Set for release this fall, Apple's OS X El Capitan 10.11 is the latest in the Mac operating system's line of upgrades. While its predecessor, OS X Yosemite, was essentially an overhaul of the system, El Capitan is more of a cosmetic overhaul which brings innovative features and improved design changes. The upgrade aims to improve user performance as well as the ease through which the system is used.

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While the OS is yet to be released, there is a developer preview of the system already available for Mac programmers to work on and get a feel of the operation with. Moreover, an official beta program is set for release this coming July.

According to the Telegraph, one of the features with the most significant changes is Mission Control, which has been streamlined for optimum use of apps and windows. The reporter used the El Capitan beta version on a 15-inch MacBook Pro with retina display. The system allows users to easily identify the right target window even when there are multiple apps simultaneously opened and taking the user's attention.

In a bid to further improve app management, El Capitan also allows users to run apps side-by-side, in effect rezizing windows to fit a single screen without having to go to too much trouble. To do this, the user must click and press down on the green dot located by the upper left hand corner of the first app for resizing, at which point the user can choose whether to place said app on the left or the right side of the screen. Next, the user is presented with the option to choose the second window, and immediately, both apps will be split down the screen.

Another improved feature is Spotlight, which now has a natural-language reading capability that can easily rival Siri. According to PcMag, El Capitan's enhanced Spotlight now allows for queries that aren't exactly questions, but nevertheless contain important keywords like weather, documents, and more. 

The El Capitan OS also allows users to pin Safari tabs in the desktop. A simple two-finger click on a tab opens a selection that allows users to "pin tab". Moreover, tabs that contain audio instantly get a mute button when pinned.

TagsMac, OS X, El Capitan