Mac Os Sur



macOS reimagined and redesigned

The 17th release of the Apple Operating System, Big Sur is packed-full of changes and new additions. The various menu changes make it feel smoother and more efficient, and the additional customization options offer a more user-friendly system. A new design refresh, the introduction of a new Control Center, as well as various improvements to Safari, is set to greatly improve the overall experience from a usability standpoint.

New system features

MacOS Big Sur (version 11) is the 17th and current major release of macOS, Apple Inc.' S operating system for Macintosh computers, and is the successor to macOS Catalina (version 10.15). It was announced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 22, 2020, and was released to the public on November 12, 2020. Accordingly, one way to speed up macOS Big Sur (and most other modern Mac OS releases too for that matter) is to simply disable Window Transparency and use the Reduce Motion feature. Open the Apple menu, open ‘System Preferences’, then select the “Accessibility” preference panel.

Most noticeable are the new system sounds, from a chime when you boot up your computer and file transfer pings to noise alerts for trashing and locking files. Along with that, the overall interface has also been refined. Sidebars are now full height, the menu bar has been updated to offer wider spacing, the toolbars are remarkably more space-efficient, and they boast a translucent look instead of just a plain white.

MacOS Big Sur elevates the most advanced desktop operating system in the world to a new level of power and beauty. Experience Mac to the fullest with a refined new design. Enjoy the biggest Safari update ever. Discover new features for Maps and Messages. And get even more transparency around your privacy. But Migration Assistant has its limits: in Catalina and Big Sur, you must migrate from a backup made from or a computer running Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan or later. Attempts to copy from older.

Along with these tweaks, your new Control Center is convenient as it places your controls in one place, making it easy to adjust settings when needed. There’s also an updated notification center that brings all your widgets and notifications in one area. Of course, many different useful widgets have been improved as well. Finally, Big Sur boasts a great ‘edit view’ where you can add all sorts of widgets on your screen, and customize them to your liking.

Safari Browser

Big Sur Mac Os Compatibility

Safari Browser has seen some changes owing to the system update too. Apple has introduced extensions that let it compete more effectively with Google Chrome. You can also convert your Chrome extensions to your Mac Safari Browser. The search engine also has new website previews that appear when you go over a tab.

Technicalities

This OS update is available for free for your Mac. We find that it’s a big improvement on the Catalina update. It’s a 12.6 GB download, so be prepared to wait for some update time. After installing, you may find that some mentioned features are not available.

Our take

We’re big fans of the update. We love that Apple is catering to its users by providing more advanced customizations. The new features are keeping them relevant and make for a much better user experience.

Should you download it?

Yes, as soon as you can. This Mac update is full of system change goodness that every user will appreciate.

Highs

  • Improved notification center
  • Safari extensions

macOS Big Surfor Mac

11.0.1

We all know by now that macOS Big Sur is the latest and greatest version of Apple’s Mac operating system. It was released in November 2020 and offered some serious advancements, especially on the visual side. If you have an older machine, though, you may be wondering whether your Mac is compatible. Let’s shed some light on macOS Big Sur system requirements and help you check whether your Mac supports the new OS.

Before you attempt to upgrade to Big Sur

There are a couple of things you should do before you upgrade to Big Sur.

  • Back up your Mac.

It doesn’t matter whether you use Time Machine or a third-party backup tool, just make sure you backup your Mac immediately before you upgrade.

  • Free up some space for the new OS

To get macOS Big Sur running on your Mac, you need at least 20GB of free space. So, if you aren’t sure you have enough, here’s how to check it. Click the Apple menu and select About This Mac. Go to the Storage tab to let your Mac calculate the amount of free space. If you don’t have enough, you can try removing some old junk with CleanMyMac X. This app detects ancient cache, user log files, and other clutter and helps you delete it from your Mac.

