The latest macOS Ventura update has left owners of old Macs stranded in a sea of problems, raising a chorus of complaints

Users of macOS Ventura, the predecessor to macOS Sonoma (the latest operating system for modern Macs and MacBooks), have discovered some problems after installing the newest update, macOS Ventura 13.6.6. The update was released on March 25 alongside Sonoma version 14.4.1. Apparently, those looking to upgrade macOS Ventura were met with firmware-related issues (firmware refers to software components that bridge a device’s hardware and software). 

Ventura is the last macOS system that many older Mac models can run, as macOS Sonoma only supports Macs and MacBooks from 2018 onwards (the iMac Pro from 2017 is also supported), so updates for the older operating system are especially important for security and functionality reasons. 

Since the update's release, users have taken to websites like Apple’s community forums to express their dissatisfaction with Ventura 13.6.6. GottaBeMobile has cataloged a number of these posts which discuss issues including Wi-Fi connectivity issues, email problems, Time Machine backup issues, issues with users’ displays, noticeable lag in the user interface (UI), problems with external accessories, issues with both first-party apps (apps by Apple) and third-party apps such as Microsoft Teams, and more. According to GottaBeMobile, this is just a selection and part of a larger number of problems that users are facing with Ventura 13.6.6.

GottaBeMobile checked for itself how Ventura 13.6.6 runs after its release on a 2017 MacBook Pro, confirming other users’ reports of frustration-inducting lag in the UI.

Now, affected users are hoping to see another update for Ventura that will put things right, but this could take some weeks. Until then, users will have to try solutions suggested by others, such as turning Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and off, restarting the device, and others. However, if these issues are caused by a fundamental problem with the Ventura update, these solutions may only be temporary.

A woman sitting down with a MacBook laptop her lap

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Farknot Architect)

Hope for a fix-filled update

Apple is currently developing and testing new software versions for a range of its products, including Mac, iPhone, Apple Watch, and others, which are expected to be released in May, or possibly at WWDC, its software-centric conference in June. 

It’s likely we’ll see macOS 15, the follow-up to macOS 14 Sonoma, at WWDC, and macOS Ventura may get an update around this time to fix those problems.

As Apple presumably sees Ventura as a legacy operating system, it’s unlikely to make a big song and dance over any update (especially if it's to fix embarrassing bugs) when it would rather show off the latest version of macOS.

I hope that Apple hears user feedback, as it’s pretty loud and clear, and takes time to fix Ventura. I understand that much like its peers, Apple is keen to push for users to update to newer hardware and software, but in this economic climate, that might not be possible for many people. In the meantime, it should make sure that customers who can’t upgrade to the latest version of macOS are still looked after.

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The Apple Vision Pro is compatible with Intel Apple Macs – even if the performance may not be the same

The Apple Vision Pro has finally launched, and if you were thinking you may have to upgrade your Mac or MacBook to use the new headset (piling on another expensive purchase onto an already very pricey device) there is some good news, as it seems like the Vision Pro headset is compatible with Intel-based Macs, potentially opening the door for users with older models. 

A support page on the official Apple website, explaining how to use the headset with a Mac as a display, reveals that support for this feature is not limited to Apple Silicon Macs (such as recent MacBooks with the M1, M2 or M3 chips). The post explains that if you happen to be using a Mac with an Intel processor, you can still use the Vision Pro as a workspace, however, you’ll be working with resolutions capped at 3K rather than 4K as you normally would with an Apple Silicon-powered Mac. 

You’ll still be able to resize the Virtual Display window and use the computer's keyboard and trackpad. That being said, if you’re looking to take advantage of the Virtual Display feature, your Mac will need to be running on macOS 14 Sonoma or newer, so if you are planning on giving it a go you’d probably have to upgrade your operating system. Very old Macs and MacBooks may not be compatible with macOS Sonoma, which means you won’t be able to use the Vision Pro as an additional screen with those products.

Cool, but not very useful.

While I am glad to see support for older Macs, I’m not sure I see the point. Of course, Intel-based Macs are still good computers despite their age, but with the cost of the Apple Vision Pro, you could buy yourself an M3 iMac and have plenty of cash to spare. 

