Is there a "better" OX for a Macbook Pro from mid-2012?

[Kevin D.]

Hi there,
I'm considering upgrading my Mac ( Macbook Pro mid-2012, 2,5 GHz, Intel Core i5, 4GB 1600 MHz DDR3, 500GB storage capacity with 70GB available) from Lion OS X 10.7.5 to a more recent OS, in hope to optimize speed and have easier access to certain apps (Pages, ...).
But people around have many different views about it: some say go to Mountain Lion, others to Yosemite; some say go back to Snow Leopard, it's the best for your configuration; I've read on some forums people having problems with Mavericks on a 2012 MBPro...

So my question is: is there a better OS for my computer and if so which one is that? Should I stick with Lion? Upgrade? Downgrade?

Any grist for my mill most welcome!
Thanks,
K

 

[IWT]

Hi K,

Welcome to our Forums. Good to have you join us.

There are certain questions that can be sorted out right away. You do not have the option of upgrading to Mavericks or Yosemite as they are no longer available. You could upgrade to El Capitan, which is free. And, no way, should you "go back" to Snow Leopard.

You've given us your specs and thank you for that. Many forget.

From your post, I don't detect any actual problem with your Mac? Rather, I think you seek more up-to-date apps such as Pages? And perhaps others? So if you want to move on with another OS, El Capitan is the only logical option.

4GB of RAM is really the minimum for El Capitan, 8GB would be better. I don't know the RAM upgrade possibilities for your particular Mac. I'll research that for you. Otherwise, El Capitan should be fine. Your Mac will take that.

Can you just confirm I'm on the right track re your ambitions for your Mac? And, BTW, what is the storage on your Mac, and how much free/unused/available space do you have?

Ian

 

[harryb2448]

As Ian suggests, 8GB of memory from OWC or Crucial and El Capitan from the App Store, you will need an Apple ID to download El Capitan. Lion OS X.7 is no longer supported by Apple with Security Updates and has not been for some time. Havea ead of this and remember it is two years old:-


http://osxdaily.com/2014/02/18/still-running-old-os-x-upgrade-to-mavericks/

 

[chas_m]

I have this same model you have, Kevin (welcome by the way), and in most ways it is the exact same machine Apple continues to sell to this day as the non-Retina 13-inch machine. It's both extremely capable -- with most of the current technologies like support for Bluetooth 4, 802.11n (but not ac), USB 3.0, and Thunderbolt -- and modifiable. I have opted to remove the optical drive (never used it much anyway) and replace that with SSD storage, when then prompted me very shortly after to replace the boot drive with SSD. I also increased the RAM to the maximum, 16GB.

In short, this machine runs everything I throw at it very well, though I should mention I don't do any top-line video gaming (more of a casual or mid-level gamer on the rare occasions I can at all). It's actually faster than it was when it was new by a considerable margin, and won't NEED to be replaced for many years yet (WANT is of course a different story ...).

As mentioned earlier, your actual only practical choice is to jump to El Capitan; none of the other options are easily available to you. I'd suggest upping the RAM to 8GB and I'd also suggest replacing the boot drive with an SSD for maximum performance, but you'll know your budget for this better than I do. The mods I did to mine have completely transformed into a "current" non-Retina MacBook Pro and really improved my productivity on this machine, which I use far too much every day.

 

[Keats1]

Sat 30 Jan 16,
I'm glad to see your posting. I just bought a late 2011 Mac Book Pro in great shape. It has Mountain Lion OS Version 10.7.5 installed and I'd like to update it so I can install Turbo Tax. Turbo Tax requires version 10.9 or better.
Apparently El Capitan is the only OS available for me. Before I install it via a download, I'd like to be able to go back to the 10.7.5 Mountain Lion if necessary. I've heard that E.C. has some bad reviews and I'm not sure if it will work as well as it should.
My specs are model A1286, 2.5GHz, Intel quad Core I7, 8 GB of Memory (2X4 sticks), 750 GB 7200 RPM H.D., 731 GB available space. I have a CD - DVD disk reader/writer that works very well.

