Apple Launches MacOS Catalina

Apple announced today that it is making the latest version of macOS, called Catalina, available to all compatible Macs. 

“With macOS Catalina, users are able to enjoy Apple Arcade, a groundbreaking new game subscription service featuring new, exclusive games from some of the world’s most creative developers,” the Apple announcement notes. “Catalina also features all-new Mac versions of Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple TV apps. A new feature called Sidecar extends Mac desktops with iPad as a second display, or tablet input device using Apple Pencil with Mac apps. Voice Control, a transformative accessibility feature, allows Mac to be controlled entirely by voice. And for the first time, Screen Time comes to Mac, giving users insight into how they spend time in apps and on websites, and the ability to decide how to spend their time.” 

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Catalina is mostly a minor upgrade, but there is one major change that could have an interesting impact on Mac users: A feature called Catalyst allows third-party developers to bring iPad apps to Mac for the first time. Apple says that “users will begin to see their favorite iPad apps in Mac versions, including Twitter, TripIt, Post-It, GoodNotes and Jira,” and that more are on the way. 

I’ve been using the Mac Catalina beta since WWDC, but since I don’t use a Mac regularly, I’m not as up on it as I could be. I’ll install the final version tonight and see if there’s anything interesting to discuss, especially around Catalyst. 

You can learn more about macOS Catalina from the Apple website. 

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Conversation 12 comments

  • ErichK

    Premium Member
    07 October, 2019 - 2:59 pm

    <p>The dropping of 32-bit app support is what has concerned me the most leading up to this release, but the recent system report I ran on my MacBook Air shows only a few that exist on my system, so I guess I'll have to update those. But one of them is … Steam?! I assume I can get a 64-bit Steam client, can't I?</p>

    • SWCetacean

      Premium Member
      07 October, 2019 - 3:02 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#478371">In reply to ErichK:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes there is a 64-bit Steam client. You will need to reinstall Steam, and some games might not work if the games themselves are 32-bit.</p>

      • ErichK

        Premium Member
        07 October, 2019 - 3:03 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#478372">In reply to SWCetacean:</a></em></blockquote><p>Thanks. :)</p>

    • Vladimir Carli

      Premium Member
      08 October, 2019 - 6:41 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#478371">In reply to ErichK:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>it has concerned me too because updates of the apps can be expensive. I think that if one upgrades to Catalina loses access to the non subscription version of the adobe suite. That's a big deal for me</p>

      • ErichK

        Premium Member
        08 October, 2019 - 2:44 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#478631">In reply to Vladimir:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes, I was reading about that on Reddit last night. This seems to be upsetting to many users.</p><p><br></p><p>Thankfully I only had a handful of 32-bit apps. I re-installed Steam and it used the 64-bit version, piece of cake.</p>

  • angusmatheson

    07 October, 2019 - 4:25 pm

    <p>Apple is abandoning 32 bit apps on iOS and macOS. In windows on ARM you can only use 32 bit apps. You can’t always run what you want, but sometimes, you just might find, you can run what you need.</p>

    • starkover

      07 October, 2019 - 5:55 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#478403">In reply to Angusmatheson:</a></em></blockquote><p>Sounds like the first draft of the Mick Jagger song.."You can't always get what you want. But if you try real hard, you can get what you need!" </p>

    • djross95

      Premium Member
      07 October, 2019 - 6:16 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#478403"><em>In reply to Angusmatheson:</em></a><em> </em>Lol… 🙂 </blockquote><p><br></p>

    • SvenJ

      07 October, 2019 - 9:56 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#478403"><em>In reply to Angusmatheson:</em></a><em> </em>Well, on ARM you run 64bit ARM apps. You run 32bit x86 apps, which aren't supposed to run on ARM in the first place. 😉 </blockquote><p><br></p>

  • IanYates82

    Premium Member
    07 October, 2019 - 5:23 pm

    <p>Sidecar sounds quite useful.</p><p><br></p><p>Does anyone know of a similar Windows utility? Where I could use my Surface Pro alongside my laptop as a (potentially laggy) second screen when travelling? I suppose the built-in Miracast receiving would work now that I think about it… I might give that a try 🙂 Do they both need to be on the same WiFi? (wouldn't work with hotel WiFi as they tend to isolate the devices from one another, but I could always use my phone as an access point and have it share the hotel WiFi to my devices).</p>

    • captobie

      08 October, 2019 - 8:07 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#478429">In reply to IanYates82:</a></em></blockquote><p>Give Duet a try.</p>

  • dontbeevil

    09 October, 2019 - 1:42 am

    <p>and my comments automatically disappear again, can you add some community rules like:</p><p>I can delete all the comments that deosn't share my same opinion</p><p>would make much more sens</p>

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