Of course, I’m sure plenty of people may have an older iMac collecting dust at home that would like to give it a go, but again the Apple Vision Pro isn’t exactly a product you buy on a whim. I wouldn’t really encourage anyone to buy the headset if they exclusively work on an Intel Mac since you won’t get the full 4K experience. You’d be better off just upgrading your device to a new MacBook, Mac mini or iMac and buying a Vision Pro later… if at all. 

There’s also no guarantee that this support on the Intel Macs will last forever – now that the M3 iMac has launched I wouldn’t be surprised if we started to see support for newer accessories or features being limited. So, if you are in the position to try out the Vision Pro with your older Mac, I suggest you get on it soon and decide if you like the pairing enough to justify upgrading to an Apple Silicon Mac – because you might have to in the future. 

Via 9to5Mac

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Your Mac’s playlist game is about to get stronger with macOS Sonoma 14.3 and collaborative playlists, along with other new features

Apple has released macOS Sonoma 14.3 which brings collaborative playlists to Apple Music, bug fixes, security updates, and more. Users can also look forward to an improved AppleCare & Warranty section that displays all the devices you are signed into with your Apple ID. 

The new collaboration feature for Apple Music will enable users to invite others to join their playlists, allowing them to add, reorder, and delete songs from playlists. It was expected that collaborative playlists would be coming to the desktop version of Apple Music as the feature has recently been added to iOS 17.3

It was being tested in beta versions before Sonoma 14.3, but this is the first time it’s made it to the general release of an update. In a rather playful development, when a collaborative playlist has been made, users with access to it can also add emoji reactions to tracks in the playlists.

Users can also now navigate to an enhanced AppleCare & Warranty section, found in General System Settings, which will show users coverage of all devices (if users have it) that are signed in with users’ Apple ID. AppleCare is Apple’s own customer service and extended warranty program, and this development will allow users to see and understand their coverage and warranties more easily, so if their devices stop working or break, they will at least know if they are covered for repairs or replacements.

macOS 14 Sonoma features

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

Who can get macOS Sonoma 14.3

I would always recommend that users install newly released updates for their devices, first and foremost for security reasons. This update is brand spanking new as it follows the beta version which was distributed and tested earlier in January. You can find the most up to date information about security updates in release notes published by Apple.

Apple does caution that these new features might not be available for all regions or for all Apple devices. If your device is eligible, you can go to the Software Update section in System Settings to download and install macOS Sonoma 14.3.

The following Macs and MacBook that can run macOS Sonoma 14.3: 

MacBook Pro models from 2018, MacBook Air models from 2018, iMacs from 2019 to 2021, iMac Pro 2017, Mac mini 2018, 2020, and 2023, Mac Studio 2022 and 2023, and Mac Pro 2019 and 2023.

This update follows macOS Sonoma‌ 14.2‌ which was released in December of last year. The previous update saw the introduction of an ‘enhanced’ AutoFill feature for PDFs, improvements to Messages app like stickers, new widgets for the Weather and Clock apps, the ability to favorite songs in Apple Music, bug fixes, and security updates.

This isn’t the biggest update in terms of size, but it’s still important to install for security reasons. It’s good to see that Apple is staying vigilant and offering users frequent updates to make sure their devices stay protected.

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You can now run Windows 11 seamlessly on Apple silicon Macs with Microsoft’s stamp of approval

You can now virtually run Windows 11 on the newest Apple Mac devices (those with Apple’s own ARM-based M1, M2, or M3 chips) using Microsoft-authorized methods.

The MacBook maker switched from Intel processors in its devices to its own new line of Apple silicon ARM  processors in 2020, and that change meant Mac users who wanted to use Microsoft’s Windows operating systems (or Windows-only apps) were left out in the cold..

For Mac devices with Intel processors, users could turn to the multi-boot utility program, Boot Camp, which enabled users to install and run Windows on their Macs as their chosen operating system (OS) – rather than the default macOS. 

Users with Apple silicon processor devices can’t use Boot Camp, as it’s incompatible and would have to turn to other ways of running Windows operating systems, such as emulators and virtualization programs. There are many virtualization programs out there, but now, Microsoft has chimed in on which ones it thinks are best for this.

Microsoft's blessing

Microsoft published a post on its support website giving its official backing to two methods that can enable a user with Mac devices that have M1, M2, or M3 chips to use Windows 11 on their machine: Windows 365 Cloud PC (a service offered by Microsoft itself) and Parallels

Microsoft has authorized Parallels’ desktop versions 18 and 19 to run the ARM-specific versions of Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Enterprise. 

