Get Organized: 3 New Ways Apple OS X Can Help You Be More Productive

Apple's latest operating system for Macs, El Capitan, officially launched September 30. Many critics have pointed out that OS X 10.11 doesn't have as much eye candy as the last few point releases of iOS, but it does come with a few capabilities that will boost productivity, and help you work smarter and more efficiently. There are also some improvements to the search functionality as well that will help disorganized people find what they need.

How to Upgrade to El Capitan

If you haven't already installed El Capitan (which is free), you'll first need to make sure your computer is supported. El Capitan works on computers dating back eight years, which is substantial. A basic rule of thumb is that if you're running Yosemite, Mavericks, or even Mountain Lion, you should be fine.

Here is the full list of computers that can run El Capitan:

• iMac Mid 2007 or newer
• MacBook Early 2009 or newer; Late 2008 Aluminum
• MacBook Air Late 2008 or newer
• Mac mini Early 2009 or newer
• MacBook Pro: 13-inch, Mid 2009 or newer; 15-inch, Mid/Late 2007 or newer; 17-inch, Late 2007 or newer
• Mac Pro Early 2008 or newer
• Xserve Early 2009

Older computers won't get all the benefits of El Capitan, unfortunately, missing out on the speed and efficiency improvements that Apple calls Metal. Still, the app updates should be fine, and most of the features of the OS should work.

To get El Capitan, first back up your Mac and files. Second, make sure you don't have anything important to do for the next hour or so. The download and installation time varies depending on a number of factors. I like to start my OS upgrades about an hour before going to bed, so I can keep an eye on them for a bit and troubleshoot anything that goes wrong. I then let them continue running while I sleep.

Third, shut down all your apps. This step isn't required, but it speeds up the process a tiny bit. Be sure to quit apps that run in the background, like Dropbox.

Finally, open the App Store and look for the update. Follow the prompts, and let your Mac do its thing.

Once you have El Capitan installed, learn these three new features that help you work more efficiently.

1. Work in a Split Screen View

How often do you fiddle with two windows on screen to get them sized just right so that you can easily swap between them while working? You might have a browser open for research while typing in Word, or your Calendar on one side of the screen while responding to emails on the other. Rather than waste time adjusting the windows to take up the right amount of space, El Capitan can quickly snap them into place for you.

You have two options for how to do it.

Option 1. Hold down the full-screen (green) button on the toolbar of one app and drag it left or right. It will fill half the screen. Then you can click on any other window, and it will fill the other side of the screen.

Option 2. Go to Mission Control (if you don't currently use Mission Control, I recommend setting it up as a multi-touch gesture in the Settings). Drag the icon of one full-screen app over another, and El Capitan will set the Split Screen View for you.

2. Find More With Spotlight Search

Mac's search bar, called Spotlight Search, launches apps, looks up words, and can even do math problems. In El Capitan, it becomes more powerful than that. Natural language search functionality has been added, so you can search for "documents about budget," "emails from mom," or "photos taken last week" to find what you need faster than before. Natural language search has been added to the search function in Mail and Finder, too.

Apple has also increased the sources that Spotlight Search pulls from, including weather reports, stock prices, and details about sports teams.

Command-spacebar is still the keyboard shortcut to launch Spotlight Search. Use it (if you're not already) to make your searches even more efficient.

3. Mute Video Ads in Safari

Nothing disrupts your work like when one of your 20 open browser tabs automatically plays a video ad or background music. Even worse is the distraction of hunting for the offending tab. A new button in Safari lets you mute audio coming from all tabs other than the active one.

Look for an audio icon in the smart search bar. When you click it, you'll see an option to mute the offending tab, or mute all Safari audio for the time being, which is helpful if you're working on another task that requires your ears.

More Apple Advice

For more advice and tips for OS X, see my video and article showing 25 keyboard shortcuts that will make you more productive on your Mac.