Review: Apple’s OS X Yosemite

New iPhones, new iPads and a refresh of the Mac lineup: Apple is certainly releasing a lot of new devices this fall, but it isn’t stopping there.

On Thursday, Mac users will receive a major software update in the form of OS X Yosemite. The highly anticipated updated operating system is loaded with new features, especially if you own more than one Apple device.

The best part: it’s free of charge.

Should you update? I spent some quality time with the last release before Yosemite became available to the masses to try out some of the fancy new features.

Read on to find out if OS X Yosemite is for you.

The install

As with most software updates, many people sit back and hold off to see how the install process goes for others before diving in. I am not one of those people. Being an early adopter I don’t mind taking the risk. In the case of Yosemite, the risk paid off.

OS X Yosemite is big: coming in at more than 5 GB, you’ll want to make sure you have a bit of time on your hands to download the update. I have a pretty good Internet connection at home and downloaded the file on my 2014 MacBook Pro via WiFi within 45 minutes. You’ll also want to make sure you have your computer plugged in. You don’t want to lose power and risk corrupting the install.

As with all Apple software, the install is an easy to follow process: wait for the file to download, accept “the terms” and hit install. Although it is always a good idea to backup your files, I took a risk and jumped right in — letting the installer do its thing.

I was surprised to see the progress bar move along as smoothly as it did. Within 30 minutes my Macbook had rebooted, displaying the Yosemite start-up screen.

So far so good.

The Look

The first thing you’ll notice about Yosemite is the new look. I was at the Apple event when OS X Yosemite was announced last year, and even after seeing the demo on the big screen at the unveiling, I wasn’t convinced it looked significantly different.

That changed once it booted up on my Mac. In fact, the change is quite dramatic.

For the first time in the history of OS X, Yosemite features a new typeface. The classic Lucida Grande font has been replaced with Helvetica Neue. If you’re an iPhone user, you will already be familiar with Helvetica Neue, as it was introduced to the iPhone some time ago. It has also slowly crept into Apple’s software over the past two years, showing up in apps like GarageBand and iPhoto. Now Helvetica Neue can be seen throughout Yosemite, bringing all iOS devices together and sharing the same recognizable font.

While some typeface designers argue Helvetica Neue doesn’t work well as a system font, I have had no issues. I found the new typeface to be sharp, clean and easy to read. Keep in mind, I have been primarily testing Yosemite on a MacBook with retina display. On a normal screen, Helvetica Heue may appear different.

Icons also take on a new look in Yosemite. Apple has said goodbye to the 3D-style icons, even removing shadows and reflections from the dock. The new icons are not only flatter but bolder and brighter. While many look similar, some of the icons have been redesigned: Photo Booth, FaceTime, Notes, and Safari icons (to name a few) have changed. Even the iTunes icon has changed colours from the familiar blue to a bold red. The good news is the icon update isn’t so drastic that you can’t figure out what app is what. There are still core design elements which remain consistent.

Transparency also plays a role in the new look of Yosemite. The tool bar at the top of the screen, along with the dock at the bottom now let the desktop background bleed through, giving the illusion of more desktop space. The effect was present in Mavericks’, however Apple now takes transparency a step further. Many of the drop-down menus and sidebars are also transparent to a degree. I couldn’t find a way to change the transparency settings. It appears what you see it what you get.

Spotlight

Admittedly, Spotlight is a feature I use all too often on my Mac. The great thing about spotlight is it enables the user to find files on their computer without having to browse through folder after folder. Consider it a universal search of sorts. In Yosemite, Apple has decided to make Spotlight a more prominent feature.

While the magnifying glass icon, which launches Spotlight, remains in the upper right hand corner of the desktop, clicking it now opens up the spotlight search field front and centre on your Mac. Not only will it search for the keyword you entered in your files on your Mac, Spotlight now extends your search to include iTunes, Wikipedia, Maps, Bing as well as your messages and email.

For example, If I type the word CityNews in Spotlight, I get hits from my email account, stating CityNews re-tweeted one of my tweets on Twitter. I also get the suggested website for CityNews, the Wikipedia entry for CityNews, documents which contain the word, plus messages. The part about Spotlight which I love is the fact that if I were to click on one of the emails that show up, I can reply from within Spotlight. I don’t have to open the Mail app.

