What are the main new features in Ventura?
Ventura, the latest version of macOS, comes with some exciting new features for Mac users. Here are some of the highlights:
- Stage Manager – A new way to stay focused on the app you’re using while keeping other apps handy in the background.
- Continuity Camera – Use iPhone as a webcam for Mac to get Portrait mode, Center Stage, and more.
- Handoff for FaceTime – Start a FaceTime call on iPhone or iPad and fluidly pass it over to your Mac.
- Messages improvements – Edit, undo send, and mark conversations as unread.
- Mail updates – Schedule emails, cancel delivery, recover recently deleted messages.
- Spotlight search enhancements – Find images, file previews, live sports scores, weather, and more.
- Gaming improvements – Game Center comes to Mac, improvements to Metal 3.
- Safety Check – Helps protect those who experience domestic abuse by quickly removing all access they’ve granted others.
- Accessibility updates – Live Captions for phone calls and audio messages, improved VoiceOver, and more.
These new capabilities help make Mac even more powerful, intuitive, and user-friendly for everyday tasks. For many users, the productivity and collaboration upgrades may be reason enough to upgrade.
What are the device compatibility requirements?
Ventura can be installed on the following Macs:
- iMac – 2017 and later
- iMac Pro – 2017 and later
- MacBook – 2017 and later
- MacBook Air – 2018 and later
- MacBook Pro – 2017 and later
- Mac mini – 2018 and later
- Mac Pro – 2019 and later
Notably, some older Macs that were able to run previous macOS releases like Monterey will not support Ventura. Examples include various pre-2017 MacBook Pros, pre-2018 Mac minis, and some iMacs from 2015-2019.
So before upgrading, you’ll want to check if your specific Mac model and year falls within the compatibility requirements above. The oldest supported Macs will be 5-6 years old at this point.
How is the performance and speed?
In general, Ventura performs very well and smoothly on supported Macs. Here are some insights on speed and performance:
- Boot time is impressively fast, similar to Monterey.
- App launch times are snappy.
- Workflow transitions like switching between apps and spaces are fluid.
- Stage Manager groups apps efficiently for quick access.
- No major slowdowns or latency issues.
Apple has touted significant optimizations to Safari, Mail, Spotlight, and other apps to boost speed in Ventura. So far performance benchmarks match Apple’s claims.
Of course, older Macs or those with little memory may see somewhat degraded performance vs newer models. But in general, Ventura maintains the fast, responsive experience macOS is known for. Upgrading should keep your supported Mac running smoothly.
How stable and bug-free is Ventura?
As the first major version of a new macOS, Ventura has room for improvement with bugs and stability issues. Here’s an assessment so far:
- No show-stopping bugs that cripple core functions.
- Reliability is decent but not flawless.
- Some minor glitches and app compatibility problems.
- Wi-Fi connectivity drops reported by some users.
- Battery life impact seems minimal.
- 13.1 update addressed several launch issues.
It’s advisable to wait for the first few incremental updates before upgrading to any new macOS version. Ventura 13.1 and later have progressively improved stability.
While not completely free of bugs, Ventura has held up well so far. Any major issues still present should be resolved in future updates.
Does Ventura have good security?
Apple takes security seriously, and Ventura provides important new protections:
- Rapid Security Response can quickly fix security flaws.
- Strong Password Protection for iCloud helps create complex passwords.
- Security keys strengthen account security with physical keys.
- Passkeys replace passwords with secure sign-in keys.
- Enhanced iCloud data protections via Advanced Data Protection.
- Contact Key Verification provides end-to-end encryption.
Ventura also inherits tried-and-true security features like Gatekeeper, sandboxing, and full disk encryption from previous macOS releases.
Apple’s focus on privacy and security makes macOS inherently more secure than Windows. While no OS can provide complete protection, Ventura checks all the right boxes for safety.
What are the biggest disadvantages or issues?
A few drawbacks stand out so far with Ventura:
- Drops support for some older Macs supported by Monterey.
- Apps like Adobe Creative Cloud have compatibility issues until updates.
- Minor bugs and quirks still need to be smoothed out.
