The new macOS Big Sur coming out this fall will have a fresh new design and look quite different than macOS Catalina and before. While it is still early in the beta cycle, take a look at the design elements in Big Sur.
Comments: 22 Responses to “The Fresh New Design Of macOS Big Sur”
Roger
4 years ago
Yes, a lot of changes, that's fine, we'll have to get used to them all. If someone is still on Mojave and they update to OS 11 what won't work anymore? Surely any 32-bit applications are doomed but what about 5-year old printers and other peripherals?
Roger: I can't see why a printer that works with Catalina wouldn't work with Big Sur. There's no fundamental change for something like that like there was with Mojave to Catalina.
David
4 years ago
Not a big fan of a floating dock or the round corners of items or the dock. However I do like the transparency of the dock and top bar. I also like how iOS and iPadOS applications are going to be compatible with Mac OS. The new left side of the menu bar is easy to use as well and so customizable now. I also like the new safety precautions in Safari showing you what websites track of you.
David: Keep in mind that iOS apps are not a feature of Big Sur. They are a feature of new Macs that will have ARM processors.
Rob Mayer
4 years ago
Gary, I have a 2012 Mac Mini, which is not on the compatibility list for Big Sur. Does that mean it won't run on Big Sur at all or just that there may be "issues" down the road if I install it (which, of course Apple would not be responsible for).....in other words, assuming it can be installed, what would be the risk of doing so?
E. Bond Francisco
4 years ago
I like it!
George Motherway
4 years ago
Will my settings for power, display, startup items, etc, carry over from Catalina into Big Sur when I upgrade?
George: Yes, they should, just like every other upgrade of macOS in the last 10+ years.
Rob Mayer
4 years ago
So far, I'm not hearing anything about Big Sur that makes me want to go out and spend almost $1000 on a new Mac Mini. Is there anything here that you can cite, Gary, that would change my mind that I am not picking up on? Thanks!
Rob: The reason to get new hardware goes way beyond just a single year macOS update. You'd mostly be buying it for the newer and faster processor, drives, graphics, ports, etc.
Linda K
4 years ago
Gary, I have a 2013 MacBook Pro. Will it be able to load Big Sur?
Karl: That's not part of Big Sur. That's what you get when you do a screen recording.
Serge
4 years ago
Thanks, Gary, for this close preview. I’ve noticed at 3:55 that transparency mode seemed disabled for a brief moment. Is there an explanation? And is it still possible to disable it via Accessibility?
Serge: Not sure what you mean. At exactly 3:55 there is a transition in the video. Maybe you are just noticing that?
Brian
4 years ago
As expected, the new design is simpler, flatter, more like iPhones. The icons are more cartoonish, like the old eWorld (Apple internet service that competed with AOL). In short, everything is dumbing down Macs to make them more and more like iPhones. Pretty soon, the platforms will merge and the only difference will be screen size. Who cares about functionality and ease of use when you can make business decisions that make it easier to migrate users?
Stewart Skiba
4 years ago
I have an iMac late 2012 Will it be compatible to Big Sur? thank you
Russ: Transparency of what, exactly? I'd imagine the same controls are there is System Preferences, Accessibility, Displays for that. But I'm not booted into Big Sur now to check.
Yes, a lot of changes, that's fine, we'll have to get used to them all. If someone is still on Mojave and they update to OS 11 what won't work anymore? Surely any 32-bit applications are doomed but what about 5-year old printers and other peripherals?
Roger: I can't see why a printer that works with Catalina wouldn't work with Big Sur. There's no fundamental change for something like that like there was with Mojave to Catalina.
Not a big fan of a floating dock or the round corners of items or the dock. However I do like the transparency of the dock and top bar. I also like how iOS and iPadOS applications are going to be compatible with Mac OS. The new left side of the menu bar is easy to use as well and so customizable now. I also like the new safety precautions in Safari showing you what websites track of you.
David: Keep in mind that iOS apps are not a feature of Big Sur. They are a feature of new Macs that will have ARM processors.
Gary, I have a 2012 Mac Mini, which is not on the compatibility list for Big Sur. Does that mean it won't run on Big Sur at all or just that there may be "issues" down the road if I install it (which, of course Apple would not be responsible for).....in other words, assuming it can be installed, what would be the risk of doing so?
I like it!
Will my settings for power, display, startup items, etc, carry over from Catalina into Big Sur when I upgrade?
Rob: A 2012 Mac mini won't run Big Sur at all. It simply won't install.
George: Yes, they should, just like every other upgrade of macOS in the last 10+ years.
So far, I'm not hearing anything about Big Sur that makes me want to go out and spend almost $1000 on a new Mac Mini. Is there anything here that you can cite, Gary, that would change my mind that I am not picking up on? Thanks!
Rob: The reason to get new hardware goes way beyond just a single year macOS update. You'd mostly be buying it for the newer and faster processor, drives, graphics, ports, etc.
Gary, I have a 2013 MacBook Pro. Will it be able to load Big Sur?
Linda: Depends which one. The list is at https://www.apple.com/macos/big-sur-preview/ and it shows "Late 2013."
Gary, how do you feel about the circle around the arrow pointer?
Karl: That's not part of Big Sur. That's what you get when you do a screen recording.
Thanks, Gary, for this close preview. I’ve noticed at 3:55 that transparency mode seemed disabled for a brief moment. Is there an explanation? And is it still possible to disable it via Accessibility?
Serge: Not sure what you mean. At exactly 3:55 there is a transition in the video. Maybe you are just noticing that?
As expected, the new design is simpler, flatter, more like iPhones. The icons are more cartoonish, like the old eWorld (Apple internet service that competed with AOL). In short, everything is dumbing down Macs to make them more and more like iPhones. Pretty soon, the platforms will merge and the only difference will be screen size. Who cares about functionality and ease of use when you can make business decisions that make it easier to migrate users?
I have an iMac late 2012 Will it be compatible to Big Sur? thank you
Stewart: No. See https://www.apple.com/macos/big-sur-preview/
Can you turn off transparency in Big Sur?
Russ: Transparency of what, exactly? I'd imagine the same controls are there is System Preferences, Accessibility, Displays for that. But I'm not booted into Big Sur now to check.