Unlock macOS Mojave: Must-Know Compatibility, Features & System Requirements!

macOS Mojave (version 10.14) is the fifteenth major release of macOS, Apple's desktop operating system for Macintosh computers. Announced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 4, 2018, it was released to the public on September 24, 2018. The operating system's name refers to the Mojave Desert, continuing the use of California-themed names that began with OS X Mavericks. It succeeded macOS High Sierra and was followed by macOS Catalina.

Apple pitched Mojave as adding "pro" features that would benefit all users. Mojave was generally well received by technology press, and its new features were generally praised.

New Features in macOS Mojave

macOS Mojave brings several iOS apps to the desktop operating system, including Apple News, Voice Memos, and Home.

macOS Mojave: Top Features and Changes!

Mojave features changes to existing applications as well as new ones.

Finder: Now has metadata preview accessed via View > Show Preview, and many other updates, including a Gallery View (replacing Cover Flow) that lets users browse through files visually.
Screenshot app: A new Screenshot app was added to macOS Mojave to replace the Grab app. Screenshot can capture a selected area, window or the entire screen as well as screen record a selected area or the entire display. The Screenshot app is located in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder, as was the Grab app.
Safari: Safari's Tracking Prevention features now prevent social media "Like" or "Share" buttons and comment widgets from tracking users without permission.
Mac App Store: The Mac App Store was rewritten from the ground up and features a new interface and editorial content, similar to the iOS App Store.
Home App: With Home, Mac users can control their HomeKit-enabled accessories to do things like turn lights off and on or adjust thermostat settings.
Voice Memos: Voice Memos lets users record audio (e.g., personal notes, lectures, meetings, interviews, or song ideas), and access them from iPhone, iPad or Mac.
Dark Mode: Mojave revamps Dark Mode, transforming the desktop with a dramatic new look that puts the focus on user content.

macOS 10.14.1, released on October 30, 2018, adds Group FaceTime, which lets users chat with up to 32 people at the same time, using video or audio from an iPhone, iPad or Mac, or audio from Apple Watch.

Compatibility and System Requirements

macOS Mojave requires a GPU that supports Metal, and the list of officially-compatible systems is more restrictive than the previous version, macOS High Sierra. Mojave drops support for various Macs released from late 2009 to 2011.

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macOS Mojave requires:

At least 2 GB of RAM
12.5 GB of available disk space to upgrade from OS X El Capitan, macOS Sierra, or macOS High Sierra, or 18.5 GB of disk space to upgrade from OS X Yosemite and earlier releases.

Supported Mac Models:

MacBook (Early 2015 or newer)
MacBook Pro (2012 or newer)
MacBook Air (2012 or newer)
Mac mini (2012 or newer)
iMac (2012 or newer)
iMac Pro (2017)
Mac Pro (Late 2013)

*The Mid-2010 and Mid-2012 Mac Pro models only support macOS Mojave (10.14) if they have a video card that supports Metal.

If you're not sure if your Mac will run macOS Mojave, all of the supported computers can be identified by the above "subfamily" designations as well as by the Model Identifier in software. To locate the model identifier, select "About This Mac" under the Apple Menu on your computer and click the "More Info..." button.

All of the above Macs support macOS Mojave, but not all features are supported by each Mac.

Additional Requirements for Specific Features:

Continuity Camera requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector and iOS 12 or later.
Handoff requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector and iOS 8 or later.
Instant Hotspot requires an iPhone or iPad with cellular connectivity with a Lightning connector and iOS 8.1 or later.
AirPlay Mirroring requires an Apple TV (2nd generation or later).
Some features require iOS 12 and macOS Mojave.
Some features require a Wi-Fi connection.
Some features are not available in all countries or regions.

Deprecation of Legacy Features

macOS Mojave deprecates support for several legacy features of the OS. Continuing the process started in macOS High Sierra (10.13), which issued warnings about compatibility with 32-bit applications, Mojave issues warnings when opening 32-bit apps that they will not be supported in future updates. macOS Mojave is the last version of the macOS to support 32-bit apps entirely, which means that many older apps will be left behind with the next version.

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When you upgrade to or launch a Creative Cloud application for the first time on macOS 10.14 Mojave, you may see a warning message that indicates Adobe software needs to be optimized for better performance. This is due to some 32-bit components that Adobe is working to address in a future Creative Cloud update.

When Mojave is installed, it will convert solid-state drives (SSDs), hard disk drives (HDDs), and Fusion Drives, from HFS Plus to APFS. On Fusion Drives using APFS, files will be moved to the SSD based on the file's frequency of use and its SSD performance profile.

Mojave also removes support for sub-pixel rendering of text.

OpenGL and Metal

OpenGL is a cross-platform graphics framework designed to support a wide range of processors. Apple chose OpenGL in the late 1990s to build support for software graphics rendering into the Mac, after abandoning QuickDraw 3D. At the time, moving to OpenGL allowed Apple to take advantage of existing libraries that enabled hardware acceleration on a variety of different GPUs.

As time went on, Apple has shifted its efforts towards building its hardware platforms for mobile and desktop use. Metal makes use of the homogenized hardware by abandoning the abstraction layer and running on the "bare metal". Metal reduces CPU load, shifting more tasks to the GPU. macOS does not natively support Vulkan, the Khronos group's official successor to OpenGL.

tags: #macos #mojave #compatibility