Apple macOS 10.15 Catalina Preview – The iPad becomes Mac’s screen companion

At its Worldwide Developers Conference in early June, Apple announced macOS Catalina, version 10.15 of the operating system for the Mac. Catalina follows last year’s Mojave, and Apple is sticking tight to its annual release schedule. That means that the public preview is now available and Apple will officially release the operating system in the fall. That will happen in September, based on Mojave and predecessors High Sierra, Sierra and El Capitan.

The name of the software this time refers to Santa Catalina, a small island in California, off Los Angeles. As has become tradition, the default wallpaper for the operating system is an image related to the name, ie a California region, so in this case users see the coast of the island on the desktop by default.

With Mojave, the most striking innovation was the arrival of dark mode, which Apple implemented in the breadth of its operating system, including its own integrated apps. In addition, Mojave marked the start of Project Marzipan. This is Apple’s project to bring iOS apps to the Mac. At Mojave, the company itself brought four iOS apps to macOS: Home, News, Stocks and Dictaphone.

For Marzipan, the iOS apps need to be tweaked to include scroll and menu bars, as well as full-screen, notification, and right-click support. In terms of interface, the touch properties of apps based on iOS’s UIKit framework need to be modified for scrolling and clicking based on macOS’s AppKit framework.

Anyone who has macOS 10.14 Mojave on their Mac will have no problems updating to 10.15 Catalina. The specification requirements are identical. According to Apple, the operating system runs on:

• MacBook 2015 and later
• MacBook Air 2012 and later
• MacBook Pro 2012 and later
• Mac mini 2012 and later
• iMac 2012 and later
• iMac Pro 2017 and later (all models)
• Mac Pro 2013 and later

Project Catalyst

At WWDC 2019, Apple announced that Project Marzipan will now be known as Project Catalyst. The biggest difference is that Apple emphasizes at WWDC that this brings iPad apps to the Mac and that developers are not supposed to convert pure iPhone apps for macOS. Apps for the tablet have already been developed for a large screen and now that Apple is separating iPadOS from iOS, it wants to further stimulate the development of those apps. The iPhone has many more users than the tablet, but more iPads have been sold than Macs in the past ten years, making it an interesting device for developers to release apps for. Combined, the appeal is even greater, Apple hopes.

Converting it should be easy. Developers can simply check the Xcode development tool to generate a Mac version of their app. They can then adjust a few things for proper operation on the computer, but Xcode largely takes care of the conversion automatically, Apple claims.

For example, iPad apps can support macOS media controls and the Split View feature, where two apps on the Mac run side by side. Apps can also take advantage of the semi-transparent display for menu items that macOS offers.

According to Apple, the iPad apps Asphalt 9: Legends from Gameloft, Twitter, Jira from Atlassian, DC Universe and Fender Play for playing string instruments, among others, will appear as desktop applications in the Mac App Store. They were not there at the time of writing, but based on iOS apps converted by Apple itself, it can be seen that it will simply be the mobile apps with desktop window functions, such as scroll and menu bars.

The danger for Apple, and perhaps the fear of power users, is that developers will opt for convenience and no longer develop extensive programs specifically for macOS, but will simply stick with the iOS version. The company probably hopes that there will be a stronger separation between apps for the iPhone and more extensive ones for the iPad and Mac. The iPad has become a lot more powerful in recent years and in that respect the rumors about the arrival of Mac systems with ARM socs are also interesting. That would bring the iPad and the Mac closer together.

Sidecar: iPad as a second screen

The Mac and the iPad are already moving closer together with the arrival of Sidecar in macOS Catalina. That is the function with which an iPad can be used as a second screen for the Mac. The function does not just work. First, the iPad must be running iPadOS 13; that software is currently still in beta. The Mac must of course have macOS Catalina, but even then it doesn’t work with every Mac. Apple hasn’t disclosed which computers it works with, but developer Steve Troughton-Smith compiled the following list based on code :

• iMac 27″ (late 2015 or later)
• MacBook Pro (2016 or later)
• MacBook (Early 2016 or later)
• MacBook Air (2018)
• Mac mini (2018)
• Mac Pro (2019)

The following iPads can run iPadOS and thus support Sidecar:

• iPad Pro 12.9 (2018)
• iPad Pro 12.9 (2017)
• iPad Pro 12.9 (2015)
• iPad Pro 11
• iPad Pro 10.5
• iPad Pro 9.7
• iPad 9.7 (2018)
• iPad 9.7 (2017)
• iPad Air
• iPad Air 2
• iPad mini 2019
• iPad mini 4

In addition, both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network, have Bluetooth turned on and be no more than ten meters apart in order to detect each other. It also requires that the user is signed in to iCloud on both devices and that two-factor authentication is enabled for the account. When the Mac connects to the iPad for the first time, the PIN for the tablet must then be entered on the computer once. Subsequently, a window option ‘Move to iPad’ can be used with each application to display the program in full-screen view on the tablet. In addition, windows and applications can be dragged sideways to the iPad.

