Since the very beginning of macOS, there has been a System Preferences program, but it is getting old. It is past time for Apple to develop a brand-new, contemporary settings software for the contemporary Mac instead of keeping the tiny, essentially static rectangle designed for the early 2000s’ tiny displays.
The new System Settings app in macOS Ventura is designed to provide just that, at least in principle. It is a brand-new app that was influenced by the iOS and iPadOS Settings apps. Since so many Mac customers also use those platforms, it seems sensible that Apple’s platforms work well together, therefore that is not a bad notion.
macOS Ventura Final Version Has Been Released
With only about a month left until macOS Ventura is released in its final form, the System Settings app in the beta is a bit of a mess. Apple risks replacing one of the most problematic system apps in macOS with a fresh app that is just as awful or worse unless things change quickly. According to numerous reports, Apple created System Settings in Ventura using SwiftUI, its most recent software design framework.
SwiftUI, which Apple touts as the future of app development on Apple platforms, is still in its infancy and is still going through some fairly significant growing pains. It is beneficial in many ways that Apple chose to use its tools to create important macOS programs. The only way those tools will ever improve is if Apple employees point out where they are lacking and demand improvements.
Outside coders are limited in their ability to gripe. The internal pressure is the greatest. As you might expect from a legacy from the early days of Mac OS X, the System Preferences software is a peculiar creature. At the top level, there are a few dozen icons to choose from—way too many—that are either arranged alphabetically or divided into illogical groups.