Users can do this by installing Parallels Desktop version 18 or version 19 and create a virtual machine that lives within your existing OS (probably macOS in this case). It explains that the ARM versions of Windows 11 OS do have limitations that impact a user’s ability to run certain hardware, games, and apps (a long-standing issue with Windows 11 on ARM devices, sadly). This workaround does, however, give users access to most Windows 11 features such as hardware acceleration, many multimedia technologies, and more. 

Some limitations of Parallels include features that make use of Windows’ nested virtualization capabilities like Windows Subsystem for Android, Windows Subsystem for Linux, Virtualization-Based Security (VBS), and Windows Sandbox (this allows users to run isolated apps without affecting or harming your main OS installation). Parallels Desktop for Mac is also not able to run 32-bit Windows ARM versions, as Microsoft cut off support for 32-bit UWP apps for ARM in January of last year. 

Apple also dropped support for 32-bit apps a while ago, with no known workarounds to make them work in modern macOS versions. If you’d like to try the listed features, Neowin recommends Microsoft’s other highlighted service, Windows 365 Cloud PC (which runs in a web browser window, making it much easier to set up), or getting a Windows laptop instead. 

The standard edition of Parallels Desktop 19 will cost you $ 99.99 a year and the Pro version usually costs $ 119.99 a year, but Amazon is currently offering it with a 25% discount at $ 89.99 for a 1-year subscription.

Windows 365

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft’s in-house solution, Windows 365 Cloud PC, will enable Mac silicon-chip users to stream a fully-fleshed-out and personalized Windows 11 version. Microsoft describes this as a “software-as-a-service solution for organizations of all sizes,” so this isn’t for individual users (yet). 

It offers many of the features Parallels lacks like nested virtualization for testing, support for emulators within the virtual Windows 11 OS, and more. Perhaps we could see Microsoft introduce an individual model akin to the commercial version like it has recently for the premium version of its new flagship digital assistant, Copilot Pro

Of course, Microsoft wants you to run Windows 11 on a PC meant specifically for it, (it even mentions this in the first line of the support post). However, many users like experimenting and personalizing their computing experiences and I think Microsoft’s willingness to accommodate that with its products fosters a positive impression among users and professionals. 

While some Mac and MacBook users may baulk at the idea of running Windows on their devices, there are some useful benefits for people who want to test out Windows 11 programs, or use applications that don’t currently have native Mac support, so it’s good to see Microsoft acknowledge this and offer support and advice, even if it’s through gritted teeth.

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Final Cut Pro gets some big time-saving boosts for iPads and Macs

Final Cut Pro is one of the best video-editing apps you can get for both Mac and iPad, and now Apple says that a range of improvements are coming to both platforms later in November. These include new features that will streamline editing, tune up the timeline, add new in-app content, and more.

Starting with the Mac, Apple says its update focuses on “simplifying complex edits and turbocharged export speeds.” For instance, Final Cut Pro for Mac now automatically scrolls the timeline to keep up with the current playhead position while a video is playing. You can also zoom the timeline in or out during playback to suit your needs.

Clips can be assigned colors and roles to help differentiate them at a glance, which should mean less time wasted hunting for the specific clip you need. These clips can be highlighted by role with the timeline index, too.

Apple is also bringing out improved organization tools. You'll be able to quickly clean up your timeline and combine groups of connected clips into a more coherent single storyline.

The Mac tweaks are rounded off by faster exporting made possible by the media engines inside the latest Mac chips. And thanks to those Apple silicon chips, Final Cut Pro will be able to offer better object tracking for things like faces found in your clips.

What's new for the iPad?

An iPad and a MacBook, both running Final Cut Pro, against a white background.

(Image credit: Apple)

The iPad version of Final Cut Pro is also in line for a few upgrades, with one of the more notable relating to voiceover work. Soon, you will be able to record audio directly onto the timeline as it is playing, or select the moment you want recording to begin and use a countdown to perfectly time your voiceover.

Elsewhere, camera stabilization can be manually enabled or disabled according to your needs, and Apple has added several new color-grading presets, titles and generators to quickly change the look of your footage.