Another feature I love about Spotlight is the fact it can convert both measurements and currency for you. Type in 100 USD and Spotlight will convert to Canadian dollars based on the day’s rate. Want to know how many meters are in 100 feet? According to Spotlight, it’s 30.48 meters.

Some will find Spotlight digs up too much info from a simple keyword. That’s where customization comes in handy. You can tell Spotlight what sources you want it to use by going into preferences. This proves useful when you’re simply searching for documents, not the latest headlines on Bing.

Canadian users should note there is a feature in Spotlight that is not available in Canada: In the U.S. , if you type in the word “movies”, Spotlight will let you know what movies are playing nearby, along with showtimes. This does not work in Canada right now. However other location-based searches such as “restaurants” do show up within Spotlight searches.

Notification Center

Admittedly this is a feature I didn’t use much in Mavericks. However, I’ve already started using Notification Centre in Yosemite thanks to enhancements made by Apple.

The biggest change is the addition of Today View. This panel displays everything that is on your agenda for the day. Your appointments, plus any reminders you have set for yourself will show up in this panel. You can also have Notification Centre give you a glimpse into tomorrow’s schedule so you can plan ahead.

Today’s view can be fully customized, and now allows for the addition of widgets. Currently you can add weather, and stocks widgets to Todays’s View to flesh out your day. Social media fanatics will love the introduction of Social widgets such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. You can post to any of the networks without launching the specific app by simply clicking an icon. Apple has made widgets available to developers so you will soon have access to all sorts of widgets.

As with most features, Notification Centre can be customized. I don’t follow the stock market so I promptly removed that option. You can also click and drag widgets to appear in the order you would like within Notification Centre

Alongside the Today View panel is the Notifications tab. This remains the same as it appeared in OS X Mavericks.You can see all the social media notifications along with incoming iMessages and notifications about the apps you have installed on your computer.

Mail

I rely heavily on corporate email for work, so I haven’t used the built-in Mail app on Macs very much as it’s simply not compatible with our internal email. That  said, I wish I could figure out a way to make the two work in harmony as there are a couple of features in Mail that I would love to use on a daily basis.

The first feature is called Markup. As a tech reporter/reviewer, I have to sign a ton of non-disclosure agreements, stating I won’t talk about a product before embargoes lift. With Markup, I can write, draw or sign images or documents and send them back.

Markup takes a bit of practise and patience to use, but once you fool around with it for 10 or 15 minutes you’ll get the hang of it. The first thing you need to know is you can’t manipulate anything you want to. It must be an image such as a JPG or PDF. To use markup you must attach an image to an email you’re composing, then hover your mouse over it. A small dropdown menu pops up. Once you open the dropdown menu the Markup option appears.

You’ll notice a small set of tools appear above the image you want to manipulate. They range from a pen to common shapes and text. If you select the pen tool you can doodle on the image. If Markup thinks that you’re trying to draw a straight line it will ask if you want it straightened. This is actually fairly handy as drawing on a trackpad and be tricky. The shape option is great for inserting speech balloons or common shapes such as circles. Text allows you to type on an image. There are a wide variety of fonts and colours to choose from.

Signatures is handy for contracts and documents. If you select the signatures tool you have two ways to import your signature. You can write it on a white piece paper and use your Mac’s camera to import it, or you can write directly on the trackpad with your finger. This one can be tricky. You need to pretend the trackpad is a piece of paper. Whatever you trace on the trackpad will show up on screen.

Once a signature has been created, you can manipulate the sizing by clicking the corner of it and sliding your finger to shrink or enlarge it. It’s important to know, once Markup has been used, the change is permanent. The person who receives the Markup image will not be able to remove what you have done.

The other feature I find quite useful is Mail Drop. This essentially allows Mail users to send large files up to 5GB in size without having to rely on third party services or apps.

Mail Drop temporarily sends large files to iCloud, then sends them to the recipient. If the recipient also used iCloud, the file will appear in their inbox. If they do not use iCloud, a link will be sent for the file to be downloaded. The file will remain for download in the cloud for 30 days.

