Will you really need Yosemite?

[tywebb13]

We should upgrade to new systems if they provide new functionalities that we will need. So I'm always interested in new stuff from apple (and their competitors).

But if we don't really need the new functionalities, then we needn't bother upgrading.

In the past I was very interested in mountain lion and mavericks because of airplay mirroring and both had a lot to offer with that.

But I'm not so sure with yosemite though.

It seems the main new thing is just turning your mac into a phone.

Do you really need that though? I don't.

The rest - changing fonts, the general look of things, etc, just seems to be about tinkering at the edges.

And I criticise their youtube video. They say that "We reconsidered every element of the Mac interface, large and small. The result is something that feels fresh, but still inherently familiar. Completely new, yet completely Mac."

Did they reconsider something central to my interest to mac os in recent years, namely airplay mirroring? Anything new there? Nope.

Fast forward several months. Will 10.10.5 be better than 10.9.5? If not, I'll be sticking with 10.9.5!

 

[maflynn]

But if we don't really need the new functionalities, then we needn't bother upgrading.

Correct, the new features that Yosemite brings to the table have no impact on me since I currently do no not own an iPhone. I'm not totally enmeshed in the iOS ecosystem.

I'll need to upgrade when the apps I use or need require it, but until then I don't see the need.

 

[sonicrobby]

What does it hurt to upgrade to a free software? It contains the old features and adds new ones. I for one am mainly upgrading because of the sms features. Literally the only reason! Super excited about that. Anyway, it is understandable that if there is nothing new there, there is no reason to upgrade. But if there are no negatives and its free, why not?

 

[RedRaven571]

I think airdrop between iOS and OS X will be handy, along with the continuity feature. Also, the way the new email handles large files (if it works as advertised) is a big plus.

Lots of little things that add up to a nice package.

 

[leman]

But if we don't really need the new functionalities, then we needn't bother upgrading.

The 10.10 adds TONS of functionality. Most important IMO is improved OS pluggability (via new Extension mechanism). You can have custom Finder plugins which will keep your data in sync from various sources (even virtual ones). Or the Action Extension which allows you do add functionality to other applications on your machine. Apple's own markup works like this. The possibilities here are huge.

 

[maflynn]

What does it hurt to upgrade to a free software? It contains the old features and adds new ones

But if you're not using or need the new features why go through the process. Plus at this moment (yes I know its only beta 1) its buggy. Mavericks is quite stable, I'll be upgrading to an OS that I'll not use any of the new features but have to deal with bugs that I wouldn't if I stayed on Mavericks.

 

[-BigMac-]

i dont see the point of this thread. you're saying such obvious things.

'if you dont need the new features, why upgrade.' well if you dont need the new features, you shouldnt upgrade.

if you find them useful, then upgrade.

 

[sonicrobby]

But if you're not using or need the new features why go through the process. Plus at this moment (yes I know its only beta 1) its buggy. Mavericks is quite stable, I'll be upgrading to an OS that I'll not use any of the new features but have to deal with bugs that I wouldn't if I stayed on Mavericks.

True, no point at the beginning if you're one to notice bugs. But are bugs at official release that noticeable?

 

[maflynn]

But are bugs at official release that noticeable?

Every OS has bugs, not every bug can be identified in time to have them fixed before the GM is cut. Some upgrades are more stable then others - its impossible to know (other then working with the betas) to know how stable it will be.

Don't get me wrong, I've upgraded to every version of OSX. I installed the public beta of OSX 1.0 when it was released and other times I was quick to upgrade. Other occasions, I delayed the upgrade like when Snow Leopard came out. There were reported issues and I wasn't needing all of the features so I delayed.

In Yosemite's case, Apple is tightening the integration of its servics and products between OSX and iOS. That's the main feature - and its improved search. I really have no use for those so I'm holding off.

 

[deeddawg]

Every OS has bugs, not every bug can be identified in time to have them fixed before the GM is cut. Some upgrades are more stable then others - its impossible to know (other then working with the betas) to know how stable it will be.

Exactly why waiting a few weeks after release can be beneficial. The old "wait for the dot-one release" idea.

