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MacOS 13 Ventura vs 12 Monterey: Is It Worth the Upgrade?

Youve probably heard about the new version of macOS - MacOS 13 Ventura coming out this fall. Do you plan to upgrade to MacOS Ventura? Is it worth an upgrade? Knowing the differences between MacOS 13 Ventura and Monterey could be helpful before making a decision. In this article, we will explore some of the features of the upcoming MacOS 13 Ventura and compare it against its predecessor, MacOS 12 Monterey.

macOS Ventura vs Monterey

Part 1. MacOS Monterey Features That Work Be`tter with Ventura

MacOS has been going through some serious improvents over the past few generations, for example the redesigned interface in Big Sur, and AirPlay/Continuity in Monterey. What's new in the upcoming MacOS Ventura? Here are lots of new features in MacOS Ventura that move beyond what we gained in Monterey and imporve some features that we have enjoyed for years.

1. Universal Control

Universal Control is a feature that firstly appeared in MacOS Monterey. It integrates control between your Mac and your iPad, which could easily create custom experiences for sharing with multiple devices. Universal Control will be also available to MacOS Ventura users. The multi-device display support will work perfectly with MacOS Ventura's continuity camera. You are able to show an overhead camera view of your desk as well as your face simultaneously.

2. Focus Mode

Likewise, Focus Mode is also a feature that was introduced in MacOS Monterey. It allows users to focus on one task at a time, so as to avoid distractions. You can activate the Focus feature by clicking on the Control Center button and select a focus mode, or edit your focus preference by clicking Focus Preferences at the bottom of the Focus menu.

It's note worthy that Focus mode will be making its way into the new MacOS Ventura update. Thus, you could continue to focus more on your work alongside the interesting new features that will be introduced with MacOS Ventura.

Part 2. MacOS Ventura's Features That Are Not Available On MacOS Monterey

1. Stage Manager

Stage Manager is a new feature in MacOS Ventura, which is able to organize all your applications in a single screen. If you're running in several applications for different tasks, such as writing or editing documents or creating powerpoints, Stage Manager could be helpful. By using it, you can see all your apps organized on the side, while another app on the middle of the screen for you to focus on. This makes it easier to track your tasks along with simplifying the process of moving between different tasks on different apps. Ultimately, it makes your screen organized.

MacOS Ventura Stage Manager

2. Enhanced Search in Spotlight

One of another userful features that comes alng MacOS Ventura is the Enhanced Search in Spotlight. The enhanced spotlight search enables users to search image, text, notes, documents and websites on the Safari. The result will be displayed accuately. Moreover, users can also the same Spotlight searching bar on the right corner of teh desktop to search files, contacts, and emails.

Another improvent for Spotlight search is the new search design. Only press the Space on the keyboard, you can view the updated design with scrollable previews of your files in the Quick Look.

3. Improved Mail App

Mail app hasn't have a major update for a long time. While this would be changed in MacOS Ventura. According to WWDC 2022, the Mail App will include the Undo Send feature. You can also schedule emails so they go at specific times, plus Mail will monitor your sent messages and remind you if one hasn't received a response yet so you can chase them up.

The search feature has also been improved, which offers more detailed result and make some adjustments on the application itself. Even if you spell wrong, it will help you find the content you're searching for.

4. Safari Passkey

Still, there are some improvents for Safari on MacOS Ventura, making it the fastest browser. Safari is now able to render and process the most usage-intensive websites with impressive speed and power efficiency.

MacOS Ventura has introduced a new feature called Passkeys, which is an end-to-end encrypted method to log in websites without any passwords. The way Passkey works is creating two unique keys, namely a public key and a private key, which will work only for teh specific site or application while creating an account. The pubilc key will be stored oon teh server, while the private one won't. This could help users  avoid the issues of password leaks from data breaches or phishing scams that steal access to your account. The private key can be authorized through Touch ID or Face ID, after then , users get an access to visit websites and applications.

MacOS Monterey vs Ventura on Safari

5. Continuity Camera

The Continuity Camera in MacOS Monterey is limited to scanning documents and taking pictures on your iPhone camera and sending them instantaneously to your Mac. While in MacOS Vertura, Continuity Camera will be imporved all-round. It allows you to use your iPhone's back cameras as your webcam. In other words, you could use your high-quality iPhone camera instead of the normal webcam on your Mac to capture your face during calls, meetings, and filming videos. Moverover, the center stage feature will always keep you in the center of the frame even if you move to the edge of the frame.

As what we mentioned above, Continuty Camera in Ventura works perfect with the Universal Control feature, which offers a desk view option. It utilizes the image being presented from the bottom view of your iPhone's camera and stretches the image to mimic an overhead camera which ends up presenting an accurate image of your desk view.

MacOS Ventura vs Monterey: Continity Camera

Should You Upgrade to the Latest MacOS 13 Ventura?

After the comparison between MacOS 13 Ventura and MacOS 12 Monterey, you may have a clear understanding of MacOS 13 Ventura. Now the issue comes that should you upgrade to the latest MacOS 13 Ventura? The answer is certainly yes, but there are some things to mention.

1. Always Backup Your Mac Before Upgrading to MacOS 13 Ventura

Before you upgrade macOS to the latest Ventura, back up your Mac first. It helps keep your data safe in case of any unexpected errors. If you don't want to spend a long time in the backup using Time Machine, try a faster data transfer -  MacX MediaTrans. It will backup your all your music, videos, photos, apps, documents, etc. immediately and restores the backup files to Mac by simply drag and drop.

2. Don't Install MacOS 13 Ventura Beta Version

Though MacOS 13 Ventura beta version is avaiable, it's not a good idea to install the beta versions. In general, one of the biggest reason for not installing any beta software is the lack of stability. And there are security risks for MacOS Ventura beta versions. Still, given the large number of new features in MacOS Ventura, third-party app developers have yet to optimize their apps to run smoothly on the latest version of MacOS. Moreover, MacOS 13 Ventura beta version may not have all the features, since Apple sometimes reserves features for later versions of the macOS.