Should I upgrade my OS?

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I have a MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011) running 10.10.5. Should I upgrade to a higher version of OS X? can my hardware support el capitan, sierra or high sierra?
 

Raz0rEdge

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Your machine can be upgraded up to High Sierra and you really should if you want to continue using it for a bit yet. Use this page to get the installer for High Sierra. Make sure you backup your important document before doing any upgrade.
 

Rod


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If you use your device a lot as I do for important documents, online transactions and even internet banking it's always best to run the most recent software and operating system where possible. High Sierra is still supported by Apple with security updates, will run Apple's new APFS filing system and all current third part apps. All of which will make transitioning to a new device when you eventually do much smoother.
I would also suggest that you start to replace any old 32bit apps with their 64bit versions or equivalent.
But first make a full backup using eg the native Time Machine app onto an external USB hard drive approximately twice the size of your internal HD.


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is it true that the newer mac OS' are difficult to use on older devices because apple wants people to buy new hardware?
 

IWT


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is it true that the newer mac OS' are difficult to use on older devices because apple wants people to buy new hardware?

You actually ask two questions which may or may not be related:)

is it true that the newer mac OS' are difficult to use on older devices

Yes, probably. But the reasons are variable.

For example macOS High Sierra, macOS Mojave and macOS Catalina all use the Apple File System (APFS) and this can be problematical for Macs with spinning platter hard drives. Even worse if, by age or design, these are at 5400 rpm rather than 7200 rpm.

The same goes for RAM. Those Macs that shipped with 2GB or even 4GB will struggle with the later Operating Systems - generally 8GB is advised as a minimum. In some Macs, upgrading the RAM is fairly easy, in others, difficult to near impossible.

CPU and GPU specs gain some importance too.

The age of the components, especially Internal Hard Drives, is a factor. So, lots of reasons why a particular Mac might have difficulties, but these vary according to the parameters which I've mentioned above.

because apple wants people to buy new hardware?

Every company making any physical product depends on people continuing to purchase that product; but I do not believe that Apple deliberately sets out to force people to discard their old for the new.

There are many on our Forums happily running Snow Leopard (10.6.8) for example because does what they need and it "ain't broke".

So, I return to the point that your two questions are only loosely related.

Ian
 

pigoo3

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is it true that the newer mac OS' are difficult to use on older devices because apple wants people to buy new hardware?

The techology in the Apple iOS..Apple macOS...and apps from all developers are continuing to advance. Many times this is due to consumers demands for more & more & more features & abilities. At the same time...hardware technology continues to advance as well to meet the demand of consumers.

Thus in the end...it's a tug-of-war of sorts between the hardware & software to deliver the best consumer experience...and manhy times this requires that newer devices are developed...manufactured...and sold to consumers.

By the way. The title of the thread is..."Should I upgrade my OS?". 3 months have gone by...and you haven't enlightened us to what you decided to do...or where you're at in the decision process.:)

- Nick
 
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is it true that the newer mac OS' are difficult to use on older devices because apple wants people to buy new hardware?
That approach would not be in Apple's long term interest. If it came to light that the "plan" at Apple is to make people's systems fail in order to force them to buy new, nobody would buy in the first place. What Apple has done, throughout their life, is to avoid entanglements with older technology as they move on to newer and better implementations. They abandoned the original Motorola chips for PowerPC, then abandoned that for Intel and if rumors are true, are looking now to go in-house for CPUs with their own chips. The OS has, in each case, moved along with the hardware with little looking back. They did provide Rosetta when they moved to Intel, but abandoned that a couple of releases along. They abandoned 32 bit software with the move to Catalina. If they create their own in-house chip, they may or may not support Intel applications for a while (frankly, given how hard as that might be, I suspect they won't do that). So, whenever they abandon Intel, you can expect them to create the OS for that new technology and let the Intel systems slowly fade into obsolescence. Not that any user is being "forced" to do anything, as Charlie has pointed out. But if the new OS has a feature that you really desperately need, you are going to need to save up the coins to get that feature.
 

Rod


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is it true that the newer mac OS' are difficult to use on older devices because apple wants people to buy new hardware?

As a result of constant research and development in software and the hardware that runs it older devices do become incompatible or ineffective in running current software. Just as you cannot put unleaded petrol in an engine designed to rum on leaded. There are temporary tweaks and adjustments but in the end you must upgrade your engine.

If you want a computer system that is always developing and "improving" then Apple is the way to go. This is why I love this platform even if I don't always agree that the "next model" is an improvement. I'm running a 2015 MBP which I purchased in 2018 because I did not want to change over to the new input/output port system just yet. However I am running the latest macOS Catalina and will continue to run the latest OS until this device no longer supports it, then I will upgrade my device.
 

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