No need to open a Mac to know its technical characteristics! macOS can tell you its exact model, components, storage capacity, system version, and even installed apps.
A Mac is simple. So much so that we sometimes forget that it’s basically a computer like any other, with hardware and software. And if you can use it daily without ever asking the slightest technical question, as you do with some cars, it is sometimes useful, even necessary, to have some precise information on its configuration. For example to ensure that it can be updated to a new version of macOS as Apple offers each fall, to take stock of its storage capacities, or to intervene in the event of a problem or incompatibility. .
No need to open the box or use expert software to get all these technical details! With macOS, you can know everything about a Mac without putting your hands under the hood, simply by going through the Apple menu…
Two clicks are enough to get the essential information on a Mac, whatever its model.
- Click on the apple menui.e. the Apple logo, always accessible at the top left of the screen in the menu bar of your Mac.
- Then click on the first option, About This Mac.
- The window that then appears in the center of the screen displays essential information about the Mac.
- The name and version number of macOS installed on the Mac.
- The type of Mac and its model year. This information is important because it allows you to make sure that your Mac is able or not to receive a new system version, by checking if the model is present in the official list that Apple publishes each year (see for example the list of Macs compatible with macOS 11 Big Sur).
- The processor model and the amount of memory (Ram) installed, which indicates whether your Mac is powerful enough to run certain applications.
- The name of the startup disk used for the system (macOS)
- The Mac’s serial number. This number, which is obviously unique, is particularly useful if you call on Apple’s after-sales service.
- To learn more about a category of Mac, consult the pages of the Apple support site which lists all the models by vintage with their official references.
tab Insight from the window About This Mac gives only a very synthetic summary of the characteristics of the Mac, with only the essential information. But it is very easy to get technical details about all the elements.
- In the window About This MacClick on the button System report…down.
- A new window opens showing all the details about the Mac’s innards. It is separated into two parts, with, on the left, a column presenting three categories and, on the right, the details of the element selected in the left column.
- Click on the name of a category on the left to display related information.
- Click on Material to see all the characteristics of the processor (model, frequency, number of cores, etc.). cache memory, RAM, graphics circuit with attached monitor(s), etc.
- Click on Network to see the active interfaces and services (Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.). activeCapabilities in Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.
- Click on Software for detailed information about the installed version of macOS.
- This window goes much further still. Clicking on the little triangle placed in front of the title of a section, all the associated sub-categories are displayed. All you have to do is click on an item in this list to see all the corresponding technical information in the right part of the window. And as you can see, there are many in all areas (graphics circuit, monitor, RAM, PCI bus, audio circuit, Wi-Fi circuit, USB interfaces, Thunderbolt, applications, extensions and fonts installed… ). Everything you need to know about your Mac, even for the most curious!
Although you don’t need to know everything about the technical specifications of your Mac, it is useful to know its storage capacity.
- Click the Apple menu, then select About Your Mac.
- In the window that appears, click on the tab Storage.
- The information window then displays all of your Mac’s internal and external storage devices (hard drive, SSD, USB key, memory card, etc.) with their respective capacity and occupancy rate.