  1. Download the free version of CleanMyMac X and install it, then launch.
  2. Press Scan.
  3. Click Run.

That’s all there is to it. I managed to clear 10GB in just a couple of minutes, which saved me hours I would have spent if I were to do it manually.

macOS Big Sur requirements

Here’s the list of macOS Big Sur supported Macs:

  • Any Mac Pro or iMac Pro
  • MacBook Pro and MacBook Air 2013 and later
  • iMac and Mac mini 2014 and later
  • MacBook 2015 and later

As you can see, some Macs released as long ago as 2013 can officially run Big Sur. That’s pretty good considering the number of macOS updates there have been since then and the new features they have introduced.

Sadly, a few machines that were supported to upgrade to Catalina have fallen off the list for Big Sur, notably the 2012 MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac.

Mac models that do crash

Immediately after Big Sur's release on November 13, 2020, Mac users started reporting system failures that appeared to affect MacBooks from 2013-2014. The attempted installation resulted in 'bricking some older MacBook Pro models,' according to MacRumors. Notably, those MacBooks are the oldest still supported Macs that can run Big Sur. So if your MacBook belongs to that generation, we advice you to do little research on this before you rush to install Big Sur.

macOS Big Sur compatibility

If your Mac’s model is on the list of “officially supported” Macs to run Big Sur, you will definitely be able to upgrade it to the latest OS. You can be sure the installer will run on your Mac and that if you run into trouble, you can expect help from Apple, either in the form of support documentation or an update to the OS.

But, if your Mac is slightly older and isn’t on the list, there is a possibility you can still update it to Big Sur. Several Mac users have had some success installing the Big Sur beta on Macs that aren’t on Apple’s list. It requires a workaround, and there’s no guarantee that it will continue to work when the final version of Big Sur is released or when updates are issued. But, if you’re determined to install Big Sur on an older Mac, or you want to try it as a fun project, it’s an option.

Mac Os Sur Iso

Things to consider before you try to install Big Sur on an unsupported Mac

Mac Os Sur Cannot Be Installed

Installing macOS Big Sur on a Mac that’s not on Apple’s official list of unsupported Macs isn’t as straightforward as just downloading the installer and running it. How you install it will depend on the Mac you’re trying to install it on, and we’ll come to that later in the article. But there are other things you need to consider.

  • Your Mac may not run at all afterwards.

If you get the installation process wrong or something just doesn’t work as it should, you could be left with a Mac that doesn’t boot. For that reason, you should make a bootable clone of your startup drive before you start.

  • Even if your Mac boots, parts of it won’t work

Among those users who successfully installed the beta version of Big Sur on unsupported Macs, most reported that either the graphics system (GPU) didn’t work or that Wi-Fi didn’t work. You can get around the wifi issue by replacing the internal Wi-Fi card or using a USB Wi-Fi adaptor, but you can’t replace the GPU.

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  • There’s no guarantee updates will work

Just as you can’t use the regular installer to install Big Sur on an unsupported Mac, you won’t be able to install updates using Software Update. That could leave you vulnerable to security flaws.

How to upgrade to Big Sur on an unsupported Mac

As we said earlier, the specifics of how you install Big Sur on an older Mac vary according to the Mac, but there are lots of success stories in this thread.

One example is the user who installed the Big Sur beta on a 2012 15in MacBook Pro, and it ran well apart from Wi-Fi not working. That user got around the problem by using an iPhone as a hotspot (you can use Personal Hotspot by connecting to an iPhone via Bluetooth or USB). Another user reported installing Big Sur on a 2012 Mac mini, but with sound and Wi-Fi not working.

The question of whether or not your Mac is compatible with macOS Big Sur can’t be answered just by looking at Apple’s list of supported Macs. Those are the machines on which Apple has decided to support installation, but there are others on which Big Sur will run, albeit with a bit of extra work. You should decide for yourself whether you want to take risks associated with installing Big Sur on an unsupported Mac. And, if you decide to go ahead, be sure to back up your Mac and clean it up using Mac maintenance software like CleanMyMac X.