Messages

I’ve always been a huge fan of Messages on the Mac. It’s a feature I used in OS X Mavericks quite a bit. One of the biggest changes is the ability to manage group conversations.

In the past, groups listed all the individual members involved. Now you can give the group a name. For example if you have a group of friends travelling with you, you could rename the group “The Vegas Crew.” You can also add or delete people from the group or simply choose to leave the group yourself, a feature which I love!

Another neat feature is the ability to send voice messages from within Messages. A small microphone icon appears next to the area where you type your message. If you press and hold the icon you can record a quick audio clip.

Messages also offers something which had users relying on third party apps until now. Finally, you can screen-share with your contacts. When you click on a contact’s details, you will see a small icon showing two windows overlapping each other. If you click on this icon, both parties can view a single desktop screen. The screen-share option also opens up the microphones so both participants can chat with each other while connected. Both participants also have the ability to control the screen. I didn’t get the chance to fully explore this feature as it requires both users to be using Yosemite.

iCloud Drive

There are many third party cloud storage application out there, and it’s no surprise Apple wants you to use theirs. To help convince you to use iCloud Drive, Apple has integrated it into Yosemite. In the Finder window,iCloud Drive appears as a storage option. While default folders are Numbers, Pages, Script Editor and TextEdit, you can customize your own folders as you see fit. Here’s the interesting part about iCloud Drive: you can access the service from iPhones, iPads, Macs and Windows machines (running Windows 7 and later).

iCloud Drive worked quite well for me. I tested the service with Pages on my Mac. I dragged my Pages files into the iCloud Drive folder in the Finder. Within minutes they appeared on both my iPad and iPhone. I noticed files can take a few moments to show up on other devices, so be patient. It’s not an instantaneous process, but pretty close. (Just make sure you drag your files into the proper folders to ensure they show up within the proper apps).

Apple is making its iCloud Drive service free of charge with up to 5GB of storage. If you want additional space you can pay anywhere from $0.99 a month for 20GB to $19.99 a month for 1TB. The price is fairly reasonable considering DropBox charges $17 a month, however it offers unlimited storage for that price.

Phone Calls

An interesting feature I never realized would be so handy until I started using it.

To make phone calls from your Mac, you must have both your iPhone and your Mac logged into the same iCloud account. Once the two are connected you can start using this handy new feature.

Whenever your iPhone receives a call, and is within range of your Mac, you’ll see a message on your computer screen letting you know you have an incoming call. You can choose to answer it on your iPhone or your Mac. In fact, you can even switch between the two devices. If you start a call on your Mac, you can switch to your iPhone by tapping the iPhone screen. Unfortunately you can not transfer a call from your iPhone to your Mac.

Call quality through the Mac is decent. The feature uses the built-in microphone so audio can be a bit hollow sounding, but no different than using a bluetooth hands-free system in your vehicle.

I found the phone call feature particularly handy while surfing the web. The other day I was searching for a restaurant online; finally found the one I wanted to go to and by simply highlighting the phone number and right clicking I was able to call and make a reservation from my computer — it’s that easy. I also like the fact that you can turn the call into a video chat with the press of a button. Handy when you decide FaceTime is a better option.

Since you are technically still using your iPhone, minutes will be subtracted from you wireless plan just like you were making a call from your iPhone. Although Apple is introducing WiFi calling in Yosemite in the US, the feature is not being rolled out in Canada at this time. I have a feeling a deal would have to be made with a wireless carrier for that to happen.

SMS and MMS

It’s too bad the one feature I was most excited about within Messages has yet to be activated in Yosemite. Earlier this year, Apple announced you would be able to send both SMS and MMS from your Mac through your iPhone. Try as I might, I could not get this to work. An error continued to pop up when I tried to send a message from a contact who didn’t use an iPhone, stating they were not registered with iCloud.

Apple has confirmed to me this feature will not go live until iOS 8.1 is released for the iPhone and iPad on October 21st.

SMS and MMS can’t be sent through Messages at this time

Instant Hotspot

There are times when you need to use your smartphone as a WiFi hotspot in order to get work done. The only problem is you have to dig out your iPhone, turn on your hotspot, type in the password, and wait for the two devices to sync. Instant Hotspot is intended to simplify the process.

