Apple’s WWDC 2015 keynote event kicked off with announcement about the next major software version for the Mac, called OS X El Capitan. The upcoming software update unlike Yosemite will not bring any major visual changes to the operating system however, just like with the release of Snow Leopard, Apple is focussing on experience and performance with the release of OS X 10.11.

Refining the OS X experience

The entire Mac product lineup today offers incredibly capable machines. The Retina MacBook Pro is blazingly fast and offers one of the best displays in its category. With such capable machines you are going to end up doing a lot of tasks at the same time. With OS X El Capitan Apple is making it easier to switch between apps, handle multiple apps and even bringing new ways to interact with the Mail app.

The new software version 10.11 will bring Split View to the Mac natively for the first time. You can focus on two apps at the same time by creating a “split view” that fit the screen and adjust automatically. Windows and users of popular Mac app called BetterSnapTool will be familiar with this.

Managing spaces and using Mission Control hasn’t always been very intuitive and Apple is bringing some changes here too. With the new update you will be able to use simple drag and drop actions to create a new space for an app, make the app fullscreen by dropping it between two spaces or even create a split view by dragging one app on top of another in the same space.

Spotlight received a major update in Yosemite and with El Capitan Apple is making Spotlight even smarter by enabling it to understand natural language. You can type in usual search queries for weather, score cards and spotlight will bring you the answers.

Full screen apps on the Mac are great, I’ve always wanted to use Mail app in fullscreen mode however, it wasn’t always an efficient way of working. With the release of El Capitan Apple will make Mail app even more fullscreen friendly by enabling you to switch between different conversations even as you are composing a new Mail as the compose window slides down when you tap on another conversation. The new update will even let you drag and drop attachments from other conversations into the mail you are composing and all of this while still being in full screen mode.

All new Notes app will enable users to attach photos, embed links, create checklist and even scribble. This will make the always feature lacking notes app a powerful tool to quickly put together new ideas and much more. Notes app on your Mac and iOS will sync seamlessly so no matter which device you use, you’ll always find your note just the way you created it.

Just like iOS, in El Capitan the Photos app will now support third-party editing tools. Adding filters to your photos in a non-destructive matter is going to easier than ever.

Safari is also getting some new features with pinned sites for frequently visited websites, mute audio from the address bar, and AirPlay web video without sharing your entire screen.

Next level performance

OS X El Capitan is believed to make every day tasks such as accessing email and launching apps much faster.The company claims upto 1.4 x faster app launch, 2 x faster app switching, 2 x faster display of first mail message and 4 x faster PDF opening in preview.

Apple is also bringing Metal, graphics core technology that gives apps “near-direct access to the graphics processor on your Mac” this will bring enhanced performance and richer graphical experience for El Capitan users. Apple claims that with Metal the company is seeing upto 10 times faster draw call performance.

Preview and Download Release Date

The developer preview of OS X El Capitan was made available for download for all registered developers on June 08. A public beta release is expected in July. The final stable release date for all users is expected to be made available for download this fall.

Conclusion

Overall, OS X El Capitan’s objective to focus on experience and performance is certainly praiseworthy. Apple continues to blur the lines between iOS and OS X with features like extensions for photos, all new notes app, swipe to read and delete gestures in Mail app and even split-view which works similar to multitasking on iPad in iOS 9.

What do you think about the upcoming update for Mac? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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