Apple has released the latest addition to its desktop and laptop OS. OSX 10.11, El Capitan, is available to download today for free. The update is 6.08GB so you may want to ensure you have a fast internet connection before downloading. El Capitan supports all Macs introduced in 2009 and later, and some models introduced in 2007 and 2008.
“People love using their Macs, and one of the biggest reasons is the power and ease-of-use of OS X,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “El Capitan refines the Mac experience and improves performance in a lot of little ways that make a very big difference. Feedback from our OS X beta program has been incredibly positive and we think customers are going to love their Macs even more with El Capitan.”
Apple has added a bunch of new features to OSX El Capitan. One interesting feature is Split View where users can use two app windows side-by-side in full screen. This will help users work in two different apps at the same time without switching windows.
Spotlight search has also been improved upon in OSX 10.11. Apple's press release says, “You can now use Spotlight to check stock prices, weather conditions and forecasts, sports scores, schedules and standings, and even athlete information. You can also search with Spotlight to find a file using natural language. Simply type “email from Harrison in April” or “presentation I worked on yesterday” and Spotlight will help you find exactly what you are looking for. You can resize the Spotlight window to display more results or move it anywhere on your desktop.”
Apple also claims that with Metal, Apple’s graphics technology helps boost Core Graphics rendering by up to 50 percent, and efficiency by up to 40 percent.
Here is a list of compatible Macs so you can check if your system can handle the update.
iMac: Mid 2007 or newer
MacBook: Aluminum Late 2008 or newer
MacBook Air: Late 2008 or newer
MacBook Pro: 13-inch, Mid 2009 or newer. 15-inch, Mid 2007 or newer. 17-inch, Late 2007 or newer
Mac Mini: Early 2009 or newer
Mac Pro: Early 2008 or newer