Like on the Mac, iPad users will benefit from the introduction of connected clips and a slate of organizational tools. And you can export your work to Final Cut Pro for Mac in order to use a few more advanced features.

Apple hasn’t said exactly when this update is coming, other than to note it will be available later this month. The update will be free if you’ve already paid for Final Cut Pro.

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Windows 11 gets ability to view phone photos… just as Apple cans a similar feature for Macs

Windows 11 has just got a new preview version in the Dev channel which adds some smart features, principally the ability to view your phone photos right on the desktop.

As you may recall, a big project in testing right now for Windows 11 is the revamp of File Explorer, part of which is the addition of a photo gallery feature. What Microsoft has done here is to introduce a new button that lets users add their phone photos to the gallery.

Click the ‘Add Phone Photos’ button and you’ll be given a QR code to scan with your smartphone, then you can set up the device to pipe photos across and view those mobile snaps in Windows 11’s photo gallery.

There’s other work on File Explorer elsewhere in preview build 23471, including some bug fixes, and another feature introduction – the ability to pop tabs out of windows (or merge them back), as you can with a web browser.

Note that the latter feature is an incremental rollout, so not every Windows Insider will see it yet. Microsoft did announce, though, that every tester in the Dev channel will now have the photo gallery in File Explorer (which has been a phased rollout, too, but one that’s now finished).

For the full details of all the fixes and tinkering in preview build 23471, as ever you can immerse yourself in Microsoft’s lengthy blog post.


Analysis: Microsoft adds while Apple takes away

The further work on File Explorer is welcome, and particularly the functionality allowing you to view phone photos right there on the Windows 11 desktop with a minimum of hassle.

There’s some interesting timing here – though no doubt coincidental – as well, in that as Microsoft is introducing this new feature, Apple has just announced that its My Photo Stream offering is being shuttered. (It’s now effectively on the chopping block, and will be shut down at the end of July).

Now, that might be an old service, and one not used much anymore, but it’ll still be something of a blow when it finally shuts it doors for the diehard set of niche Mac owners who still use My Photo Stream to view their phone photos on the desktop.

Of course, as Apple points out, My Photo Stream has been long been superseded by ‌iCloud Photos‌, and you should turn that on instead. But some folks haven’t set up iCloud Photos‌ because they don’t want to (enjoying just seeing recent snaps automatically on their Mac, courtesy of Photo Stream, without having to sync an entire – possibly huge – photo library to iCloud).

There’s also the fact that ‌iCloud Photos‌ requires payment (beyond the 5GB that you get free, a rather measly allowance these days), and some aren’t happy about that, either – and the apparent financial motive for Apple to make this move.

At any rate, whatever your view of how redundant or pointless My Photo Stream is at this point – indeed, you may never even have heard of it – the fact remains that Apple is taking away one path for easily viewing your phone photos on the desktop (that at least some folks still use), while Microsoft is going in the opposite direction and adding one.

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The Apple Studio Display has a neat feature for old Macs

The Apple Studio Display's built-in A13 Bionic chip allows older Mac computers and MacBook laptops to use the 'Hey Siri' voice command, even if they don't support the feature. 

As reported by MacRumors, the 27-inch display allows the Siri voice command to run on several devices that predate its introduction to the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air back in 2018, though this doesn't extend to the entire back catalog of Mac computers and laptops.

Although it was released alongside the Mac Studio desktop computer, the Studio Display can also be used with the following compatible Mac products on macOS Monterey 12.3 or later:

  • Mac Studio
  • 14-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2021
  • 16-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2019 or later
  • 13-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2016 or later
  • 15-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2016 or later
  • MacBook Air introduced in 2018 or later
  • iMac introduced in 2017 or later
  • iMac Pro
  • Mac mini introduced in 2018 or later
  • Mac Pro introduced in 2019

As you can see from the list, this means that devices released as far back as 2016 will now be able to use the voice-controlled Apple AI assistant. And, as the Studio Display  runs on iOS 15.4, it's likely that we'll see additional features included in the future.

There's nothing confirmed just yet and given the Studio Display has just been released it's unlikely we will see any big features for some time – however, there's always a chance that Apple will surprise us at WWDC 2022.


Analysis: Is your Studio Display listening to your conversations?

