Our Verdict
Catalina brings some fantastic new feature to the Mac , such as the ability to utilize an iPad as a second blind ( with compatible devices ) , and separate Music and TV apps , but you ’ll also see the back of iTunes and any 32 - bit apps you might still be relying on .
Apple ’s late Mac operating organisation , known as macOS Catalina or macOS 10.15 , brings lots of Modern features to the Mac , along with some change that should entail more third party apps conversion to the Mac from Io . There are enhancements to existing apps , some ‘ novel ’ apps , some seclusion and security focused features , and the ability to apply your iPad as a second screen ( if you have a compatible Mac and iPad ) .
All of the above sounds very exciting , but is it a unspoilt enough reason to revise your Mac to Catalina ? And will Apple ’s refusal to support 32 - bit apps in Catalina make any problems for you ? Read on to ascertain out whether we think Catalina will a worthwile update from Mojave .
If you want to have it off more , we have areview of Catalina hereand areview of Mojave here . We also have moredetails of the new features in Catalina – plus some of our favourite macOS tips here .
How do Mojave and Catalina compare?
Mojave Desert bought a large change to the Mac interface , or rather it gave user a selection of a second Dark Mode translation of the Mac appear and feel . We ’ll start our equivalence of macOS Catalina and Mojave by looking at how Catalina enhances Dark Mode .
Mojave ’s Dark Mode ferment the people of color down on every element of the interface systemwide . It was a democratic feature with those who work in dark environments and architect who want to the menus to evanesce into the background while they puzzle out on images .
In Catalina there is one major enhancement coming to Dark Mode . In Mojave all you may do is select between Dark Mode and Light Mode . If you prefer to use Light Mode during the daylight , and Dark Mode at night you will need to toggle between the two . In Catalina you will be able to fix Dark Mode to come on mechanically by and by in the daylight .
There are also some interesting features refer to accessibility in Catalina : with Catalina installed it is possible to choose from new color filter option that could make the screen easier to read .
Another big change that arrived in Mojave was Desktop Stacks , which helped everyone clear up up their cluttered screen background . As a result , rather than have 100 screenshots save up on your background , all your screenshots would be shuffled into a Stack ( a form of pamphlet ) . If you want to discover the screenshot you just took , tap the Screenshots Stack . The same applies to Images , PDFs , and other types of filing cabinet you might just have been dumping on your screen background .
Since most of us file everything on the screen background these days – especially since you’re able to sync your Desktop with iCloud ( a lineament that arrived in Sierra ) – this does assist us organise everything a turn better .
There ’s not really a standardised Desktop organization related feature in Catalina , but there are some other equally impressive characteristic that are likely to transmute the mode you work .
One fresh feature film will set aside you to expand your Desktop to a second screen , which is nothing new , what ’s new is the fact that the 2d screen can be your iPad .
If own a iPad ( and if you do n’t we believe this characteristic might be a full reasonableness to bribe one ) you will be able to either mirror your Mac ’s silver screen on the iPad screen , or employ the iPad exhibit as a second screen , extend your workspace . You will also be able to use the iPad and an Apple Pencil in a way similar to how you might use a graphics tablet . This is pretty groundbreaking stuff .
Before you get too excited , you ’ll require a compatible iPad and a compatible Mac for this feature of speech to work . Compatible iPads let in iPad Air 2 , iPad mini 4 , 5th Generation iPad , iPad Pro theoretical account and any new iPads than those mentioned . If your Macs is a 2016 theoretical account or newer ( 2018 in the case of the MacBook Air and Mac mini ) if should confirm the feature . Fulllist of compatible machine here .
To use the iPad as a 2d screen just stop up it into your Mac , or colligate it wirelessly using Bluetooth ( the range is 10 meters ) . You ’ll need to be logged into the same iCloud news report on both devices .
One of the best thing about this ability – which Apple refer to as Sidecar – is that it mean you may take advantage of the touch silver screen on the iPad while using macOS . One way you might employ this is when marking up an persona or a PDF . This may be the closest we ’ll be sire to a touch screen Mac ( unless it convince Apple that should be a thing . )
While Sidecar signify you could fundamentally course macOS on your iPad , as long as you are within 10 measure of your iPad at least , it does n’t entail that you could scat iOS on your Mac – it does n’t work in the other direction . However , there are other changes that will hopefully mean more of your pet iOS apps will be making their way to the Mac and we ’ll talk about that next .
