WWW.TECHLEARNING.COM | FEBRUARY 2018 | 19

By Carol S. Holzberg

H

igh Sierra, Apple’s free operating system upgrade, offers

several exciting improvements—from systemic changes

to overall design and user experience enhancements.

This review covers improvements of interest to K–12.

Quality and Effectiveness: New features for

improved workflows, enhanced security, and optimized

performance include a 64-bit Apple File System (APFS) to

accommodate much larger files and a new H.265 video standard

called HEVC, or High Efficiency Video Coding, offering improved

compression for 4K video files.

Ease of Use: The free macOS upgrade can be installed on new and

older computers, including iMacs and MacBooks released in 2009

and MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini and Mac Pro models from

mid-2010 (support.apple.com/en-us/HT201475).

Creative Use of Technology: Because APFS, Apple’s new file system

architecture, can address 64 bits of data at one time, it manages data

significantly faster. While High Sierra still runs most older 32-bit

apps, this will be the last macOS to do so.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: Safari users will

appreciate several new features, including Stop Media with Sound,

which makes it possible to mute pop-up videos and advertisements.

The Reader setting removes

extraneous advertisements and

other visual distractions and will

help students who have a hard

time staying focused when reading

a Web page. Safari users also now

have the option of preventing cross-site

tracking, thus limiting content providers

from using information to personalize users’

Web pages with targeted advertisements.

Other notable improvements include changes to favorite apps like

FaceTime, Photos, and Apple Notes. With FaceTime 4.0 in macOS

10.13, users can take a picture as a live photo during a video call. Live

photos can be useful, for example, when students are talking with an

expert who’s demonstrating something noteworthy. Apple’s Photos

app boasts new color and light adjustment tools for improved image

editing and also allows users to call up a third-party photo editor

like Photoshop from within Photos. The new version of Apple

Notes does tables and allows users to Pin and Lock important

notes.

In addition, information in High Sierra is synced across devices

using end-to-end encryption, making transmissions more secure.

New search options in Apple Mail help users find information

in older messages more quickly. And those with computers that

support 4K video will be able to watch them and also stream

videos more smoothly with the new H.265 (High Efficiency

Video Coding) compression scheme. Several Adobe CC 2017

apps are incompatible with the new APFS, and other apps with

compatibility problems include AutoCAD for Mac 2015 and

Microsoft Office 2011.

PRODUCT REVIEWS

MACOS HIGH SIERRA 10.

apple.com/ n Retail Price: Updating to High Sierra is free.

TOP FEATURES

• The new 64-bit Apple File System (APFS) architecture, optimized for
  flash technology, replaces the older file system, and the new H.265 video
  compression scheme offers improved streaming and files take up less space.


• Improvements and new features in many core Apple applications, including
  Safari, Photos, Mail, Notes, and FaceTime.


• Faster boot times, improved security, and
  limited tracking. OVERALL
  RATING: Overall,
  with its enhanced
  personalization and useful
  new features, High Sierra
  is a free upgrade that won’t
  disappoint—unless users
  have 32-bit applications
  they can neither upgrade
  nor do without.