Got a Touchbar-equipped Mac?

[dave2010]

Catalina deprecated all 32 bit software and macOS 11 Big Sur is the same. At its base level, running a 64 bit OS means that more can be done with less code, which makes apps run quickly and efficiently. Developers like it, and users like the results.

Big Sur is absolutely incredible.

Big Sur is quite different in look and feel to macOS 10.xx but it won’t feel too far a departure for most. There’s a lot more flexibility in terms of the look and placement of many commonly known items, which makes it a lot more personalised.

As for the ARM processors, I’d be prepared to bet good money that there’s few issues, as Big Sur has been coded for both chipsets - and Apple have said that their normal support time for their machines will not deviate from the norm (one should expect 10-12 years of daily use from any Mac before complete obsolescence hits). Even now, a 10 year old Mac will run High Sierra; good for another 2-3 years yet.

If there’s nothing critical on your system, and if you have the knowledge and tools to retain data, format, and run fresh installs from external disks, I’d say give Big Sur a try. It’s pretty much complete now.

On the external Touchbar query, I don’t know of any such a device, but it would be a great bit of kit and make even more sense on a Desktop keyboard.

Is there really much difference between Big Sur and Catalina? Having already gone through the pain caused (to me) by Catalina, I doubt that Big Sur will create similar additional problems, but I might be wrong. In what ways is Big Sur incredible?

Existing users who haven't migrated past Mojave might want to think very carefully before "upgrading" either to Catalina or Big Sur. You have been warned!

A lot of the Catalina "problems" come from the elimination of 32 bit software, though that might not be the only reason that some things are difficult. Another reason might be the "checks" which Apple make for software which has not been bought through their App Store. I gather that they charge vendors around 30% for such approval. While it's good to know that software "might" be guaranteed to work and have no obvious vulnerabilities, it seems odd that some software add-ons which have seemingly worked find in earlier versions now do not work at all, because they don't meet with Apple's approval. This smacks of a racket. It affects products such as Logic Pro X.

Apple don't always help existing users - though as commented above, their hardware services are rather good. I rather resent what may be an accidental (but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt .....) approach to software updates. I installed a recent version of Logic Pro X, then Catalina - which caused me no end of bother - and then Apple released an update to the version of Logic Pro X which I'd barely installed, yet it won't even run (or so Apple claim - so won't install) on the version of Catalina I have installed. What are they playing at?

I wouldn't expect people who are new to Apple to have big problems, as presumably most of the software they'll use will be matched to their machine(s) and operating systems. Issues will probably arise later, due to updates and incompatibilities.

Re the external Touchbar idea - I guess it would only really make sense in an external keyboard, rather than yet another device. It might be useful, though, although I have no experience of computers with such touchbars.

[Filterlab]

Trouble is, you get sucked in. I was an HTC fan for years, then decided to try an iPhone just for a change. Then I got a watch, then a MacBook, then some AirPods..

Where does it end??

Never, ever!

31 years in and counting!

[Ali Tait]

[Filterlab]

Of course, as 32 bit computing was introduced in 1948, 2019 seems like about time to wave it goodbye in macOS. Gotta move with the times.