But in my testing, I was pleasantly surprised by the features for call-waiting and conference calls, and can definitely see how this will be useful for just about anyone.
Apple makes dialing and answering calls ubiquitous for all Yosemite users - even from a Web page.Īll of this happens using bluetooth and the same Wifi connection. Google users will recall you can do the same thing with Google Voice. Once you're on a call and another call comes, you'll get a notification about the new call, along with an option to put your current call on hold to answer it hang up and answer the new call or add the person to a conference call with you on the other call. When you receive a phone call on your iPhone, you'll be able to get caller ID and answer the call on your Mac as long as both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNETĪs I mentioned above, Continuity extends to your iPhone's calls and messages as well. With Continuity, an incoming call on your iPhone will show up on your Mac where you can answer it on speakerphone. Similarly, you could be working on a chart in Numbers on your Mac, then switch to your iPad, pull up from the notification in the lower left of the screen, and continue working on the chart on your iPad. Your Mac automatically knows you were writing the email on a nearby device, and displays a notification in the lower left hand corner that lets you open the email straight away and continue writing from where you left off. With handoff, you can start writing an email on your iPad and then switch over to your Mac. Watch a quick video to see Spotlight in action Continuity features and HandoffĬontinuity features let you start work on one device then "handoff" to another and it lets you make calls directly from your Mac.
What's more, when searching for a restaurant, Spotlight will display a map, address and phone number, plus you'll be able to use Yosemite's Handoff to call the number straight from your Mac. A similar search on Google will get you much of the same information, but I have to admit it's pretty easy to hit command-spacebar and type in a location for a quick list of results. In Yosemite, searching for Golden Gate Bridge gives you location-based results in Maps, news stories about the bridge, the associated Wikipedia entry, and any references to the bridge in your connected email accounts. Obviously performing a spotlight search for Golden Gate Bridge in Mavericks is not ideal because it only searches the hard drive, but it illustrates why Yosemite is so much more convenient. At the bottom of the search box there are options to search the Web or Wikipedia for Golden Gate Bridge, which opens Safari to load the results. Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNETĪs an example, searching for "Golden Gate Bridge" in Mavericks returns results in the upper right part of the screen from my connected email account and any other files or apps with that name on my hard drive. When you search for a restaurant in Spotlight, you'll get photos, the phone number, the address and you can get directions through Apple Maps. Sliders, hot keys and function buttons emerge on the fly as needed. Exhibit A: the Touch Bar, a mini display that runs along the top of the keyboard that provides different icons and options for different apps. The common theme among the MacOS Sierra release and the new MacBook models is a greater emphasis on usability and productivity, rather than performance per se. There's also a less expensive 13-inch model without the Touch Bar.
Considerably slimmer, faster and pricier than its predecessors, the new models feature some innovative flourishes - most notably, Apple's dynamic Touch Bar. In November 2016, the company refreshed its lineup of 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros.
( Read the full MacOS Sierra review here.)
Now known as MacOS, the newest variant comes equipped with features inspired by the iOS mobile software or designed to help Macs work better with iOS products, adding further incentive to keep your hardware inside Apple's walled garden, which includes the iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac computers.
Since releasing Mac OS X Yosemite in October 2014, Apple has delivered two new versions of its desktop operating system - El Capitan in 2015 and Sierra in 2016 - and changed its nomenclature.