While voice-controlled AI assistants like Siri can be very useful, there will be some users with understandable security concerns around being listened to in the home.

Thing is, Siri doesn't really listen to you 24/7, at least not in any way that matters. The trigger phrase 'hey Siri' is required for the AI voice assistant to communicate back and start recording, so although Siri is listening out for its trigger phrase, it doesn’t remember anything you say before it’s activated by its voice command.

Still, AI voice assistants and smart speakers have plenty of advantages, and Siri is no different. You can quickly translate different languages, set alarms or timers, and a host of other tasks completely hands-free, which makes them a useful accessibility feature within our homes and offices.

It's likely you'll be able to switch this feature off entirely if you won't be using Siri at all (though we no longer have a Studio Display unit to check this for ourselves). On Mac, this is done by heading into System Preferences within the Apple Menu. From here, simply select Siri. and uncheck the checkbox beside “Enable Ask Siri”.

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Chrome OS is coming to PCs and Macs

Google has announced a new version of its Chrome OS software that should allow it to expand to PC and Mac devices for the first time.

The new Chrome OS Flex is designed to run on older machines, and looks to offer businesses and schools in particular with more flexibility on their software choices.

The “cloud-first” software looks similar to the equivalent already seen on Chromebook devices, offering a stripped-back way to access Google Workspace tools such as Gmail, Meet, Google Docs, with thousands of apps available from the Play Store.

Chrome OS Flex

“End-user computing is complicated. And it’s even more complicated for businesses and schools,” Thomas Riedl, Google Cloud Director of Product, Enterprise and Education, wrote in a blog post announcing the news. 

“Slow boot times, intrusive updates, security add-ons, and burdensome management of legacy devices take valuable time away from employees, students, and IT.”

“Chrome OS Flex modernizes devices you already own, allowing you to experience the benefits of Chrome OS on PCs and Macs.”

Chrome OS Flex home screen

(Image credit: Google)

Google says that Chrome OS Flex “boots up in seconds”, meaning there's no long wait times for your device to get ready, with system updates downloading in the background.

Admins can install Chrome OS Flex across business or school devices via USB or network, allowing for a speedy roll-out, with user profiles downloaded through the cloud, automatically syncing their settings, policies and bookmarks.

Chrome OS Flex will also benefit from Google's regular security updates against the latest threats, and Google also notes that due to its un-demanding specs, using Chrome OS Flex means you can keep your existing devices for longer, helping cut down on e-waste.

Riedl noted that the launch had been helped by Google's 2020 acquisition of Neverware, whose Chromium-based CloudReady OS helped businesses around the world shift onto the company's software.

Google says that Chrome OS Flex is not a finished product yet, but users can try the new software as a free trial now ahead of a wider release later this year.

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Best music production apps for Macs in 2022

Being great at guitar or an improvisation king on the piano is only one facet of making good music. In the modern age, being technically great isn’t required if you’re creative enough. How you put together your music is just as important as being able to make it in the first place.

The DAW, or digital audio workstation, is what you need to look at if you’re interested in production. This will allow you to record yourself, and it will actively change the way you make music. Learning to compensate for parameters or workaround systems will shape the way you go about putting everything together.

For this reason, picking the right DAW is important and you're often better off exploring around a little bit before you settle on what works for you. Unfortunately, with the time and money required to do so, this can be a bit of a challenge.

With your MacBook in hand, we will be recommending our picks of the best free music production software suites.

GarageBand screenshot

(Image credit: Future)

1. GarageBand

The best free app

Intuitive
Free
Great selection of tools and instruments
A little simple

If you’ve booted up a Mac before, you will be familiar with this software package from Apple. Coming pre-installed on Apple devices, this is a usable and intuitive application with lots of useful built-in features.

You only need to plug in your midi, guitar, or keyboard to create music instantly. With the quick help function, it explains everything you can see in easy-to-grasp concepts, making it a great app for those just starting out.

It has some great functions like a smart drummer, which means you don’t need to create a drum track to have a nice beat in the background. It also has some nice packs to try for midi, like great piano sounds, some orchestral sounds, and some good effects for the guitar.

If you’ve never bothered with music production before, try this before you try anything else on this list. From here, you can read the list and pick your favorite app based on what you like.