The iPad therefore serves as a second screen. The Mac display on the tablet cannot be operated with fingers via the touchscreen. A keyboard connected to the iPad and the Apple Pencil do work, more about this below.

Operation is therefore mainly via the Mac and the mouse pointer continues to the right to the iPad. The tablet is more than just a receiving, ‘dumb’ screen. On the iPad, menu bars are present on the side and at the bottom. The sidebar or sidebar contains options to bring up the Dock and macOS top menu bar. Also, the virtual keys for command, control, shift, and fn are on the side, as well as keys for back, a virtual keyboard, and disconnecting from the Mac.

When connected to a MacBook Pro with a touch bar, the iPad displays a menu bar with a touch bar view at the bottom. That view therefore adapts to the application that is open on the Mac. Just like the menu bar on the side, the touch bar on the iPad can be operated with fingers.

Anyone who has an Apple Pencil and iPad with support for this stylus can use it to control the entire Mac display on the iPad. Clicking items, dragging windows, and drawing with Mac applications worked for us without significant lag or stutter. In the future, graphic applications must receive special support for Sidecar, so that the iPad can be used as a drawing tablet with the result displayed on the Mac. This will be possible with Adobe After Effects, Illustrator and Premiere Pro, Affinity Designer and Photo, Cinema 4D, CorelDRAW and Final Cut Pro & Motion, among others.

Swiping up from the bottom of the Mac view brings up the favorite apps bar on the iPad, and swiping down pulls down the home screen to return to the iPad view. This is of course also possible with the home button. A click on the Sidecar icon returns you to the Mac view.

On the Mac, there’s a simple Sidecar menu in System Preferences with options to show the sidebar left or right on the iPad, move the touchbar up or down, and enable or disable double tapping with the Pencil. When changing settings, we regularly had that the connection to the tablet was broken. Further settings are available in the menu item AirPlay screen. Here’s how to enable mirroring to mirror the Mac’s image. For example, users can watch actions performed on the Mac on the iPad. You can also determine the order of the screens here. The mouse pointer can move left, right, up or down, depending on where the user has positioned the tablet.

Sidecar is an elegant feature that many Mac and iPad owners will appreciate. It’s nice to put your iPad next to a MacBook and put browser windows, music playback or notes to the side during use, for example. You can control it from just the Mac instead of having to control two different devices, so you can keep more focus on what you’re doing. After setting up, the operation is smooth and without lag, even when, for example, quickly sliding windows back and forth.

From iTunes to Music, TV and Podcasts

Apple introduced version 1.0 of iTunes for music playback in 2001. The app was based on the MP3 player Sound Jam MP, which Apple had acquired from the makers the year before. The software grew into an extensive program with functionality for video, synchronization of data with iPods, for example, and the possibility to stream and buy media. Not everyone liked the software, and critics won’t regret Apple’s decision to split the program into Music, TV, and Podcasts with macOS 10.15.

One of the consequences of the disappearance of iTunes as an application is that management of iOS devices, such as software updates, restores, synchronization and backups, is now done through the Finder. As soon as you connect an iOS device to the Mac, it will appear in the Finder and you will see its status and management options. The Finder displays several pages for syncing music, movies, podcasts, audiobooks, books, photos, and files.

Those who want to listen to music will see the familiar iTunes music note logo, but a click now opens the Music app. Music provides a clean interface for playing and managing tracks. When you open it for the first time, Apple reassures you that your existing music collection and all your music purchases from the iTunes Store have been preserved and are available through this program. We also see in Music that the name iTunes has not completely disappeared; the iTunes Store is still there. This is in the left menu under the library, while Apple Music, the company’s streaming service, is at the top. Here you can see what the company is focusing on; iTunes has had its day and it’s all about Apple Music these days.

Music includes almost all of the music functionality that was included in iTunes, such as the mini player, visual effects, and an equalizer. Files can also be converted, playlists can be burned to disc and Genius is present.

The TV app is a much simpler program than Music and contains an interface with only an overview of films arranged by, for example, viewing tips, new films, trending items and the library. The software still contains the option to create playlists, including smart ones, for example, but the options are still limited until Apple expands its TV service here.