So, how do I back up the current version of my OS to use to reinstall if E.C. does not work well?
Do I save everything on my HD to a thumb drive or perhaps burn a disk ? If I do that, how can I get it reinstalled after I delete E.C.?

Is there a program that will allow me to copy the 10.7.5 O.S. so that I could reinstall it? Maybe it copies just enough of the current O.S. to allow a reinstall of just the O.S. and I can recreate everything else. Saved E Mails, bookmarks, etc.

I'd appreciate any info that any of you can provide.

Thanks,

Keats
Peoria,Az

 

[pigoo3]

It has Mountain Lion OS Version 10.7.5 installed and I'd like to update it so I can install Turbo Tax.

Just so you know. OS 10.7.5 is Lion. Mountain Lion is OS 10.8.

Apparently El Capitan is the only OS available for me.

If you need OS 10.9 or later for Turbo Tax…yes this is true…if in the past you never downloaded OS 10.9 Mavericks or OS 10.10 Yosemite. Then OS 10.11 El Capitan is the only choice via Apple.

I've heard that E.C. has some bad reviews and I'm not sure if it will work as well as it should.

Check ANY OS version Apple has ever released…and you can find bad reviews.

So, how do I back up the current version of my OS to use to reinstall if E.C. does not work well?

Use either Carbon Copy Cloner or Super Duper to make a "clone" of your current setup onto an external HD before installing El Capitan.

- Nick

 

[Keats1]

Just so you know. OS 10.7.5 is Lion. Mountain Lion is OS 10.8.



If you need OS 10.9 or later for Turbo Tax…yes this is true…if in the past you never downloaded OS 10.9 Mavericks or OS 10.10 Yosemite. Then OS 10.11 El Capitan is the only choice via Apple.



Check ANY OS version Apple has ever released…and you can find bad reviews.



Use either Carbon Copy Cloner or Super Duper to make a "clone" of your current setup onto an external HD before installing El Capitan.

- Nick

Nick, your right. I do have Lion not Mountain Lion. My bad...
I just got this lap top about two weeks ago. I have not changed the O.S. and I know that it's the original O.S. that came with this machine back in Jan 12 when the original owner bought it new.
Because it's never been updated to another O.S., I can't go to Apple and get a previous O.S. downloaded. Sure wish they had them available on a disk or a thumb drive.
I suppose that E.C. will work O.K. but I'm just trying to cover my bases.
So if I use one of these programs to make a clone of my current hard drive, how would I get it back on the machine again.? Would I have to wipe the H.D. clean like a "Format C" and then try to transfer the entire contents of the thumb drive back onto the H.D.?
Would the Lion simply work again like it did before?
I don't have a lot stored on this H.D. to date so there's not much to loose.
I'll look up Carbon Copy and Super Duper and give one of them a try.

Thanks again,

Keats

 

[Rod]

Just one thing to ensure that you perform an update of all OSX software on the App Store before upgrading and upgrade to El Capitan. Doing a bootable Carbon Copy Cloner or Super Duper backup first is a great idea because you can run your computer directly off the backup (albeit a little slower) with no need to actually restore it back to your internal HD (which can be done if you decide to) and yes it would mean wiping all of the data on your HD if you did that. Personally I think, as you are new to Macs you will love El Capitan and never think of going back. It is also a very good idea to make a copy of the El Capitan installer before you run it because it is removed as part of the instal process and you never know when you might need it again.
My wife recently had her HDD die in her MBP and we simply ran it off her CCC backup until we could purchase a new one, then restored the CCC copy back to the new drive no fuss no downtime. I cannot recommend this software highly enough.

 

[Kevin D.]

Hi everyone,

First of all, I'm very impressed by the quality of your quick responses and sharings. Thank you all for your time and attention on my thread!