Logic Pro screenshot

(Image credit: Future)

2. Logic Pro

Apple’s flagship application

Great selection of tools and instruments
Very powerful application
Tons of customization options and features
Can have issues with unofficial plug-ins

As the software is still making changes and adapting to the latest M1 chips, there are issues using unofficial software sometimes and it can get a little complicated to start. If you have the time to dedicate, this is one of the very best pieces of software you can find.

If you like GarageBand but just want more out of it, Logic Pro is where you should go from here. This is a great piece of software, offering more sounds to choose from, more robust features to customize your songs, and just general better usability.

It's correct to assume that GarageBand is essentially a 'lite' alternative to Logic – a  solid usable app that has some noticeable drawbacks. Logic gets rid of these and adds even more functions. It has better live looping and more intricate tempo options. 

It also has plenty of extra software and built-in sounds to get full and vibrant music out of your projects. Alongside this, there are much better mixing options that can give you extra options for the bass and equalizers, depending on the types of genre you're focusing on, making it great for those looking to finish a full song, ready to go on an album.

It also has great intuitive methods to export your songs onto iOS or iPadOS if you want to take your projects on the go.

Pro Tools screenshot

(Image credit: Future)

3. Pro Tools

The industry standard

Different price tiers
Great cross-platform use
Few moment-to-moment issues
Regular fees
Steep learning curve

Pro Tools is the industry standard when it comes to DAWs and there’s a reason for that. It’s powerful, can handle pretty much anything you throw at it and it is great when using across platforms.

If you want to work on a project with someone else or want to learn the software most professionals are used to, this is a valuable application to learn.

That said, it can be a little hard to get used to. It isn’t quite as intuitive as our previous choices and is loaded with options. Pro tools can be used for free with a trial but will cost you more in the long run with monthly/yearly plans.

Pro Tools' cloud features and great plug-in options make the app a fantastic choice, albeit with a steep learning curve and high price. If you’re looking for something complex that is used by industry professionals, this is the app for you.

Ableton Live 11 screenshot

(Image credit: Future)

4. Ableton Live 11

For those who like to improv

Unique selling point
Great for live sessions
Some great instruments and loops
Quite expensive for the best version
UI could be better

Ableton Live is an excellent app for those who like to improvise. All of its software is based around live sessions, giving your music a raw feel. It’s much better at allowing you to just sort of jam, then fine-tune every aspect of your music.

Out of all the paid apps here, this one could be bought alongside another (if you have the cash and patience) as its unique selling point makes it worth trying regardless. There are three central price tiers for the app; the top one is rather expensive, but the cheaper options are a good start.

Its focus on live play means there are some pretty solid built-in loops and instruments to use, perfect for setting up a track. Where other apps often get lost in the weeds, figuratively speaking, Ableton Live is great for just letting you in there to mess around.

If you like the idea of composing on the fly, you should try this one out.

FL Studio screenshot

(Image credit: Future)

5. FL Studio

For those who like to loop

Loop-based writing leads to some interesting songs
Has some good effects
Fun to play around with
Live recording is a little limited
Can be a little confusing

Originally known as FruityLoops, FL Studio has come an incredibly long way since its release two decades ago. Its functionality is entirely based around loops, making it great for genres like EDM or trap.

You essentially build loops in a separate track and place them into your main track. This means coming up with ideas that are only used once or ever-changing songs can become a tedious process.

While it has the ability to play and record, fixing that afterward becomes a little bit of a hassle due to its architecture. The loop-focused build of this software often makes you write a little outside what you’re used to, which is great but also gets in the way of your own ideas.

This also makes learning it a little confusing but, if you can get over that learning curve, it’s a solid and versatile DAW that may make you think outside the box.

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macOS 13 release date rumors, compatible Macs, and 5 features we want to see

After the release of macOS 12 Monterey in 2021, followed by the MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models, speculation is now mounting as to what macOS 13 will bring.

Back in 2020, Apple began transitioning away from Intel processors in favor of its own Apple Silicon chips. These chips are now redefining what Macs are capable of, particularly when it comes to gaming. While macOS Monterey focused on productivity and communication tweaks, macOS 13 could be a major update of the type not seen since macOS 11 Big Sur, reflecting this new change in direction.

With this in mind, we’ve combed through our Macs to round up five features we’d like to see later this year, no matter how major or minor these may be.

