Newsletter Archives

• macOS Catalina is here – but hold yer horses

  Posted on October 7, 2019 at 21:26 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  From Nathan Parker:

  Apple released macOS Catalina today. The upgrade brings all new features to the Mac, including the ability to use an iPad as a second display with Sidecar, a new Find My app, support for bringing iPad apps to the Mac using Project Catalyst, improvements to the Photos app, support for Apple Arcade and the forthcoming Apple TV+, and much more.

  While macOS Catalina is an exciting new upgrade, I personally recommend holding off installing the upgrade until at least macOS 10.15.1 becomes available. We’ll keep you posted with all Apple Operating System Updates with the comprehensive list in AKB 2000014.

  A few important tidbits to note about macOS Catalina:

  • This update brings the end of 32 Bit apps. If you’re still running any 32 Bit apps (I’m running a couple of Windows apps on WINE that are still 32 Bit), you need to hold off upgrading until those apps are updated to 64 Bit support.

  • iTunes has been replaced with new Music, Podcasts, and TV apps. Your iTunes library will migrate to those apps, and most functionality will be there. If you rely on iTunes XML file support, however, hold off upgrading. Remember that iPhone and iPad device management has now been moved to the Finder.
  • A few additional legacy apps such as QuickTime Player 7 (Not QuickTime Player X) and Dashboard have also been discontinued.

  For those who have already pulled the plug on the update, here are the features to try out first.

  In addition to macOS Catalina, iMovie, GarageBand, Logic Pro X, and Final Cut Pro X all saw updates today. The major update was Final Cut Pro X (and its companion apps) which now offer support for Metal to improve video rendering performance, as well as support for the forthcoming modular Mac Pro.

  In other news, Spotify now supports Siri on the iPhone, iPad, and CarPlay. To top off today’s Apple-related news, here are some good troubleshooting tips for handling Macs with failing Fusion Drives.

  Apple macOS Catalina

• iOS 13.1, tvOS 13, and iPadOS released — plus urgent news for Mac Pro and AVID users

  Posted on September 25, 2019 at 05:43 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  From Nathaniel Parker:

  Apple released iOS 13.1 yesterday for the iPhone and iPod Touch, adding additional features that did not make it in the iOS 13 release. Today also marked the release of the new iPadOS variant of iOS, which also happens to officially be at 13.1. tvOS 13 has also been released today as well.

  Before updating devices today, however, you might want to hold off until Apple releases a fix for third-party keyboards. For those of us who also use a Mac, it is also recommended to wait and upgrade all devices after macOS Catalina is released. AskWoody is launching an Apple Operating Systems Update list (an AskWoody Knowledge Base article) that will be continuously updated, along with guidance on when to install updates and what updates to wait on.

  Urgent news for users of AVID video editing software on the “trashcan” Mac Pro. There is a major issue causing some Mac Pros not to restart after shutting down. For those who use a “trashcan” Mac Pro and AVID, don’t shut down your Mac, and initiate a full-system backup immediately.

  Lastly, the new low-cost 10.2” iPad is shipping Wednesday, with in-store availability coming later this week.

  Apple iOS, iPadOS, macOS Catalina, tvOS