Similar to Music in terms of appearance, the new Podcasts app provides access to the Apple Podcasts service in the top-left navigation, with the option to discover new podcasts and see charts. Below that are the Library, and the options to listen to single and downloaded episodes of podcasts to which you as a user are subscribed. The app is simple and offers the same functionality as the iPad app. He has therefore been converted with Project Catalyst.

Apple has integrated listening to audiobooks into the Books application, and PDFs can now be opened through this program as well. In addition to Apple’s Library and Book Store, the Audiobook Store can also be visited via the Books app.

Apple has done a good job of breaking up iTunes functionality into separate apps. The old iTunes was a bit cumbersome and cluttered. Now that the different parts have their own application, the company can add functionality more easily, especially because of the link with the mobile apps, which are given priority at Apple because they have more users.

Screen time

You can use Screen Time on iOS devices from version 12 of that operating system and with Catalina that functionality also comes to the Mac. This allows you to understand the time you spend on programs and set limits to control that usage. You can do that not only for individual apps, but also for the entire device with Downtime. It can also be used for categories of programs and services, such as ‘games’, ‘social networking’ and ‘entertainment’. A daily usage limit can be set and users can manually enter other periods. Of course it is possible to exclude certain applications from the limits, with ‘Always allowed’. When the limit is reached, you can also snooze after entering a code and continue for a minute or fifteen minutes. If you really don’t want to stop, you can also indicate that the limit should be ignored all day.

You can also activate blockades for certain content here and link them to an age. Communication limits can be set for children’s accounts, so that they are not allowed to use FaceTime, Messages and Airdrop with anyone or only with acquaintances during the Down Time period of limited screen use.

Screen time seems less urgent with a laptop or desktop than with smartphones and tablets, which are used more quickly ‘unfocused’. Still, it’s a useful feature that fits with the tech industry’s drive to curb screen addiction. The function is not waterproof; it’s easy to uninstall and reinstall programs that have a screen time restriction, but for those sensible enough to conclude that they need to reduce their screen time, the threshold will be high enough.

Safari

Safari doesn’t get that many innovations with this release, but the start screen has changed slightly. It now lists Siri suggestions based on bookmarks, links in Messages, and iCloud Tabs synced with iOS devices, among Favorites and Frequent Sites.

Memories

Apple has expanded the Reminders program a bit. This is a simple to-do list program with items you can share and set up notifications for. With the updated application you can give the lists icons with colors for a better overview, although we were not able to select any icons at the time of writing, perhaps because it is a beta. The software now ranks the day’s reminders and scheduled items, and there’s a button to show all reminders. Plus, there’s the option to have Siri suggest reminders based on Messages conversations. The improvements are not earth-shattering, but those who use the program will be happy with them.

Notes

The Notes app lets you quickly take notes, whether or not supplemented with tables, lists, images and documents. New is the gallery view with a graphic overview of notes with thumbnails. Text only displays that text in the thumbnail. Also new are a checklist and an extension of the search function; it can now also search in added documents.

photos

Photos now shows your collection based on days by default, with the option to set this directly at the top of the interface to month or year view. In addition, the app now arranges the photos in those views with large, medium, and small photos, which provides a nice-looking overview. It is nice that the application filters duplicates.

Security

Owners of a Mac with a T2 security chip can enable an Activation Lock by entering their Apple ID. The purpose of this activation lock is that after activation only the rightful user can wipe the system. This should prevent a thief from simply wiping the system to bypass the Find my Mac feature. Apple has also tightened the restrictions for apps, so that they can only access files in the folders for the desktop, iCloud Drive and external disk volumes with permission. The user will also be notified if an app tries to record keystrokes or screen displays.

Find my

One of the more interesting additions is the Find My app. The Mac already has the Find My Mac feature, but the Find My app shows you the location of all your Apple devices on a map, as well as friends who are willing to share their location. The most notable feature is that missing iPhones, iPads and Macs that are offline can also be located. Apple uses bluetooth to turn them into beacons, and all Apple devices in the vicinity of the devices to be searched receive and forward this signal. According to Apple, this is done anonymously and encrypted. To receive the location, a second Apple device is required. That device can undo the encryption so that the user can locate their missing system. Find My lets you play a sound on the missing device, determine a route to it, mark it as lost and erase it remotely. It’s a great addition to a security platform that Apple has well organized.

Voice control

Also new is the possibility to control the Mac with voice control. This is not a Siri feature, but accessibility functionality for people with disabilities, found in Dictation under Accessibility. There is a long list of commands, to be completed with custom commands based on a simple ‘If I say…’, ‘If using…’ then ‘Do…’ procedure. The voice control recognized the commands well and executed them, but were still in English at the time of writing.