If you have a Mac, this time of year is not only one holiday after another, it’s the time when the new macOS that was released a few months ago has likely experienced its .1 update, meaning that bugs that were not squashed in the beta release have met their end, making a Mac system upgrade a safer bet.
If you’re currently running Sierra (10.12), the new macOS, High Sierra (10.13), is an easy choice, since we know that any computer capable of running Sierra can also run High Sierra. If you’re running anything prior to that (El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, or heaven forfend, Snow Leopard) we would need to answer some other questions to determine whether your computer is 10.13 capable.
Which Macs are eligible?
In short, if your model identifier for your:
- iMac is greater than 10,1
- MacBook is greater than 3,1
- MacBook Pro is greater than 6,1
- MacBookAir is greater than 3,1
- MacMini is greater than 4,1
- MacPro is greater than 5,1
Your model identifier is found under the Apple menu > About this Mac > System Report > Hardware Overview.
Don’t get left behind
I highly recommend never getting more than 2 operating systems behind for several reasons.
- SECURITY – Apple only provides security updates for 3 systems, the current year’s system and 2 systems back. This year, that means that Yosemite will receive no more updates to its security, only El Capitan, Sierra, and High Sierra.
- SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY – Software made to work on the latest release of the OS may not be backward compatible earlier than El Capitan. And old web browsers often aren’t compatible with newer websites.
- UPGRADE PROBLEMS – Most upgrade problems seem to happen when you have to upgrade through 3 or more systems.
This means if you’re running a Mac with a macOS older than 10.11 (El Capitan) you should plan to do a Mac system upgrade as soon as possible. If your system is not compatible with a macOS beyond El Cap, at least upgrade to El Capitan. Then start considering a new (or newer) computer, if you can. BMS can help you determine your best plan for upgrading software or hardware.
Additional Steps
Oh, and before you do your Mac system upgrade – BACKUP. Really, backup is the most important step you can take to secure your data through upgrades, disasters, and other events. An additional step I take for my clients to ensure a successful upgrade is to run diagnostic and upgrade utilities to clean and repair the system directories and caches.
If you’re in or near the Boulder Valley, contact me today for an appointment to help you upgrade