IWT: Yes you're absolutely on the right track. Capacity of my MBP is 500GB and I have 70GB free. My computer does seem to run more slowly than before (several apps, like Firefox, Words, Itunes are bogging more and more often).

Chas-m: Thanks for your response. Where do you suggest I buy the 8GB RAM and the SSD? Is it something I can easily learn to do myself or would you recommend to get it done in a Mac Store??

Keats: Glad my thread is useful to you too!

Rod Sprague: do you know where I can learn more, in easy language if possible, about Carbon Copy Cloner??

Thanks again everyone,
Kevin

 

[Rod]

Kevin D. Welcome to this forum for starters. Yes in answer to your query the developers web page is pretty up front and what they claim is true see here; https://bombich.com and as you will see there is a 30 day full function free trial. My experience has been that their support was pretty good too in the few instances I needed advice. Other than that you could just Google it bearing in mind there will always be a few negative views, people love to complain. Have a look at Super Duper as well http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html I have not tried it personally but some like it better. They both do the same job and are about the same price.
Also whichever you pick you are welcome to ask any questions you may have about installation preferences and use, I guarantee to answer in plain english.

 

[IWT]

Kevin

Others will agree or otherwise, but I think 70GB free out of 500GB is approaching the bare minimum needed to run OS X. I'm not saying El Capitan wouldn't run, but the combination of 4GB of RAM and 70GB free space will tend to slow things a bit. The RAM issue is easily solved.

There are ways of dealing with the free space such as moving, say, the iTunes, and (in your case) the iPhoto libraries on to an EHD and running them from there. If/when you go the El Capitan route, you will find that iPhoto has become Photos and the best plan is to allow the new Photos app to import all your iPhotos - it does this automatically if you permit it. Moving out these two libraries and any additional large files from Documents, for example, to an EHD will free up a fair bit of space.

Then there's the suggestion by chas_m in #4 about replacing the HDD with an SSD. In fact, chas_m made it clear that his Mac & yours are more or less the same machine and he has no problems and is a seasoned user.

So there are plenty of options and, thankfully, plenty of life in your Mac. Just some thoughts.

BTW, I endorse the Carbon Copy Cloner/SuperDuper! suggestions and they both are really easy to use. There's tons of help here to talk you though either of these if you need it - in plain English! As Rod said.

Ian

 

[badshoehabit]

I upgraded my old 2011 MBP with memory cards from Crucial UK who had excellent after sales service when one failed (identified by Genius Bar staffer) a few months later. Fitted myself with help from a YouTube video which Crucial direct you to.

 

[Keats1]

Sunday
I downloaded Carbon Copy Cloner on the lap top. I then tried to use a new 16GB thumb drive to clone the h.d. to. No luck. Eventually I tried to format the thumb drive to work with Macs. Tried again. Still no luck.

Eventually I went to my G Tech external H.D. and found that I had 87GB of free space there. I only needed about 19 GB to completely copy the lap top.

So I wanted to clone a copy of the lap top into a separate folder on the G Tech, but that was not an available option. C C C advised me to create a partition on the G Tech and that it would then create a bootable file for Lion 10.7 and copy the H.D. to the G Tech available free space.
O.K., I went along with that. Worse case, I'd just have to go back to square one and erase the G.Tech and start over. So CCC told me that the bootable file was hidden and I could use it if I held down the Control key at start up.
I'm hoping that this is the case.

Eventually it copied the H.D. from the lap top onto the G Tech external drive and used just over 10GB not the 19GB that I thought it needed. I think that somehow I lost the music from I Tunes and all I have left of them is the album covers etc. That's another project for down the road..

I checked the contents of the CCC copy on the G Tech and everything appears to be there.

With this done, I'm going to try to download El Captain onto the lap top later on. Fingers crossed. Again, the worst that can happen is that it won't work. I'd just have to try it again or give up and take it to an Apple Authorized Store and pay someone to get it done. That's not really what I want to do. So we'll see.

I'll post the results as they develop.

