MacOS is the operating system that powers every Mac. It lets you do things you simply can’t with other computers. Four new apps, and a redesigned Mac App Store.

Info Panel One of BusyCal's most popular features is its embedded info panel that appears in the sidebar, enabling you to quickly view and edit event details with speed and precision. The Info Panel has been completely redesigned in BusyCal 3 and boasts a cleaner, modern look with improved controls for selecting dates and times, adding locations, attendees and more. What's more, the info panel is completely customizable. You can choose to show just the basics, or additional fields like time zones, tags and graphics. Menu bar app The totally redesigned menu bar app now displays a navigable mini-month calendar with colored dots and bars that provide a visual density map of your availability. A scrolling list of your events and to dos are displayed in the menu along with a 8-day weather forecast. You can click on an event in the menu bar to view its details, and create new events and to dos using natural language.

And, unlike other calendar apps, BusyCal's menu bar app is always running, even when the main BusyCal app is not running, so you always have access to your schedule. Smart Filters BusyCal's Smart Filters are a powerful tool for filtering and formatting your calendar. The most common use of Smart Filters is for creating Calendar Sets, to quickly toggle multiple calendars on or off with a single click (see above). You can also use Smart Filters to create saved searches (e.g. Events that contain 'Joe'), or for remembering view settings (e.g.

Displaying an 8-week month view with weekends hidden), all of which you can be accessed with a keyboard shortcut or a button on the toolbar.

Get Back Hours Per Week Discover how to improve your workflows and get more focus with this free, in-depth guide to productivity. What We Looked For When Looking for the Best Calendar App A calendar app on its own is a simple thing. You put items on it to show where you need to be, how long you’re going to be there, or what you’re going to do. Any calendar app must include those features to be useful in any way. But a useful and effective calendar app requires those features to be well-designed, as well as include other functionality. Here’s what we looked at to arrive at our decision.

• Ease of use: The number one priority of a calendar app must be the UI. How intuitive is the app? How easy is it to add a new event? A task or reminder?

To add some notes or details to an event? How hard is it to invite people to an event? These are some of the questions we asked when comparing the options. • Aesthetics: For many people, using a calendar application is a necessary evil.

It’s a tool to manage how other people are using up your time. But if you’re going to have to spend time managing this part of your life, an attractive interface can make the chore more enjoyable. • Power: Once you have a smart UI in place, the next thing to consider with a calendar app is the feature set. What can the user do from this application? How to get go for gmail in mac dock.

The best app will need to meet the needs of the novice (your grandma) as well as the power user (your CEO’s assistant). And those features cannot detract from the usability of the app. No small order, there. • Price: With many categories of desktop applications, the price can often be irrelevant as the gap is narrow and most options are similar. However, because of Outlook’s inclusion in our comparison, price factored into our decision. • macOS integration: How well the application fits the environment is always key — especially for cross-platform tools. At the risk of sounding painfully obvious, a calendar app for macOS must work with iCloud.

And not just for the calendar functionality: Reminders are a key tool for Apple users and need to be accessible in our selection. • Third-party integrations: Because macOS users do not all use the same calendar service (iCloud, Google Calendar, Exchange, etc.), our desktop app must work with all the available options.

• iOS versions: Lastly, because most of us live in a multi-device environment, it is beneficial to have iOS versions of each app. The Calendar App Contenders • (Free): Included in macOS, Apple’s option covers all the basics. It sports an attractive interface, but suffers from several usability issues. • ($49.99): The BusyMac team has been in the app-making business for some time. And their flagship app, BusyCal, has long offered more features than its macOS counterpart. The focus here is functionality. • ($49.99): This option started as a menubar app for macOS, often used in tandem with the other desktop calendar options.