Howya Doing with the Big Sur Mac Update?

[Anderton]

My 2012 MacBook Pro just scrapes by as being eligible, but I looked on the Sweetwater page they do for operating system updates, and so far, none of the manufacturers listed have given an "all clear." It's not a question of Sweetwater being behind the 8-ball, I followed their Catalina update page religiously before updating last year...they stay on top of it.

 

So I have two questions:

 

1. Have you updated? If not, why not? If so, how is it going for you?

2. Wouldn't it make sense for companies to have advance copies of an operating system so they can have most, if not all, of their testing completed when the OS hits the world?

 

Inquiring minds want to know...

[Marzzz]

I always wait, sometimes as much as a year. Many of my software companies have said "we are not ready," and if there is one thing I don't like to be on the bleeding edge of, it's software updates. I am guessing that Apple doesn't want to seed too much to too many developers because of security issues, both figurative and literal.

[KuruPrionz]

I always wait, on the cutting edge there is pain.

 

At least the .3 version and never before that. For Catalina I waited for the .6 version which is usually the last before the next iteration comes out in the fall.

 

And, I fully agree that Sweetwater's installation and setup guides for Mac OS are stellar, it really helped me with Catalina - the first time I'd used that feature.

[analogika]

Just a note: While I've used Sweetwater's guide in the past, this time around the guys at Pro Tools Expert seem faster and more comprehensive â I particularly like that they actually quote the vendors' status statements, and date them to make it easier to keep track. (You can sort by date, as well.)

 

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/big-sur-audio-compatibility-chart#home/

[Anderton]

I think Sweetwater concentrates only on definitive statements about "all clear" situations, not current status.

[Joe Muscara]

It's really easy to create a new volume with Disk Utility and do a clean install. Since I have an iCloud account that has most of my files, I can access almost everything once I log into it from Big Sur. So that's what I did.

 

However, all I had time for was to create the volume, do the install, let iCloud do its thing, and download some needed apps. I hope to play with it more over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, my main Catalina volume still works for real work. If Big Sur passes muster, I'll make the jump. I like the new OS so far though.

[Anderton]

So the installs are on different drives and you boot from them?

[Joe Muscara]

So the installs are on different drives and you boot from them?

Basically. They are both "volumes" on my SSD drive. Disk Utility makes it really easy because you can create a resizable volume on a disk while the computer is still running. The resizing is dynamic so that as long as I have enough free space on the drive overall, whichever volume needs more space gets it. When I want to switch macOS versions, I just restart. I should be able to hold down the Option key to choose, but it's not reliably working with my Bluetooth Apple Magic Keyboard. It should, but lately it hasn't. The other method is to choose the startup disk in System Preferences.

 

It's all here => clonk for Apple Support document on how to do it

[Joe Muscara]

BTW, I have a UA interface. I connected it, downloaded the latest installer, it told me it was incompatible with Big Sur and wouldn't do anything except close.

 

I have an older installer from earlier this year from them and tried that. Not only did the installer work, but everything seems to work as well. I only tried two plug-ins but they were fine. I might say that their Console app didn't work smoothly like I think it should, but it would be useable.

 

Personally, I'd prefer they would let us install the latest stuff but say, "USE AT YOUR OWN RISK." I understand it's not fully qualified. I won't do any projects yet on Big Sur with it, I still won't migrate to it fully. But I think UA could get updated reasonably quickly.

[Anderton]

It's all here => clonk for Apple Support document on how to do it

 

Thanks Joe! One more thing that's not clear from the Apple doc: I assume that any installed applications are seen by either OS, right? You don't have to install an application again so the other OS can "see" it?

[MoodyBluesKeys]

My Macbook Air (2014) has announced that it is ready for Big Sur (machine has broken screen, only 4GB RAM, was my granddaughter's until someone sat on it in her car, daughter got her a later refurbished one with 8GB RAM for about what it would have cost to buy replacement screen. I use it in clamshell mode with an external KVM switch and monitor). It was on Mojave when I got it, is now on Catalina. Also noted that the recent Garage Band update won't run on Catalina.

 

Not in any hurry to change. All I really use the machine for is to be able to read Mac formatted drives without having to go inside the house where the 2011 Macbook Pro lives.

[Joe Muscara]

It's all here => clonk for Apple Support document on how to do it

 

Thanks Joe! One more thing that's not clear from the Apple doc: I assume that any installed applications are seen by either OS, right? You don't have to install an application again so the other OS can "see" it?

If the app is compatible with either OS, it will run. Unless it is an app that requires an installer because it has to install drivers or extensions or something. But if both OSes have those, it should be fine. Drag-and-drop apps Just Work.

 

In fact, right-click and choose Open With on a file and that will show apps from both volumes if they're mounted.

[Dr Mike Metlay]

I am unbelievably trailing-edge. I don't own a single Mac that's under 6 years old. My big studio machine is from 2009 and hotrodded to the max, and my studio-on-the-go machine is from 2012 and ditto.

 

I have locked into Mojave 10.14.6 on all machine (except the one still running 10.12) and will never move on, because hardware this old either won't run Mojave at all or will let out the magic smoke when it tries. Technically my Mac Pro shouldn't run Mojave at all, but with the right guts it does fine... but that's as fast as my angels can fly. (Big ups to Dr. Fortner for being my wingman, at least in spirit, for the earliest stages.)

 

I plan to wait for second-generation M chips and move straight to whatever comes after 11.0 as an OS. With a couple of significant caveats, I am all in on the iOS way to make music, and Apple Silicon is a joy there, so....

[KuruPrionz]

I am unbelievably trailing-edge. I don't own a single Mac that's under 6 years old. My big studio machine is from 2009 and hotrodded to the max, and my studio-on-the-go machine is from 2012 and ditto.

 

I have locked into Mojave 10.14.6 on all machine (except the one still running 10.12) and will never move on, because hardware this old either won't run Mojave at all or will let out the magic smoke when it tries. Technically my Mac Pro shouldn't run Mojave at all, but with the right guts it does fine... but that's as fast as my angels can fly. (Big ups to Dr. Fortner for being my wingman, at least in spirit, for the earliest stages.)

 

I plan to wait for second-generation M chips and move straight to whatever comes after 11.0 as an OS. With a couple of significant caveats, I am all in on the iOS way to make music, and Apple Silicon is a joy there, so....

 

With ya on staying behind. When my 2008 Mac Pro got left behind I moved up to a 2014 MacBook Pro.

 

There is another reason to wait - Thunderbolt 4 is coming and the bling is that it and USB-whatever will be compatible, same cords, stuff interchangeable etc.

Would hate to get something soon and have it quickly become obsolete.

[Tusker]

I don't do bleeding edge and I don't do trailing edge. I am mostly within the Apple ecosphere and it's not as though I use many cross-platform vendors who might take awhile to test. Just waiting for the green light from NI and Spitfire Audio at this point ....