Or you could have still downloaded the installer from the App store, A quick google search comes up with this official Apple download link for High Sierra, step #4 on this page.
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT208969
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https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT208969
I just installed 10.14.1 on my 2012 i7 Mac Mini and I really don't see any issue with the fonts. I am even using Dark Mode right now... I actually like it. "Use font smoothing when available" is already checked (turned on) under System Preferences... so I wonder if this is why it looks good on my 27" Samsung HD display. I will find out more when I update my 2012 MBP to Mojave.
Update: My 2012 non-retina 13" MBP seems to look good using Mojave as well. Everything seems good so far. Although I'm not sure what happened to some of the older OSX and MacOS desktop pictures under the Desktop & Screensaver settings.
Update: My 2012 non-retina 13" MBP seems to look good using Mojave as well. Everything seems good so far. Although I'm not sure what happened to some of the older OSX and MacOS desktop pictures under the Desktop & Screensaver settings.
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Indeed. There are schools that are Apple based that can’t affairs to replace old Mac Airs! Not everybody who owns likes Apple are in the 1%.
My main Mac is a 2014 mini driving two non-retina monitors, and I have a 2016 retina MacBook Pro. I updated to Mojave on the mini at release with trepidation owing to the font issue. I kept screenshots before and after on both devices. There is font degradation on the low res monitors if I look closely, but I’ve ended up not noticing in day-to-day work and find myself preferring dark mode. Just not a practical issue for me. The keyboard on the 2016 MBP is another matter, however.
I have a late 2013 MacBook Pro Retina running two Dell 21 inch external monitors - they're not bad, not the best - about £200 each so not retina but not garbage. When I installed Mojave I was no longer able to work - the text was making my eyes screwy to the point that it seemed like the banks of text were moving. I found a lot of 'niche' apps - as well as Adobe etc, and Apple's too, including Xcode - were so hard to decipher, that I ended up with a headache as well as a strange feeling of the screen 'moving' in front of me.
So I decided to revert back. No biggie I thought. But then the previous versions of OSX were no longer available on my itunes account, as they always used to be. My only solution was to go to a local independent repair shop and get a version of High Sierra put on a thumbdrive and go from there.
I didn't even go nuts about it - because I've now come to expect this kind of thing from Apple.
What does disturb me, as it always has, is the apologists on here arguing that 'it's not so bad'. I was literally not even able to see straight when I was looking at my monitors anymore!@)
If you rely on using an external monitor, please make sure you have a backup on a thumb drive because you may find yourself unable to work as I did.
So I found a solution. And up until this post to vent a bit of steam, just got on with it - because now, quite frankly, I expect to be 'screwed' by Apple at every turn - whereas for years and years I used to be 'delighted'.
And before anyone says that the various terminal commands, workarounds etc restore things as they were - in my experience, on my external monitors - they most certainly did not. My monitors, whatever settings I applied with these workarounds, looked like they had been taken in a time machine back twenty years.
And before the apologists say that this is the price of progress - I agree in a sense - that things may need to be adjusted in an OS to optimise etc - however there was a. no warning from Apple that this may happen, b. they made it incredibly difficult to go back to the previous OS in a way that had never happened before (all previous installations were gone from my account - regardless of the settings - workarounds such as 'hidden' etc, and c, frankly - if they're going to pull a move like this - at least they should provide their own external monitor I can buy instead of third party rubbish like the LG) etc etc - as a longtime enthusiast I can't see any benefits for the user from this change.
In terminal type:
defaults write -g CGFontRenderingFontSmoothingDisabled -bool FALSE
So this really BOTHERS me. I was literally about to upgrade to Mojave finally after deciding against participating in the beta process. Seeing that I have one of the newer MacBook Pros, the issue won't affect the built-in display, but I like to use my TV and external monitors. None of them are 4K. 1080p and 1440p respectively.
So you guys are telling me that I will have a DEGRADED experience when viewing fonts in Safari and other macOS areas, such as what, Mail? Messages?
I want to know what's what, even if it's only a slight difference.
I wonder if I will be stuck on Sierra forever. Yea, it works fine, but I understand that I'm missing out on faster window drawing and other graphics benefits that started in High Sierra. Is that correct? Something to do with Metal? If someone could explain that a little better, I'd also highly appreciate it.
Thanks!
So you guys are telling me that I will have a DEGRADED experience when viewing fonts in Safari and other macOS areas, such as what, Mail? Messages?
