Short answer? No, and yes.
MacOS Catalina came out in October 2019. It’s the sixteenth version of Apple MacOS! (can you believe it?) And with all operating system upgrades, we are cautious about moving to a new OS so soon. There are always bugs when something new is released, and often, a new MacOS won’t be stable (enough) for at least six months after release.
Should you upgrade? That depends. Here are some thoughts and advice.
- What MacOS are you currently running?
- Mojave? If you are running Mojave and have no need for 32-bit apps, then feel free to upgrade. (unsure what 32-bit apps mean, give us a call or shoot us an email before you upgrade!)
- In fact, if you’re currently running MacOS Mojave, your machine is automatically compatible with MacOS Catalina.
- If you are on MacOS High Sierra (10.13), and everything is running just fine, then I suggest stay on it. If you want a few more compatibility features with your iOS devices, such as an iPhone or iPad, then it may be worth upgrading to MacOS Mojave.
- Still considering Catalina? Check out the compatibility section below to see if your machine is capable of running the latest MacOS.
- Backup! I cannot stress this enough. In Albuquerque, we get many phone calls regarding failed operating system upgrades. A simple local backup or secure off-site backup, is a good safety measure to take before upgrading your OS. These backup drives are great.
- Still unsure? Call us today and we can chat for a few minutes if it’s necessary to upgrade. And if so, we can recommend the best course of action.
MacBook Pro running MacOS Catalina 10.15
Compatibility
Catalina is compatible with the following machines.
- Mac Pro: Late 2013 models and onwards.
- iMac Pro: All models.
- iMac: Late 2012 models and onwards.
- Mac Mini: Late 2012 models and onwards.
- MacBook Pro: Mid 2012 models and onwards.
- MacBook Air: Mid 2012 models and onwards.
- MacBook: Early 2015 models and onwards.