The new operating system for the Macs is called Monterey. It will now give you a really cool option to reset your Mac.

In the past, if you wanted to reset or wipe out your laptop, it would delete all of your data and operating system, then install a new system. Monterey will only wipe out your data and user installed apps, but keep the existing operating system.

Another cool thing is that Apple will allow you to keep your existing iPhone version and not update if you decide not to, and you’ll be able to add new important features from the latest update.

So, you can stick with 14.0 instead of upgrading to 15.0 and get the benefits of major security updates of 15.0.

One of the new features of Monterey using FaceTime is a feature called Voice Isolation that will block out all other noise.

Also, FaceTime will support Windows and Android users, sending them out a link. When the Windows user clicks on the link, it will automatically open up FaceTime.

FaceTime will allow you to schedule a FaceTime meeting in advance by sending out links to participants via e-mail, iMessage or a calendar invite. This means that FaceTime is seriously competing with Zoom.

A new feature in FaceTime is Share Play, which lets all users listen to music together, watch videos together and do screen-sharing together. With this feature of screen sharing, you could actually see the other person’s screen and even help them out with a problem.

In Messages, you can put photos into a single carousel view that can be flipped between or tapped to get a grid view of all the photos. You will no longer need to manually pull out photos individually from the Messages App.

Here is a really cool feature called Live Text. Open up a photo of a business card — you can pull out the phone number, and it will automatically dial the number, or it can be pasted in an e-mail. In other words, you can get text from a photo and do many things with it.

With Spotlight, you can search for specific people, scenes or text in a photo. So if a photo has a phone number in it, you can use Spotlight search to find and call that number.

While using the Photo App, you can now use the feature called Photo Memories to stitch together relevant photos and videos to create a video with a song selected from Apple Music that matches the occasion — and the beat of the song to the action in the video.

The Wallet App allows you to scan your driver’s license into it.

With Maps. a new nighttime mode allows exploring cities in a moonlit mode. Maps will feature editorial-curated guides for cities and places to visit when traveling.

Memoji features new clothing, glasses, headwear and eye color customizations that users can pick from.

Apple ID can now participate in Apple’s Digital Legacy program to allow family members or loved ones the ability to access your data after you die. In addition, if you get locked out of your Apple ID, you can specify trusted contacts who can supply you with a code to instantly get access back to your locked out account.

Camera includes a new panorama mode, and CarPlay can now announce messages and notifications.

Wow, did your brain just explode?

That’s nothing compared to all the cool stuff coming out, so get ready for more!

Send your computer-related questions to MauiMist@aol.com.