After a period of beta testing, Apple has released macOS 10.15 Catalina for everyone. There's quite a lot to the latest version of the operating system, including the break-up of iTunes, an update to Sidecar that lets you use your iPad as a second screen for your Mac, and numerous security updates.

However, the dropping of support for 32-bit apps (Catalina is fully 64-bit), means some people installing the free update are finding that the apps they rely on no longer work. More than this, Apple has even gone as far as warning people who are reliant on XML files -- such as DJs -- to hold off installing the update for the time being

Forum discussion: It seems the Optimum App will no longer work on Mac OS Catalina 10.15. Will an update be released to address this issue? When Apple announced macOS 10.15 Catalina last month, it touted several new features, including the end of iTunes as we know it, better second screen support and window management, along with.

See also:

While the switch to 64-bit only has been broadly welcomed, it is not without its problems. During the installation of Catalina, a warning is displayed about the loss of support for 32-bit apps, but this has not stopped some users from being caught out.

The break-up of iTunes into a number of separate apps has also led to issues, affecting DJs in particular. It is very common for DJs to organize music in iTunes, create playlists, and then use the 'Share iTunes Library XML with other applications' to access the music in other apps. However, the new Music app uses a different format to organize music libraries, so this methods of sharing can no longer be used. Developers will need to update apps in order to use the new formats and in the meantime, as the Verge explains, Apple is advising people who rely on XML files in this way to stick with Mojave for now:

According to Apple if a customer is reliant on XML files for DJing, they should avoid updating and continue using their preferred software on macOS Mojave until developers push out fixes (some, like Serato, are already trying out new beta versions tailored for Catalina).

But for anyone who does upgrade, there are new security and privacy options, the introduction of Screen Time for computer usage monitoring, and the arrival of Apple Arcade. The ability to use an iPad as a second screen is something that will be welcomed; Apple explains how it can be used:

The new Sidecar feature extends a user’s Mac workspace by using iPad as a second display, allowing them to spread out their work. With Sidecar, you can use an iPad display for tablet input to draw, sketch or write with Apple Pencil in any Apple or third-party Mac app that supports stylus input. Sidecar runs on a wired connection so users can charge their iPad as they work, or on a wireless connection for greater mobility, using everything from illustration apps and video editing apps to 3D apps, like Photoshop, Illustrator and ZBrush.

Apple also highlights a number of other new features in Catalina:

• The new Find My app combines Find My iPhone and Find My Friends into a single, easy-to-use app on Mac, iPad and iPhone. Find My can help users locate a missing Mac even if it’s offline and sleeping by sending out Bluetooth signals that can be detected by Apple devices in use nearby, and then relaying the detected location of the Mac to iCloud so a user can can locate it in the Find My app.
• Photos features a beautiful new browsing experience that intelligently showcases the user’s best pictures.
• Safari has an updated start page that uses Siri Suggestions to elevate frequently visited sites, bookmarks, iCloud tabs, Reading List selections and links sent in Messages.
• Mail in macOS Catalina adds the ability to block email from a specified sender, mute an overly active thread and unsubscribe from commercial mailing lists.
• Notes now has a brand new Gallery View, more powerful search tools and additional collaboration options.
• Reminders has been redesigned with an all-new user interface that makes it easier to create, organize and track reminders.

Ever since the iPhone came out in 2007 and almost instantaneously overshadowed the Mac, both in terms of sales and development resources, Apple has been making the Mac a bit more like the iPhone. Sure, a few features have moved the other way—the iPad has gradually gotten a bit more Mac-like as it has become powerful enough to do Mac-like things—but a big piece of every macOS release this decade has been 'here's all the stuff Apple brought over from iOS this year.'

Catalina moves macOS further and more decisively in the direction of iOS than ever; for the first time, third-party code written for iOS and iPadOS can run on the Mac with relatively few changes. At the same time, Apple remains adamant that the Mac and iOS/iPadOS are separate platforms that differ in ways that go beyond the underlying processor architecture or the primary input mechanism.

Will They Make Optimum App Work For Macos 10.15 Catalina Free

Catalina also draws clearer lines between the two platforms than we've gotten before. Apple has both said and done things that only make sense if the Mac will still be able to run whatever code you want for the foreseeable future, even as the default settings and security mechanisms become more locked-down and iOS-y. The overwhelming success of the iPhone indicates that most people are fine with Apple's restrictions most of the time. But the slew of new desktop hardware we've gotten in the last couple of years suggests that Apple understands that a valuable, vocal chunk of the Mac user base (and the developers who drive the iPhone's and iPad's success) still wants powerful hardware that runs more flexible software.

Despite continued angst about what it means for apps to be 'Mac-like,' the Mac will continue to be the Mac, distinct from the iPhone and the iPad. Keep that in mind as we dig into Catalina, which changes a whole lot of stuff about how Macs work while still aiming to preserve what people like about them.

Will They Make Optimum App Work For Macos 10.15 Catalina Bay

Table of Contents