(The completed version will be coming out this fall.   (Unsplash: CC0)

During 2017’s World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple announced its upcoming version of MacOS, High Sierra.

With High Sierra comes a new file system called Apple File System (APFS). The previous file system, Hierarchical File System Plus (HFS+), could only fit 32 bits of code, while APFS supports 64 bits of code.  HFS+ can fit 2^32 0’s and 1’s of information, while APFS can fit up to 2^64 0’s and 1’s of information, allowing multitasking speeds to increase. This could also be the beginning of the end for 32 bit apps, however, since Apple has announced it will start phasing out 32 bit app support.

Another major change is the support of High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC). This will cause videos to take up less space and stream smoother. 4K support will also be added to increase video quality.

The new Safari comes with 3 notable changes. Due to modifications in reading JavaScript, Safari has become more efficient, making it the fastest web browser available to Macs. Increased security stops ad trackers from putting up ads based from cross-site tracking data. But perhaps the most useful new feature is Auto-pausing, which pauses all auto playing videos in your browser.

Other apps, such as photos, metal, notes, and Siri, have been given minor updates. Photos now have more editing tools. Metal, an app for developers, has now been updated to Metal 2, which has increased graphics and now supports VR. Notes has been given an organization update, and Siri has now been made to sound more human.