To connect to your phone’s Personal Hotspot, simply look under the WiFi icon at the top of the desktop on your Mac. Your iPhone automatically appears on the WiFi list. Not only that, so does the battery level on your iPhone. To connect, all you have to do is click on your iPhone’s name and wait for the connection to occur.

There are a couple of cool features found within Instant Hotspot that will come in handy. With Autoconnect, your Mac will automatically connect to your iPhone’s hotspot when no WiFi networks are available. Your Mac also knows when your iPhone’s power is getting low — automatically disconnecting from your iPhone when you’re not using your Mac. On top of that, your Mac remains conscious of how much data it is using. It will not update apps, or make backups while connected to your phone via Hotspot.

I had some issues getting Instant Hotspot to work properly. While my phone appeared in the WiFi menu, at times I would get an error stating it could not connect to my phone. Every once in a while my iPhone would also disappear from the list, and would remain absent. I attempted Instant Hotspot with both an iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus with similar results. Since the version of Yosemite I was using wasn’t the official final release I can only guess this feature won’t roll out until Yosemite launches to the public.

Handoff

This is probably the biggest reason for updating to Yosemite, that is, of course, if you own multiple Apple devices. Handoff brings continuity to the Apple ecosystem, allowing you to begin work on one device, then continue working on another.

Using Handoff is quite simple. As you use an app on one device, a new app icon appears on your other devices alerting you an activity is available for handoff. For example if you launch Safari on your iPhone, a new Safari icon appears in the doc of your Mac with a small iPhone symbol next to it. If you click on the Safari icon, Safari launches on your Mac, bringing up the same page you are viewing on your iPhone. If you have multiple tabs open, Safari will only bring up the most recent tab you used.

If you happen to be using a web-based email client, Safari will make you sign in again for security purposes on the newly opened window.

While I found the Handoff feature to work quite well between my iPhone 6, iPad and Mac, my iPhone 6 Plus was a bit less forgiving. While I could Handoff apps from my iPhone 6 Plus to my MacBook Pro, I had no luck handing off apps from the Mac to the iPhone 6 Plus. I tried many of the troubleshooting tips offered with no luck. Maybe iOS 8.1 will fix this?

I also found not all apps worked with Handoff. Apple says Handoff works with Mail, Maps, Messages, Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Keynote, Numbers and Pages. I had the most luck with Safari, Messages. Mail and Calendar. I couldn’t get Pages, Keynote or numbers to Handoff to another device. Once again, this could be the version of the Yosemite beta I am using.

Since Apple is making the API for Handoff available to developers, you can bet we’ll see even more Handoff support in the near future.

AirDrop

This is a feature I have waited a long time for. I have always wondered why I couldn’t transfer files from my iPhone and iPad to my Mac and vice versa. The time has finally come.

For the first time, AirDrop lets you seamlessly transfer files between iPads, iPhones and Macs. AirDrop worked fairly seamlessly, although every once in a while my iPhone wouldn’t see my MacBook Pro. No different from using AirDrop on Mac to Mac I suppose.

Keep in mind there is no Finder on your iPhone or iPad so when you transfer files your iPhone will ask you what app you would like to use to open the file you have just sent.

Conclusion

It’s surprising just how many powerful features OS X Yosemite brings to the Mac. After using the new operating system extensively over the last little while I can tell you it’s heavily focused on those who own multiple Apple devices. It feels only natural they can now finally “speak” to each other and work together.

Despite the heavy device integration, even if you don’t own an iPhone or iPad, there’s still reason to appreciate what Yosemite has to offer. The clean, new design of Yosemite offers a refreshing change with useful features such as Markup, which still come on handy, even if the Mac is the only Apple device you own.

Do you need to upgrade right away? If you simply own a Mac then there’s really no rush, unless you want a cleaner streamlined look. However if you own other Apple devices I would strongly recommend upgrading to OS X Yosemite as soon as possible.

What do you have to lose? It’s free.

Let’s just hope Apple fine-tunes some of the features in the next update to alleviate any frustration users may have with some of the more ambitious elements.

Mike Yawney is CityNews technology specialist. Follow him on Twitter @Gadget_guy