After Monterey, Apple chose a city for the name. Ventura is located between Malibu and Santa Barbara directly on the Pacific Ocean.
One of the highlights of macOS Ventura is the Stage Manager, which is also present in iPad OS 16. It is activated via the control center and always brings the window of the active application to the foreground, while the windows of the other open programs are placed to the side as miniatures. So you can quickly switch between the applications with one click, but always have only one large window, which improves the overview. In addition, windows of two apps can be grouped and then always activated together. What is also practical: A click on the desktop background automatically hides all windows so that you can see all objects parked there.
applications
Spotlight can now search the library of photos and also finds the text in images via Live Text. In addition, the preview of the content of found documents can be displayed more easily than before. When you search the Internet, more detailed information about films, music titles and sporting events is displayed than before. The search in photos has also become more intelligent and, thanks to AI, now also finds objects that previously did not work properly. With the iCloud Shared Photo Library, photos get a way to manage photos belonging to a family or group together, which works not only on the Mac, but also with the iPhone and iPad.
In Mail, messages can be sent automatically at a specific time, and you can also cancel electronic letters that have already been sent. Unanswered messages can be reminded, and like in Photos, the search is now more powerful. Like on the iPhone and iPad, Messages now offers the option of correcting a message later or even calling it back if you accidentally sent it. Documents can now be edited together in programs such as Pages, Numbers, Keynote and Notes, for which purpose they can be shared in messages. Apple has also announced innovations for gaming, for which there are several programming interfaces for developers.
Passkey instead of password
One of the most important changes in Safari is the passkeys, which are designed to replace passwords. A system with private and public keys is used, you can then identify yourself with your iPhone and no longer have to use passwords, which can then no longer be stolen. Passkeys should also work in apps, for which there will also be a programming interface (API) for developers. You can also share tab groups with other users in Safari.
What has also been improved is the cooperation between the Mac and the iPhone. You can now use the iPhone as a webcam, using features like Center Stage, Portrait mode and the new Studio Light, which brightens the face and darkens the background. In addition, with the help of the wide-angle lens, both the person sitting in front of the screen and the desk on which the Mac is standing can be transmitted via iPhone. Belkin will be offering a special mount for the iPhone in the Apple store later this year. Facetime collaboration with iPhone and iPad has also been expanded, so you can now seamlessly switch from Mac to phone or tablet, or vice versa.
More innovations
The system settings get a new user interface that is similar to that of iPadOS and iOS. There is a sidebar on the left, where you can select the individual settings. Also new in macOS Ventura is the clock app known from the iPhone and the weather app. As in iOS and iPadOS, there are improvements in maps, among other things, you can set multiple stops for a route. And the dictation function should now be able to set the correct punctuation marks itself. The Home app has also been revised on all platforms and supports the Matter standard. And as usual, there are innovations in the Memojis.
These Macs are supported
Apple has significantly increased the requirements for Ventura. No Mac released before 2017 is officially supported. For some models, it must also be from 2018 or even 2019. Ventura can only be installed on a Mac Pro from model year 2019, so the round Mac Pro is a thing of the past in terms of software. That’s amazing, since Apple was still selling the computer until the big Mac Pro 2019 came out. Anyone who bought the round Mac Pro this year will no longer be able to install a current system after a good three years. The Mac Mini and the Macbook Air must be at least year of manufacture 2018, i.e. the Mac Mini in space gray and the Macbook Air with the new housing and the new keyboard. For the iMac, iMac Pro and Macbook Pro, on the other hand, the 2017 model year is sufficient. And last but not least, Ventura can also be installed on the 2017 Macbook.
