Selasa, 29 Oktober 2013

OSX 10.9 Mavericks Tips and Tricks

I've long questioned software companies that feel the need to charge for updates.  I do get that there is a revenue stream there, and companies can never have enough money.  What I don't get is charging for updates.  When Apple released OSX 10.7 in 2011, and made the decision to only charge $19.99, I hesitantly applauded.  I liked the price, but Apple really could do better! For years, they have been giving away the iOS update, so why not do the same for OSX?   Now they have!  OSX 10.9, Mavericks, is Free!  What a concept!  Perhaps Apple realized the success they had giving iOS for free could be matched by giving OSX away.  I for one, believe more people will update, and make use of the great features of Mavericks, now that there is no cost.  

Since iOS 5 was released back in 2011, and with it iCloud,  I was wondering how long it would take Apple to better integrate OSX with iCloud.  10.7 was a good start, and 10.8 a bit better, but now with Mavericks, the integration with iOS, though not complete, is much better, and I will say, fantastic!  In this blog, I'm going cover some highlights in Mavericks. 

With the release of OS X Mavericks Apple has proved to us that they care about making the best operating system. Mavericks includes a plethora of updates and tweaks that make using the Mac even better. While many of the changes are under the hood, Apple also included many visible changes and features that I will  cover in this blog.   New features in the the App Store, the new Maps App, and some new features in the Contacts and Calendar apps.  This is by NO means an exhaustive list, but it's some of the features I think everyone should know about, and that I think are incredibly good to know.

First, lets talk about  Automatic updates from the MacApp Store!  Finally, as they added this functionality to iOS 7, they have also passed along this nice feature to Mac users.  

In System Preferences > App Store, you now have the ability to install app updates, system data files as well as security updates, all automatically!  Simply check the boxes (same as the photo below), and you will never have to click anything to update your apps again...A very welcome change!



Next, Apple has included a Maps App with Mavericks.  It works very much the same way as the Maps App for your iOS device works.  You can very easily swap display modes by either clicking the Standard, Hybrid or Satellite buttons, or you can click Command+1 (Standard), Command+2 (Hybrid), Command+3 for Satellite.  


A great feature of the Maps App is the ability to view bookmarks, and contacts from you iOS device (via iCloud).  You simply press the bookmarks icon (just to the left of the search bar).


While we are on Maps, let's talk about some other cool new features.  In the Contacts app, if you hover over an address, you get a Show Map button (right side of screen, next to the address).  If you click this button, you'll be taken directly to the selected address.  Very cool and very useful!



You can also view traffic by simply clicking the View menu option, and choosing Show Traffic. You'll notice the dots along the road just north of the 280 Freeway, indicating traffic...:)




You can also very easily get directions to wherever you are going.  For instance if I wanted to go from my home just north of Chicago, to Cupertino, I'm looking at about a day and a half drive!  Simply select the directions button, or press Command+R, choose your start and end points, and your directions are there for you...You can even choose walking or driving directions, those buttons are located just below the start and end entry fields.


My favorite new feature of the Maps app, is the ability to send directions to your iOS device!  Simply click the button to the right of the Directions button, and you get the ability to send those directions to your iPhone/iPad, or you can send via Email, iMessage, AirDrop, Twitter, Facebook, or even add the directions to your bookmarks.  


One last tip for the Maps app.  You can easily add an address from the Maps App directly into Contacts.  Simply type the address into the address bar, click on the pin, then click the address, and a window opens that gives you the ability to Add Bookmark, Get Directions, Add to Contacts, or Report a problem.  


A new feature for the Calendar, allows you to view a Map within a Calendar event.  If the calendar event has an address, simply double click the address, and a map will appear!  Clicking the Map will open the Maps app with the event location zoomed in...:).  You'll also notice, in the Info Panel, next to city (Northbrook, Il in this example), you'll get a temperature reading for the High and Low's of the day, as well as if it's going to be partly sunny, or rainy.  




Also new to Calendar, is continuous scrolling.  Now to move between months (forward or backward), simply scroll up or down on your Magic Mouse, or Trackpad.  


Also new to the Calendar is the Current Week Marker.  You'll notice the red line running across the calendar view, this designates the current week, making it easier to find when you are scrolling between months.  

So I've touched on just a few of the cool new features, and will be adding more in the coming weeks. Enjoy the Mavericks, it's a nice step forward from Mountain Lion.  

If you have questions, thoughts or concerns, please drop me a note...
Until next time, Best to you and your devices!





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