macOS High Sierra

macOS High Sierra is the 14th major release of Apple's operating system for Mac computers. It is version macOS 10.13 and was released on September 25, 2017.

Unlike some other releases, High Sierra was primarily a foundational release, focusing on introducing new core technologies that would set the stage for future macOS updates, rather than a radical change to the user interface.

Core Technological Changes

The biggest, most important changes in High Sierra were happening under the hood:

Apple File System (APFS)

• New Default: APFS replaced the aging HFS+ file system, which had been in use since 1998.

• Performance: It was optimized for flash/SSD storage (the type used in most modern Macs) and offered significant speed improvements for common tasks like copying files and directories (often appearing instantaneous).

• Reliability: It features built-in encryption, crash protection, and native support for features like snapshots.

• Note: During the initial High Sierra release, the APFS migration was automatic only for Macs with all-flash storage (SSDs).

High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC)

• New Standard: Also known as H.265, HEVC is the industry standard for 4K video compression.

• Efficiency: It offers up to 40% better compression than the previous standard (H.264), allowing users to stream and store 4K video files at full quality while requiring less storage space and bandwidth.

Metal 2

• Graphics API Update: Metal is Apple's graphics processing technology. Metal 2 introduced a refined API and improved performance for accelerating apps and system functions.

• Machine Learning: It brought support for new technologies like machine learning (used in Siri, Photos, and other apps).

• VR/eGPU Support: Critically, it added native support for Virtual Reality (VR) content creation and the use of external graphics processors (eGPUs) via Thunderbolt 3, opening the Mac up to high-end professional graphics workflows and gaming

User-Facing App Refinements

Though the focus was on the core, several key applications received notable feature updates:

• Safari 11:

  • Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP): A major privacy feature that uses machine learning to identify and remove cross-site tracking data used by advertisers.

  • Autoplay Blocking: Automatically prevented videos with sound from playing without user permission.

• Photos: Received a major overhaul, including an always-on sidebar, new filtering tools, and advanced professional-grade editing tools like Curves and Selective Color. Live Photos could also be edited with new effects like Loop and Bounce.

• Mail: Introduced Top Hits for faster and more relevant search results and reduced disk storage usage by up to 35%.

• Notes: Added support for simple tables and the ability to pin important notes to the top of the list.