Monday, April 24, 2017

OS X 10 10 Yosemite in depth review 2015!!

Mac OS X Yosemite review: a close look at the new features in OS X 10.10 Yosemite

Our review of OS X 10.10 Yosemite looks closely at the new features in Apples Yosemite operating system, and answers questions about the ones that dont work as expected

Rating

Price

RRP: Free

Pros

New interface (+ new icons)
Better iOS integration (when it works)
Broader Spotlight
Widgets in Notification Centre
Private browsing
New Mail features

Cons

Many of the Continuity features dont work - even on Macs that should support them
Theres not much to sell it - especially if you cant take advantage of Continuity
WiFi is a nightmare!

OS X 10.10 Yosemite - in-depth review

It’s been in beta since Apple previewed it in July, but now Apple has launched OS X Yosemite and we’ve been using it for a few days, here’s how we’re finding it so far.

Mac OS X Yosemite 10.10 preview: new look, OS X redesign

One of the biggest talking points when it comes to OS X 10.10 Yosemite is the new design elements. After all, iOS underwent an enormous redesign in 2013, so it was thought that the same might be in store for Apples Mac operating system in 2014. Many expected a new look because Apples senior vice president of design Jonathan Ive was working with senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi on the new version of OS X, heading up the redesign of Mac OS X for OS X 10.10. Therefore there is no surprise to see some of the flatter, more minimalist aesthetics we first met in iOS 7 in Apple’s new Mac operating system.

However, iOS and OS X have by no means evolved into a single operating system, as some had feared. While there are some shared elements (translucency, brighter colors, flatter icons, and typography), the two operating systems are still quite separate. This is no surprise to us, back in January, Apples Phil Schiller told our sister title in the US: "We dont waste time thinking, But should it be one [interface]? How do you make these [operating systems] merge together? What a waste of energy that would be."

At the time Craig Federighi, added: "The reason OS X has a different interface than iOS isnt because one came after the other or because this ones old and this ones new. Instead, its because using a mouse and keyboard just isnt the same as tapping with your finger."

So, while there’s been quite a design overhaul in OS X - with the key difference being that Apple has dispensed with the 3D design elements of old in lieu of flatter, more colourful surfaces – the interface changes that arrived in Yosemite suggest that Apple still intends to keep iOS and OS X separate. We look in more detail at these interface changes below. Read our review of OS X Server (Yosemite).

Here’s some Yosemite installation advice:

How to prepare for and download OS X Yosemite to your Mac
Revert back to Mavericks from Yosemite
Will your Mac run OS X 10.10 Yosemite?
Make a bootable Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite install drive
Dual-boot Yosemite and Mavericks on a Mac

Visual changes in Yosemite

One of the most obvious changes to the OS X interface is the red, yellow and green buttons that are used to close, minimize and expand a window. These buttons are now flat circles. The key difference is that when you hover over them, unlike in Mavericks where you see a – and + sign on the yellow and green buttons, the green button will now show a symbol for full screen mode. You will still be able to increase the size of a window as you do now, but you will need to press the alt/option key when you click the green button. Press the Escape key to return to the normal view from full screen view.

This makes absolute sense, after all the old enlarge button was a little redundant and the full screen icon, while useful was hidden over the other side of the screen, which was rather disconnected from the other tools that performed a similar function and therefore quite un-Apple, we thought.

Another change is the way Apple has simplified the menu bars around Yosemite. With most Macs a lot wider than they are tall, Apple has made some design choices that make the most of the limited screen height available. For example, Apple has reduced the height of many window title bars in Yosemite. For example, those red, yellow and green buttons have dropped down so that they are not using up a whole line of screen retail estate.

In Safari these buttons appear on the same level as the address/search bar. Merging the toolbar and title bar will also help people working on a cramped 11in MacBook screen. Our only concern is that this does mean that the title of a page in Safari, and the name of the document you are working on in your word processor will also not be visible. More on this below.

Other subtle design changes include an increased use of transparency. Some interface elements are semi-opaque so that a blurry version of the window behind can be seen. For example, the menu bar at the top of the screen is opaque, and the Messages sidebar is translucent. As far as we can see this serves no useful purpose, but at least it doesnt appear to affect readability.

Go to link for download