Apps in Catalina vs Mojave
Project Catalyst is Apple ’s scheme for pay off iOS developers to start up porting their apps to the Mac . Prior to Catalyst the amount of meter and money take in create two different apps , one for Io and one for Mac , mean that developer sharpen on the more profitable and democratic iOS . Some developer ( such as Twitter ) in the beginning made two separate apps and then ditched the Mac app because of the work involved .
With the arrival of Catalina Apple introduced a simple way for developers to port their apps over to the Mac . If you were expect an influx of third party apps arrive on the Mac you ’ll be let down though as there have n’t been many . But the new o is pave the means for even more Mac apps , which is a dear thing .
Project Catalyst really had a form of practice escape in Mojave , although back then it was known as Marzipan . Apple used it for port some of its iOS apps to the Mac , so we saw News , Stocks , Home and some other iOS apps go far on the Mac in 2018 .
Thanks to Catalyst in Catalina Apple has bought three ‘ unexampled ’ entertainment apps to the Mac . We say ‘ young ’ but they will be familiar from iOS : Music , TV and Podcasts . Those three apps replace a somewhat senesce loyalist of macOS : iTunes .
That ’s right : in Catalina iTunes is no more . But do n’t fear , all your music will just be moved into the Music app where it will bask a less cluttered existence . iTunes was becoming very bloated , it was just doing too much . Apple actually jest in the keynote at WWDC about how they could have added all sort of other things to iTunes , but fortuitously they decided enough was enough and overhauled the whole thing .
There are many other sweetening for subsist apps . One app that ’s receiving a nice Mac - focused update is Find My .
regain My iPhone is a utile inspection and repair that means you may locate a lose or stolen iPhone ( and wipe it so that there is no risk to your data ending up in the awry mitt ) . It can also be used in the same way to locate miss Apple Watches , iPads , and Macs . Find My iPhone has been around for twelvemonth , but it gains some useful Mac focused feature of speech in Catalina .
The most obvious change is that in Catalina notice My will suffer the iPhone part of its name and get its own app – in Mojave you reach the Find My service via iCloud in an online portal . But much more important , it will be possible to track a lost or stolen Mac even if it ’s gone and offline . The breakthrough My help will track your Mac using Bluetooth beacons , essentially Macs well-nigh by will be able to discover your Mac via Bluetooth , and they will be able to communicate its localisation back to you .
That ’s great if you ’ve just left your Mac in the power , but if it ’s been steal there ’s another new feature in Catalina – Activation Lock . This will stand for that a stealer wo n’t even be able to bring up up your Mac – only you’re able to spark off your Mac with your password . The characteristic is only available on Macs with a T2 chip – so MacBook Pro ( 2018/2019 ) , iMac Pro , Mac miniskirt ( 2018 ) , MacBook Air ( 2018 ) .
There are lots of other apps that gain enhancement in Catalina . It will probably be a subject of personal preferences as to whether you favor the newer translation of the app to the current one . Some clip changes do n’t go down well , other time change is most emphatically for the better . Here ’s what you may await :
Compatibility
The System requirements for macOS 10.15 Catalina are very similar to Mojave , with a couple of exceptions . Mojave supported mid-2010 or mid-2012 Mac Pro models with Metal - subject graphics processor , unfortunately , Catalina wo n’t support those older Mac Pros .
Catalina is supported on the next Macs :
The other issue in term of compatibility may be your third - party apps , especially if they are quite old . This is because Catalina does n’t support 32 - moment apps , so if you are still using a 32 - bit app you will take to update them orrun Catalina in a separate intensity on your Mac and Mojave in another .
You may also desire to knowwhich apps wo n’t work in Catalina .
Verdict
Catalina lend some brilliant new feature to the Mac , but is it a reason to kick upstairs from Mojave ?
Project Catalyst should imply that the third party iOS apps will be making their elbow room to the Mac , which is bang-up , but they will credibly run in Mojave or older versions of the macOS too , in which case that would n’t be a reasonableness to upgrade .
The other newspaper headline feature , being able to use an iPad as a 2nd screen has been potential before thanks to third political party software package , but Apple ’s implementation looks splendid and so bare . We even think it will aid Apple sell a few more iPads . We ’re just disappointed that our own Mac is too old to take advantage of the feature .
Find My should be great for Mac user , as are the other enhancements do to existing Mac apps in Catalina . We are n’t mourn the demise of iTunes – it had become so bloated and untidy .
If you need 32 - bit apps then you probably wo n’t need to update , but if you ’re living in the 21st century then there ’s no reason not to consider the update to Catalina , it ’s gratis after all .
