Apple’s latest and greatest desktop OS, macOS Big Sur, is finally available for public consumption — just in time for the new Macs.
Big Sur has been in beta since WWDC, and it brings a multitude of aesthetic and under-the-hood changes to modernize Apple’s OS. And, of course, Apple is dropping the old OS X moniker it’s used for the better part of two decades; macOS better matches the naming of the rest of the company’s software lineup.
Among the notable changes, the UI looks a lot more iOS-like in its icons and use of transparencies. There’s a Control Center that mimics the one on mobile devices; the same goes for the new Notification Center. Heck, you can even use iOS style widgets.
But perhaps the most important change is support for Apple’s new ARM-based processors, including the powerful M1 chip in the new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini. Granted, the people buying these computers won’t need to upgrade.
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You can download the update from the Mac App Store now — just make sure you have a compatible laptop first. And for more on the changes in Big Sur, you can read Apple’s post here.
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