For a few years, I have been wondering what is wrong with my MacBook Air. I preferred using other computers. When I got a Windows 10 laptop, I instantly realized what was wrong with my Mac. The user interface of macOS operating system was so outdated that it was painful to use. Other computer and mobile operating system user interfaces had developed, but the Mac was the same as it has been for the last 18 years.
In 2017, I was so fed up with the Mac that I wrote how much the user interface sucked compared to Windows 10. It didn’t make Apple fans happy, but I was still hoping a major new version, like macOS 12 Mojave would have some signs of development. I was wrong. Nothing useful has been done to the macOS user interface in version 12 Mojave.
Apple introduced the macOS on June 4th, 2018, touting its new features:
- The lightness/darkness setting of the desktop image changes according to the time of day.
- Improved privacy control. Strict control for 3rd party apps before they can access camera or microphone. Safari browser prevents tracking. Strong passwords.
- Organize files in stacks (groups or sets).
- Finder can show a preview of a file, and lets you conduct a few simple edits to files.
- Gallery view for browsing files.
- Easier screen shots.
- Photos can be inserted directly from an iPhone to a Pages document.
- Iphone apps News, Stocks, Home, Voice memos run on Mac.
As also BBC points out, the tracking prevention feature in Safari is the only meaningful new feature in macOS Mojave. By default, Safari prevents Facebook and Instagram tracking a user across the Internet. The user can allow tracking by specifically changing the setting in Safari.
This can be an important change of policy for the entire information technology industry. Other hardware, software and online service vendors may follow Apple’s example if users are happy with it.
BGR reports that in 2019, it will be possible to bring iOS mobile applications to macOS computers. Now, this may have implications to the macOS user interface because iOS looks, feels and behaves completely differently than macOS.
But seriously Apple, Dark Mode or a previewer in Finder are not upgrades that make the macOS a modern user interface. I still need my MacBook Air for work, and I am going to upgrade macOS Mojave when it is available in the second half of 2018, but for a major operating system release, the Mojave only has minor incremental feature improvements. In all other aspects Apple macOS is falling further behind competitors, except for privacy, which thankfully the company is taking seriously.