual and audio applications such as Mail, Messages and FaceTime.
  • Organization Features: These help users find notes and other content using applications like Notes, Reminders, Calendar, Voice Memos and Contacts.
  • iCloud: Users can access and share their content with different devices.
  • Accessibility Features: Several assistive tools can help users with disabilities such as VoiceOver, Accessibility Keyboard and Text to Speech.
  • Compatibility Features: Users can transfer Windows-based files and other data from a Windows PC to a Mac. They can also run Microsoft Office or even Windows on a Mac.

Each application comes installed with macOS and runs natively on the OS. This means the allocation of resources is extremely efficient, as the applications are specifically optimized to run on macOS.

Other features recently added to the OS include focus modes, which enable users to customize what notifications they receive and at what times as well as Live Text, which lets users copy text that appears in photos. Additional features include universal control, which enables users to use a single keyboard, mouse or trackpad between Mac and iPad devices. Recording Indicator is an added security feature that helps users see which apps have access to their Mac’s microphone.

List of the Most Recent and Name Versions of MacOS

An overview of every macOS and Mac OS X version that Apple has made available can be found here. The most recent release of every OS X and macOS version, along with version code names and internal code names (where available), are listed below:

• • OS X 10 beta: Kodiak – September 13, 2000
  • OS X 10.0: Cheetah – March 14, 2001 (Latest: 10.0.4)
  • OS X 10.1: Puma – September 15, 2001 (Latest: 10.1.5)
  • OS X 10.2: Jaguar – August 14, 2002 (Latest: 10.2.8)
  • OS X 10.3 Panther (Pinot) – October 24, 2003 (Latest: 10.3.9)
  • OS X 10.4 Tiger (Merlot) – April 29, 2005 (Latest: 10.4.11)
  • OS X 10.4.4 Tiger (Chardonnay) – January 10, 2006 (for Intel Macs) (Latest: 10.4.11)
  • OS X 10.5 Leopard (Chablis) – October 26, 2007 (Latest: 10.5.8)
  • OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard – August 28, 2009 (Latest: 10.6.8)
  • OS X 10.7 Lion (Barolo) – July 20, 2011 (Latest: 10.7.5)
  • OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (Zinfandel) – July 25, 2012 (Latest: 10.8.5)
  • OS X 10.9 Mavericks (Cabernet) – October 22, 2013 (Latest: 10.9.5)
  • OS X 10.10: Yosemite (Syrah) – October 16, 2014 (Latest: 10.10.5)
  • OS X 10.11: El Capitan (Gala) – September 30, 2015 (Latest: 10.11.6)
  • macOS 10.12: Sierra (Fuji) – September 20, 2016 (Latest: 10.12.6)
  • macOS 10.13: High Sierra (Lobo) – September 25, 2017 (Latest: 10.13.6)
  • macOS 10.14: Mojave (Liberty) – September 24, 2018 (Latest: 10.14.6)
  • macOS 10.15: Catalina (Jazz) – October 7, 2019 (Latest: 10.15.7, Security Update 2022-005)
  • macOS 11: Big Sur (GoldenGate) – November 12, 2020 (Latest: 11.7.10)
  • macOS 12: Monterey (Star) – October 25, 2021 (Latest: 12.7)
  • macOS 13: Ventura (Rome) – October 24, 2022 (Latest: 13.6)
  • macOS 14: Sonoma (Sunburst) – September 25, 2023 (Latest: 14.1)

Background of MacOS

The history of macOS began in 2001 when Apple published the first version of the operating system, Mac OS X 10.0 “Cheetah.” This first edition represented a major departure from the conventional Mac OS because of its Unix-based architecture and enhanced dependability and security. Over the years, Apple has continued to enhance macOS with new features and functionalities while maintaining its distinctive elegance and simplicity.

Following the release of OS X 10.8 “Mountain Lion” in 2012, Apple began to focus on integrating its other products and services. The trend was maintained in OS X 10.9 “Mavericks” (2013) with the addition of more productivity features and improved speed.

In 2016, Apple changed the name of OS X to macOS and introduced macOS Sierra, which brought even more features and improvements. These included interaction with Siri and the ability to copy and paste across Macs and iOS devices.

Currently, macOS is a stable and user-friendly operating system that is constantly improving. In order to improve user efficiency, creativity, and security, Apple consistently incorporates new features and functionalities into their releases.

Which MacOS Versions are Up to Date Right Now?

Apple keeps releasing security and feature updates for the most recent version of macOS. At the moment, this is Sonoma, which is macOS 14. For the first two iterations of macOS, security updates and bug fixes are additionally offered. If you are using macOS 12 Monterey or macOS 13 Ventura, you will be getting security updates on a regular basis.

Following Sonoma’s release in 2020, Apple ceased to support macOS Big Sur. Just as Apple stopped supporting Catalina, a device that launched in 2019, after Ventura’s launch in October 2022. View: How long do Macs and MacBooks last?

Apple also distributes updates for the web browser Safari. The most recent version of Safari is version 17. (As of September 2023) and it requires Monterey, Ventura or Sonoma.