Tuesday, April 27, 2021

macOS 11.3

Apple (MacRumors, Howard Oakley):

macOS Big Sur 11.3 adds support for AirTag, includes iPhone and iPad app improvements for Macs with M1, introduces separate skin tone variations for emoji with couples, and adds more diverse voice options for Siri.

It’s good to see some detailed release notes.

Apple:

This document describes the security content of macOS Big Sur 11.3.

Mr. Macintosh:

The full installer of macOS Big Sur 11.3 (20E232) is now available for download.

Jonathan Deutsch:

FB9083476: macOS 11.3 Regression: NSPropertyListSerialization can fail serializing data in the XML Format leading to data loss

FB9083459: macOS 11.3 Regression: NSPropertyListSerialization is 200x slower serializing to data in the XML Format (when it works)

Previously:

Update (2021-05-03): Howard Oakley:

At last Apple has returned to providing extensive release notes to accompany the Big Sur 11.3 update. Because they’re so long and detailed, I won’t attempt to summarise them, but recommend that you read them[…]

Howard Oakley:

It’s what we all really wanted. The largest macOS update ever, a good gigabyte bigger than even the Catalina 10.15.1 update, and more than most major releases of Mac OS X, the Big Sur 11.3 update gives us what we’ve all been asking for: it fixes a lot of bugs. The trouble with getting what you want are the unintended consequences.

For a few, the 11.3 update has proved disastrous, with a clean re-install their only hope of salvation. For most of us, its sheer size has at least been compensated for by the relative brevity of updating. But for those who are more cautious and don’t rush to update, it poses a serious problem: buried in its avalanche of fixes and improvements is one to address a serious security vulnerability, which makes updating an urgent need.

[…]

Using the popular strategy of waiting a few weeks after each update before installing it yourself now turns into a quandary. Is it better to run the risk of updating now, or that of malware making your Mac a victim?

One solution could be for Apple to start releasing Big Sur updates in two streams: security updates only, and full updates.

Colin Cornaby:

Podcasts on the Mac didn’t change in 11.3, right? Kind of odd they moved Podcasts to Catalyst, and now Catalyst on the Mac is back on it’s own track that seems separate from the iOS version.

Previously:

1 Comment RSS · Twitter

"One solution could be for Apple to start releasing Big Sur updates in two streams: security updates only, and full updates."

Another solution is to have four steams. One for Intel, one for gamers, and another for M1, and next fall M2

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