Even though I'm a certified upgrade freak, I sometimes wonder if downloading the latest, greatest versions of operating systems and software _ and consequently needing to relearn them _ is really worthwhile.
I was, after all, pretty satisfied with the first version of OS X for the Mac. But in the years since its release, Apple has regularly come out with operating system upgrades, the latest of which is the all-too-tempting macOS Sierra.
It's available free of charge. Mac users need only go to the App Store, sign in with their Apple ID and download away.
Face it, those of us who have iMacs, iPhones, Watches, Apple TVs and MacBooks are living in Apple's world, where all devices are integrated and due for updates on a regular basis. I speak from experience, owning all of them.
So, what do you get for free? I'll focus on just a few high points.
Macs running Sierra gain Siri, Apple's voice-controlled assistant. Just click on the Siri icon (or the command and space keys) and start asking her questions.
It's a nice feature, allowing you to summon Siri without switching devices. When housed on your laptop, Siri will not only tell you how tall the Empire State Building is but she'll also quickly find files. I asked Siri to find documents named "column," and a whole bunch quickly filled the Siri window on my screen.
That said, if you generally keep your iPhone handy while using your MacBook, you can just keep calling on Siri in the traditional manner.
If Siri were the only new feature brought to the table by Sierra, I'd say don't bother. But there are other new features as well:
_Sierra allows you to copy a piece of data on one device and paste it to multiple devices. So, for example, you could copy a web page on your MacBook, and, as long as all your Apple devices are signed into the same iCloud account, you could then paste it to each and every one. The function also works on iPads and iPhones running iOS 10, the latest version of the mobile operating system. It also works iPhone-to-iPhone.
_Sierra lets you use Apple Pay on your Mac. But first, you'll have to authorize the payments with your Apple Watch or iPhone. And you'll have to find a website that accepts Apple Pay. Apple, by the way, says thousands of sites soon will. If Apple ever comes up with a touch screen for the Mac, it probably will include a fingerprint reader, which would allow you to authorize a transaction without having to use your iPhone to do it.
I'll be taking Sierra and its mobile devices' cousin, iOS 10, through their paces and will report on my findings in future columns. So far, I like what I see. If you're running OS X Lion or later, you might want to upgrade to Sierra and see for yourself.
