HOW DOES YOSEMITE STACK UP WITH MAVERICKS?
On June 2, 2014, on stage at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi unveiled the latest iteration of the Apple desktop operating system, Yosemite. Yosemite continues Apple's evolution toward marrying the functionality of the desktop operating system, OS X, and the company's mobile operating system, iOS--but without actually merging the two into a single system. Here's how Yosemite compares with its predecessor OS X Mavericks, released last summer.
Click Image To Enlarge
"FULL OF PERSONALITY"
That's how Federighi described Yosemite's refreshed look. Yosemite is the slick, translucent sibling to OSX Maverick's muted appearance.
Apple OS X Yosemite (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Mavericks (Click Image To Enlarge)
A NEW OS X NEUE FONT
For the first time in Apple's history, OS X has a new font. Apple didn't officially announce the name of the new font but it bears a very close resemblance to what's used in iOS 7--Helvetica Neue.
New OS X Neue font (Click Image To Enlarge)
NOTIFICATION CENTER
Notification Center steps into the realm of the daily planner with a “today view” and the addition of customizable (and third-party) widgets. The biggest difference from Mavericks? More columns, customization, and information (you can add things like the calculator, ESPN SportsCenter, and so on).
Apple OS X Yosemite Notification Center (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Mavericks Notifications Center (Click Image To Enlarge)
SPOTLIGHT
Spotlight is now more than just a local search tool. Unlike in Mavericks, where users could only search for items on their computer, the new iteration allows users to search apps, points of interest (Wikipedia entries and maps), songs (local library and iTunes), movies (for streaming and in theaters), and more.
The tool has also been lifted from the recesses of the Finder bar to the center of the desktop.
Apple OS X Yosemite Spotlight offers enhanced search features. (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Mavericks Spotlight (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Yosemite Mail (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Mavericks Mail (Click Image To Enlarge)
Mail gained two new, important features at WWDC: Mail Drop, which Federighi said was designed to “address a fundamental problem with email,” allowing users to send attachments up to 5GB through iCloud, and Markup, a way to sign sensitive digital documents (like the permission slip below) with a trackpad or an iSight camera. While Markup has been available in the Preview app for some time, the ability to annotate documents and images has become more pronounced in this OS update.
Apple OS X Yosemite Mail comes with Markup, a way to sign sensitive digital documents. (Click Image To Enlarge)
SAFARI
Say hello to the new “smart search” field, which Apple boasts will make you want to say goodbye to the favorites bar. To replace the perennial feature of internet browsers, Safari will display your most visited sites in a drop-down box. Along with better battery life for streaming video (Apple says Safari will get you up to two hours more battery life watching a Netflix video at 1080P than Chrome or Firefox) the new version has a quick share option for contacts.
Apple OS X Yosemite Safari browser now comes with a new 'smart search' field. (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Yosemite Safari search (Click Image To Enlarge)
Apple OS X Mavericks Safari old search. (Click Image To Enlarge)
AIRDROP
AirDrop now works between iOS and OS X, allowing users to connect their iPhones and iPads to their Macs to exchange files. But now a new feature called Handoff has been built on top of the AirDrop technology, letting users work seamlessly between desktop and mobile devices.
Apple OS X Yosemite's AirDrop now works between iOS and OS X, allowing users to connect their iPhones and iPads to their Macs to exchange files. (Click Image To Enlarge)
For example this connectivity detects when you're in a certain app on your iPhone, and when there's the opportunity to launch the same app on your MacBook, a button will appear on-screen, which will negotiate the switch, allowing you to pick up where you left off on your phone. With this also comes the ability to make, receive and screen phone calls from your desktop.c
COMMENTARY: The latest changes to OS X are not earth shattering, but do improve the overall user experience. Airdrop gives OS X Yosemite the ability to synchronize files between the desktop and other devices is one enhancement that was sorely needed, but late in coming. I can guarantee you that if Steve Jobs had been alive, he would've added this feature a lot sooner.
Safari's "smart search" feature copies what is already available on Google search. If you are using the Google Chrome browser your favorite sites are available as over-sized buttons on the Google browser. When you do a search, Google Search automatically displays the sites and subjects you have searched before, speeding up the search process. Apple is finally getting around to improving its slick, but simple browser, to match some of the capabilities of Google Search and Google Chrome.
Courtesy of an article dated June 2, 2014 appearing in Fast Company Design
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