Rest of the thread is kind of stating the obvious. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Upgrade when doing so gives you something you want/need.

 

[S.B.G]

I can't say that I need the new OS per se, but I do want it. I really like some of the new features it's going to have. Plus, it's free and that's always a plus. Heck, I could still be using Tiger today and get the stuff done that I normally do.

 

[kmj2318]

Even not having an iPhone, I think Mail Drop, Spotlight, and iCloud Drive are enough to upgrade.

 

[bigjnyc]

Did they reconsider something central to my interest to mac os in recent years, namely airplay mirroring? Anything new there? Nope.

Oh did Apple not call you directly to find out what you wanted specifically before releasing 10.10? How inconsiderate of them... Perhaps they misplaced your number

 

[matt2053]

The more recent the version you're on, the more protected you will be from security concerns such as malware. You'll always have the most up-to-date patches and fixes for any exploits or vulnerabilities.

 

[maflynn]

Even not having an iPhone, I think Mail Drop, Spotlight, and iCloud Drive are enough to upgrade.

Spotlight - yes, they really souped up spot light - no argument there
I have 145GB of storage with OneDrive - iCloud Drive pales on comparison.
Mail drop is a cool thing, no doubt but since I don't send large attachments I don't see myself taking advantage of it.

I'm not down on the upgrade, quite the contrary, I think visually its very stunning, but I'm not going to rush to install it, either the beta, or the GM. Mavericks right now is rock solid for me. Maybe when the 10.10.1 rolls around I'll see if its time

 

[Gregintosh]

I remember back in the days of Windows when you had to shell out $89 or more for an OS upgrade, many people were reluctant to fork over the money when the feature set wasn't compelling enough.

Even with Mac OS it used to cost $129 to get the new one, then they dropped it to $29 which already made it easy to upgrade to make even if the feature set wasn't as compelling (and lets face it many people spend $29 or more on individual apps that they hardly use or aren't so amazing).

But with Yosemite, not only are there some good features even if you aren't an iPhone user, it's also 100% free.

Unless you have an enterprise where you run proprietary legacy software that just won't run on Yosemite (which is usually not as much of a problem with Macs as it is with PCs anyway) you have no reason to skip the upgrade.

I guess one more reason could be if you have a mega old computer that will barely run it, in which case maybe its better to have a speedy old OS than a sluggish new one.

I am not an Apple engineer but I can pretty much guarantee you that shortly after launch all the major programs (Office, Photoshop, Pro level software, etc.) will be working, including just about everything significant in the App store.

Delay upgrading? Maybe. That's if you want to wait for the 10.10.1 release just to get the biggest bugs out or whatever. But not skipping entirely!

Ultimately, everyone can do what they like but there is literally no benefit to doing that and tons of new/better features you'd be missing out on. Suit yourself, but I will be upgrading ASAP!

 

[S.B.G]

Spotlight - yes, they really souped up spot light - no argument there

I love Spotlight [now] and use it all the time. The only thing that bothers me since Lion or Mountain Lion, when they introduced the Notification Center, that app took the far right position on the menu bar where Spotlight traditionally resided. I used to fling the cursor to the top right and click to get Spotlight, and now I have to aim the cursor better to get it.

I understand why they did and it makes sense, but I wish there was an option to disable it or move it or something.

 

[sviato]

I actually regret upgrading to Mavericks. I did so for the battery life improvements via software but have faced tons of beachballs and crashes since upgrading.

I like the Yosemite features and design, but don't want performance to get even worse :/

 

[Anitramane]

What does it hurt to upgrade to a free software? It contains the old features and adds new ones. I for one am mainly upgrading because of the sms features. Literally the only reason! Super excited about that. Anyway, it is understandable that if there is nothing new there, there is no reason to upgrade. But if there are no negatives and its free, why not?

It removes features I like…

 

[sonicrobby]

It removes features I like…

Which ones?

 

[haravikk]

If it was a paid upgrade then yeah, I might not bother, but it's free, and I'm a fan of many of the UI changes, though I may have to install custom icons.

Otherwise it seems one of those updates where many of the changes are in new capabilities for developers, such as notification centre widgets, iCloud drive, new APIs etc. Many of the other improvements are at an individual app level, for example the improvements to Yosemite's Safari look good, MailDrop is interesting (though I usually don't have problems with attachments) and so-on.