I want to know what's what, even if it's only a slight difference.
I wonder if I will be stuck on Sierra forever. Yea, it works fine, but I understand that I'm missing out on faster window drawing and other graphics benefits that started in High Sierra. Is that correct? Something to do with Metal? If someone could explain that a little better, I'd also highly appreciate it.
Thanks!
In terminal type:So this really BOTHERS me. I was literally about to upgrade to Mojave finally after deciding against participating in the beta process. Seeing that I have one of the newer MacBook Pros, the issue won't affect the built-in display, but I like to use my TV and external monitors. None of them are 4K. 1080p and 1440p respectively.
So you guys are telling me that I will have a DEGRADED way of viewing fonts in Safari and other macOS areas, such as what, Mail? Messages?
I want to know what's what, even if it's only a slight difference. Will I be stuck on Sierra forever??? Yea, it works fine, but I understand that I'm kissing out on faster window drawing and other graphics benefits that started in High Sierra. Is that correct? Something to do with Metal? If someone could explain that a little better, I'd also highly appreciate it.
Thanks!
defaults write -g CGFontRenderingFontSmoothingDisabled -bool FALSE
I tried all the various “fixes” and documented all the outcomes. Varies with monitor, and none of them were perfect.
This command restores the previous functionality. Can you post screenshots comparing High Sierra and Mojave after entering this in terminal?
Thank you. As others have asked, however, does this truly and completely restore this functionality or is it some kind of workaround?
Also, if I were to upgrade to 10.14.1 now and run the command, etc., is it safe to assume that future versions of Mojave will still have the command available?
Thanks again, I appreciate it!
I am going to make a huge stretch on this one, and guess that the old font smoothing system is based on OpenGL. and since apple deprecated it, and went to "Metal only" graphics the old font smoothing was left on the chopping block. The software necessary to enable it is probably still buried in there somewhere for now if it is OpenGL based but it likely won't be there for long.
Very interesting notion indeed! Is it correct that macOS went to Metal for a lot of the OS UI with High Sierra and that Apple did away with "more of" OpenGL in Mojave? (so to speak)
As for the font issue, does that mean that there is or that there will be new software to enable font smoothing that works on Metal - if that makes any sense?
I hope I didn’t miss this being covered in this thread but I find it interesting to know exactly what a Retina Display is.
Here’s a link to a Wikipedia entry on just that: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retina_display
And from MacWorld: https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/apple/retina-display-3466732/
Here’s a link to a Wikipedia entry on just that: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retina_display
And from MacWorld: https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/apple/retina-display-3466732/
I think its an improvement. I've gotten used to it now. ( I am referring to the Command Line fix over the default)
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It replicates the functionality that existed before. The only workaround is that it is being enabled from the command line.
With this it still looks awful on a 27" 1920x1080 monitor
Will try with a 24" 2560x1440 monitor on Wednesday
With this it still looks awful on a 27" 1920x1080 monitor
Will try with a 24" 2560x1440 monitor on Wednesday
Oh boy. Really??? So what you are saying is Mojave looks WORSE on your 1080p monitor than High Sierra or Sierra did, DESPITE the command line "fix"?
No, I'm not saying that (as I never had Sierra nor High Sierra in combination with this monitor; with Snow Leopard it looked OK-ish)
nope
That may in theory restore things - but on my monitors it didn't.
All I can do is report my own experience. The difference was marked - for me, on my equipment.
If it looked the same - I would have gone on my merry way - but instead I found it clearly degraded, and went through the hoops to downgrade.
Not that it bothers me that much but I confirm visible degradation even with the terminal fix. This on a Dell monitor (quite old). However, on a newer Acer monitor, less noticeable but not as "clean" as it was with Sierra.
I still haven't had a problem with the fonts after upgrading from HS to Mojave a while ago. If I had the time and money I would consider taking violin lessons for the people who are still unhappy about the supposed Mojave font issue but I don't have the time or the money for it.
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I know - it's a temporary solution until I get my new monitor (24" 2560x1440 => 123ppi), but it is definitely worse than the same monitor with Snow Leopard (on another mac mini that's normally attached to it).
I'll try to do comparable screenshots later.
Update: In fact, fonts on same monitor with MM on Snow Leopard is equally bad - had forgotten how bad 1920x1080 on a 27" was. Been 'spoiled' with 1920x1200 on a MBP 17" (133ppi), so hopefully 2560x1440 on 24" (123ppi) is nearly as good.
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