- Privacy restrictions hinder some smart iOS features from working fully on Mac.
- Spotlight and Mail app changes have been controversial.
- Stage Manager only supports select external monitors.
Ventura is not without its frustrations. Cautious users may want to pause on upgrading for a few months until key app support matures and Apple addresses early complaints. But overall, there are no catastrophic problems to pinpoint.
What are the biggest pros and benefits?
For eligible Macs, upgrading provides some excellent improvements:
- Continuity Camera is a game-changer for video calls and conferences.
- Stage Manager streamlines context switching between tasks.
- Handoff for FaceTime is seamless and convenient.
- Enhanced search helps you find things faster.
- Better collaboration via Messages and Mail upgrades.
- Important new security and privacy protections.
- Accessibility features help those with disabilities.
Ventura may not be the most exciting macOS ever, but it brings meaningful continuity, productivity, and security upgrades. For many business and creative pros especially, the new multitasking tools alone are worth upgrading for.
Is performance much better than Monterey?
Monterey itself was already very fast and responsive on supported Macs. Ventura maintains virtually the same level of excellent performance:
| Benchmark | Monterey | Ventura |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 5 (single-core) | 1744 | 1778 |
| Geekbench 5 (multi-core) | 13756 | 13404 |
| Cinebench R23 (single-core) | 1607 | 1625 |
| Cinebench R23 (multi-core) | 14081 | 14215 |
While minor variations exist, Ventura performs virtually the same as Monterey. Both deliver excellent speed and power efficiency. Unless you upgrade your actual Mac hardware, don’t expect a major performance boost from Ventura alone.
How does battery life compare to Monterey?
macOS updates sometimes negatively impact battery life, but that is not really the case with Ventura so far:
- Idle battery drain seems about the same as Monterey.
- Power efficiency under load remains excellent.
- Video playback battery life unchanged in testing.
- No notable hit to battery from new Stage Manager feature.
Apple is very focused on power optimization with its custom silicon like the M1 and M2 chips. Monterey already had stellar battery life, and Ventura maintains equivalent longevity.
As always, factors like screen brightness, active apps, network usage and hardware age affect battery more than the macOS version itself. But upgrading to Ventura should not reduce your portable Mac’s unplugged runtime.
What are the most useful new features?
The top 5 most practical new additions in Ventura would be:
- Stage Manager – Keep multiple app windows organized in groups for fast task switching.
- Continuity Camera – Mac can use iPhone as webcam with Center Stage, Portrait mode, and more.
- Handoff for FaceTime – Transition calls seamlessly from iPhone to Mac.
- Live Captions – Audio calls and media are transcribed in real time.
- Passkeys – Next-gen secure login without passwords.
For workflows involving content creation, meetings, and multitasking, some or all of these features could become indispensable. Ventura’s enhancements focus more on everyday productivity than flashy changes.
What are the most exciting new features?
While practicality is important, some of Ventura’s most hyped capabilities include:
- Stage Manager – Completely new window management system.
- Continuity Camera – iPhone works wirelessly as Mac webcam.
- Live Captions – Transcribes all audio automatically.
- Apple Pay Later – US-only installment payments.
- Gaming improvements – Game Center comes to Mac.
These demonstrate Apple’s technical expertise in areas like machine learning, wireless connectivity, payments, and cross-device integration. While not universally useful, they show ambitious innovation making Apple ecosystem users’ lives simpler and more enjoyable.
Conclusion
Ventura delivers meaningful continuity, productivity, security, and accessibility improvements for eligible Macs. It maintains the polished experience Apple users expect.
Upgrading from Monterey is not an emergency, as performance gains are incremental. And some bugs, legacy app issues, and controversial changes like Spotlight remain.
But most Mac users who are comfortable running Monterey should feel good upgrading to Ventura for the new capabilities it unlocks. Studious types who rely on iPhone integration for messaging and video calls benefit most. Waiting a few months allows Apple time to refine things further.
Overall, Ventura continues Apple’s track record of providing a best-in-class macOS experience. It’s recommended for recent Macs that meet the hardware requirements. Just remember to check app compatibility and backup your system first before upgrading.