We haven't heard much about lower level changes that might be of benefit, such as anything power-saving or performance related, as those were the main features that sold me on Mavericks, alongside the less backwards Fullscreen implementation (though it's still a bit annoying). I'm hoping Apple have some upgraded components that aren't in the current developer preview, like an updated OpenGL version.


But yeah, I guess this update is mainly focused on the UI changes, but that's not a bad thing really.

 

[dmccloud]

And I criticise their youtube video. They say that "We reconsidered every element of the Mac interface, large and small. The result is something that feels fresh, but still inherently familiar. Completely new, yet completely Mac."

Did they reconsider something central to my interest to mac os in recent years, namely airplay mirroring? Anything new there? Nope.

Fast forward several months. Will 10.10.5 be better than 10.9.5? If not, I'll be sticking with 10.9.5!

What does the video on reconsidering the UI have to do with Airplay? If you answered "absolutely nothing", you're correct. You don't even bother to explain what issues you have with Airplay mirroring, so this comes off as griping for the sake of griping. Personally, I like the new UI, as it does a better job of blending into the background than its predecessor, and after a brief adjustment period, I honestly don't notice the font changes - it's just as readable and easy on the eyes as Mavericks and the old font.

The quick hotspot feature has quickly become a favorite of mine because it doesn't require me to juggle my Mac and iPhone at the same time to get the connection working, and Handoff will be a feature I use a lot based on my early experiences with it. That doesn't even begin to take into account iCloud Drive and Mail Drop. What Apple is doing with Yosemite and iOS 8 is unifying the workflow side of things to some extent, while retaining the distinct identity and basic usability model of each OS. When you factor in the potential of both Home Kit and Health Kit, they're truly building a robust, interoperable ecosystem that Android can't duplicate and Microsoft is too bull-headed to figure out how to do it on their own.

 

[827538]

We should upgrade to new systems if they provide new functionalities that we will need. So I'm always interested in new stuff from apple (and their competitors).

But if we don't really need the new functionalities, then we needn't bother upgrading.

In the past I was very interested in mountain lion and mavericks because of airplay mirroring and both had a lot to offer with that.

But I'm not so sure with yosemite though.

It seems the main new thing is just turning your mac into a phone.

Do you really need that though? I don't.

The rest - changing fonts, the general look of things, etc, just seems to be about tinkering at the edges.

And I criticise their youtube video. They say that "We reconsidered every element of the Mac interface, large and small. The result is something that feels fresh, but still inherently familiar. Completely new, yet completely Mac."

Did they reconsider something central to my interest to mac os in recent years, namely airplay mirroring? Anything new there? Nope.

Fast forward several months. Will 10.10.5 be better than 10.9.5? If not, I'll be sticking with 10.9.5!

It might not mean too much to you but having the new call/text features are hugely useful to me. As for the UI, well I think its well overdue for an overhaul and I like the direction. By all means don't upgrade but providing its a nice stable release and I don't see why it wouldn't be - as Mavericks focused more on the under the hood stuff - then what do you have to lose by upgrading? There's always small things that can be improved but as for big major features what should they do? I would like to see better OpenGL support and continued improvements to Safari but aside from that I'm a bit short on inspiration.

 

[mmomega]

I love Spotlight [now] and use it all the time. The only thing that bothers me since Lion or Mountain Lion, when they introduced the Notification Center, that app took the far right position on the menu bar where Spotlight traditionally resided. I used to fling the cursor to the top right and click to get Spotlight, and now I have to aim the cursor better to get it.

I understand why they did and it makes sense, but I wish there was an option to disable it or move it or something.

and even quicker way of accessing Spotlight is to hit CMD+ Space bar.
I knew some friends that never used Spotlight until I showed them the shortcut now they use it quite a bit.

 

[S.B.G]

and even quicker way of accessing Spotlight is to hit CMD+ Space bar.
I knew some friends that never used Spotlight until I showed them the shortcut now they use it quite a bit.

That's awesome! I don't know why I didn't know about that before. Thanks!