Keats
Arizona

 

[harryb2448]

Keats a thumb drive is not the best for backing up to. 16GB is too small and thumb drives are notoriously fragile. Was the G Tech external drive formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and GUID format selected under Partition > Options? It needs that to be bootable. Pleased it all backed up and when (or if) you have an Apple ID go for the download. It is 5.5GB and can take some time and then the install was for me slower than the download. To operate anywhere near peak, a hard drive needs a minimum of 15% free space so the G Tech is getting, or past, that figure.

Keep us posted.

 

[chas_m]

Where do you suggest I buy the 8GB RAM and the SSD? Is it something I can easily learn to do myself or would you recommend to get it done in a Mac Store??

We generally recommend Other World Computing (OWC, which have the domain name macsales.com) for high-quality RAM and SSDs for users based in the US.

Replacing the RAM and boot drive are fairly easy: I refer you to iFixit.com for visual, step-by-step instructions.

 

[Keats1]

Monday 1 Feb 16,
Last night I took the plunge. I downloaded E.C. and it took a while to download. Eventually it was ready for the installation. That took quite some time.
After it was installed I had to re-establish my connection with my router and set a new password. So far so good..

While attempting to clone my H.D. to the thumb drive, I determined that there was just a bit too much on the hard drive to fit on the thumb drive so I looked for something to eliminate to reduce the size of the clone.
I chose the I Tunes music file. Duh !! I knew that I had all of my music on another computer (desk top I. Mac ) and that I could simply transfer the music back to the lap top after I did the upgrade.
Well guess what, by moving the "Music" file to the trash, I left the rest of the I. Tunes data in place so I now have a listing of all the music that I no longer have. I have the album covers and info about the artists but no actual songs.

So far, that O.K. Here's the kicker. I got a message that said now that I've eliminated the actual music from the lap top, if I try to synchronize any other devices such as an I Pod, I Pad, I Phone etc, it will erase all of the songs on them as well.
I guess that it will simply make these devices mirror the I tunes on my lap top. Big mistake, especially considering that I eventually did the clone on my G Tech external drive and had more than enough room for the songs.

So now I'm going to try to use the music on my desk top to up load to I Cloud and perhaps I can then download the music from the I Cloud onto my lap top.
If that does not work, maybe I can make a copy of the music on a thumb drive or burn a disk or worse case, use the actual CD's to reload each album individually like I did a few years back on the desk top.
Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy...

If I only had one of the grandkids around to do this for me I'd be on good shape.
Today will be a learning day for me. How does E.C. work compared to Lion.? Was it the right thing to do? At least I've got a version that will allow Turbo Tax to load as well as synch my I Phone.
Keats
Arizona.

 

[harryb2448]

Told you thumb drives are not the go. Lash out on an external caddy and drive and run on the fastest option, Thunderbolt, USB3, FW800 or whatever it may be. Course it was the right thing to do. Lion no longer receives security updates etc.

 

[Keats1]

Told you thumb drives are not the go. Lash out on an external caddy and drive and run on the fastest option, Thunderbolt, USB3, FW800 or whatever it may be. Course it was the right thing to do. Lion no longer receives security updates etc.

Got my music to load as well. Just a copy and paste from the thumb drive that held the music. I'm not a big fan of thumb drives but they were handy for now.
Everything is running well so far.
Keats
Arizona

 

[Kevin D.]

Hi everyone,

Quick update: I finally installed 8GB Ram and El Capitan. Thank you all for your support with that!

Quick question (and please tell me if it is better to open a new thread for it but it seems to be the continuity of my initial post): it looks like all the info from my former iCal haven't followed onto Calendars: How can I recover them??

Keats1: Good luck with your situation, sorry I can't help!
Cheers,
Kevin

 

[Rod]

This may be a little dependant on what calendars you mean. iCloud calendars require that you are logged into iCloud sync in system preferences. Other calendars like Google calendars may require checking your Mail, Caendars and message settings. Regardless they will all be on the appropriate servers they just need to sync. Check iCal preferences first.