First, though, we’ll run through what we know about macOS 13 so far, including its rumored release date and which Macs the update is likely to support.

macOS 13 release date rumors

Apple’s releases have run like clockwork in recent years. There’s a good chance macOS 13 will be announced at WWDC 2022 alongside iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and the rest. Whether it’ll be a remote keynote again or a return to an in-person event remains to be confirmed by Apple.

Apple usually announces the release date of a new macOS update alongside new Macs, so this could be October again, similar to the previous two years.

macOS 13 supported devices

With Apple well on the way to leaving Intel behind, it’s a matter of time until macOS runs solely on the company’s own M1 chips and above.

macOS 13 is likely to still support Intel Macs for now, though. We expect that the upcoming update will support the following Macs as a minimum:

  • Mac Pro – Late 2013
  • iMac – Early 2015
  • iMac Pro – Late 2017
  • MacBook Air – Early 2015
  • MacBook Pro – Early 2015
  • MacBook – Early 2015

macOS 13 name rumors

We speculated that macOS 12 would be called either Mammoth or Monterey, and it proved to be the latter at WWDC 2021. Mammoth could be another solid bet for macOS 13, though. 

The name refers to the Mammoth Lakes in California, following the pattern of naming releases after landmarks in the state, and it’s close to Monterey and Big Sur, which may also represent a bigger update to macOS compared to the last year.

Five features we want to see in macOS 13

While macOS 13 is still a little while away, we've put together a list of the improvements we want to see from the next-gen operating system for Apple's Macs.

1. Widgets anywhere

Widgets first appeared in iOS 14 back in 2020, and have slowly moved over to iPadOS, where you can also move them anywhere on the home screen, but in macOS they are still locked to a column.

macOS 13 should allow you to move widgets anywhere on the screen. Some forget that widgets first appeared on macOS way back in 2004 with Dashboard in Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, as a way of managing them inside one app that would cover your screen.

Having Dashboard return to macOS 13 or the ability to place widgets anywhere on your desktop would be appealing. It would help spruce up your display, and eliminate the need to go to the column to view them.

2. Weather app

The weather app saw a mammoth redesign in iOS 15 last year, mainly thanks to Apple’s acquisition of the weather app Dark Sky. While the app hasn’t moved to iPadOS just yet, the next logical step would be to macOS.

See more

Having easy access to weather forecasts, plus precipitation and storm notifications could be useful to many Mac users – especially if widgets can be shown on the desktop instead of the column they’re currently locked to.

3. App Library

App Library is another iOS feature that would be useful to have in the Dock for macOS 13. While Launchpad and Finder give you handy overviews of your installed apps and let you add them to folders, they’re the only view that you have.

That can be tricky if you have hundreds of apps, especially as a full-screen view in Launchpad can get in the way of anything you’re working on.

App Library in iPadOS 15

(Image credit: Apple)

App Library on the Mac could easily sort your apps into categories, and have some folders change depending on the time of day or your location, just as it does in iOS. It would be much more useful for Mac users, as having a full-screen view on an iMac or an external display seems too much.

4. Time Machine and iCloud Backups

Time Machine is a feature that’s fallen by the wayside in recent years, regardless of how useful it’s proved in the past. It takes multiple snapshots of your macOS machine throughout the day, and if you lose a file, you can go ‘back in time’ and recover it.

Time Machine first appeared in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard back in 2006, and while it’s still available in macOS, there’s plenty that could be improved for macOS 13.

It’s second nature to back up your iPad or iPhone through iCloud Backup, which lets you save photos, messages, lock screen wallpapers, and more to your iCloud account. You can also restore these backups to your device if you need to reset it.

However, there’s no such feature for macOS; there’s only the option of backing up to an external hard drive or directly on your Mac, which could defeat the point if your Mac refuses to boot.

Having iCloud Backups tied to Time Machine feels like an easy win for Mac users, as it’s secure but also familiar.

5. tvOS screensavers for Mac

We’d love to see Apple bring those impressive flyover screensavers from tvOS to macOS 13.

Aerial 3 on macOS

(Image credit: Aerial)

While there are third-party apps such as Aerial that can already do the job for Mac users, having a native option for macOS 13 would be great for anyone who just wants to use the screensavers in the System Preferences, without having to download an additional app.

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