Some info-commentary-review by Andrew Cunningham here:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/10/macos-12-monterey-the-ars-technica-review/
Excerpting some interesting tidbits:
” The good
Shortcuts support isn’t perfect, but it revitalizes Mac automation after years of neglect.
Built-in password manager features are an excellent alternative to not using a password manager.
Low Power Mode has a real impact on power use, especially on Apple Silicon Macs.
Dozens of other small quality-of-life tweaks, including AirPlay to Mac, a factory reset option for newer Macs, and variable refresh rate support. Most people will be able to find at least one or two features they like.
The bad
Some stuff isn’t done yet, including Universal Control.
Typical new-OS bugs should dissuade you from upgrading on day one if you’re happy with how your Big Sur Mac is running.
Importing Automator workflows into Shortcuts is hit or miss.
The ugly
Intel Macs are being dropped from the support list at a faster pace than before, and we’re just beginning to see the start of “Apple Silicon only” features in macOS.” ”
” I’m also concerned Apple is dropping support for older Intel Macs at a faster clip than it has in the past. We all know that the writing is on the wall for Intel Macs, but are we looking at a long and graceful sunset period, or a more abrupt shift in line with how Apple handled the PowerPC-to-Intel transition back in the day? I’d be surprised if the next two or three macOS releases don’t support at least some subset of Intel Macs. I would be even more surprised if Apple provided six or seven years of major OS updates to the last Intel Mac desktops that are still skulking in the corners of the Mac lineup like uninvited guests who are trying not to be noticed. Apple refuses to provide any additional guidance or clarity here, an annoying byproduct of the company’s obsession with secrecy. ”
” System requirements and compatibility
Monterey still straddles the architectural divide between the outgoing Intel Macs and the incoming Apple Silicon models, but it drops support for quite a few machines that are currently running Big Sur. The complete list of supported Macs:
Early 2015 and later MacBook Air
Early 2015 and later MacBook Pro
Early 2016 and later MacBook
Late 2015 and later iMac
Late 2014 and later Mac mini
2017 and later iMac Pro
Late 2013 and later Mac Pro
Generally, Apple is dumping Macs that used fourth-generation Intel Core processors (codenamed Haswell), which powered most Mac models released in 2013 and 2014. But there are Macs on both side of this dividing line. “
Ex Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7) since mid-2020. Now: running macOS Big Sur 11.6 & sometimes, Linux (Mint)
MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
Waterfox "Current" and (now and then) Chrome. also Intego AV and Malwarebytes for the Mac.
