Mac Users, are you on Sonoma, or still using Ventura?

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What Mac OS are you currently using?

  • I upgraded to Sonoma

    Votes: 33 68.8%

  • I am still on Ventura

    Votes: 15 31.3%
  • Total voters
    48
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Richard Stern said:
M1 MB Pro. I'm happy with Ventura at the moment, and "if it ain't broke don't try and fix it", but I'm always a late upgrader, and usually wait for 2 or 3 updates to get the bugs ironed out before e major upgrade. No doubt I will upgrade to Sonoma eventually. All the Adobe, Topaz and the software I use, including Citrix Workspace that I have to use to get me into a virtual Windows environment for my non-photography work, work fine on Ventura.
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On my iMac I’ve a windows connect app, free, that hooks me into my windows pc. It’s easy to set up, and I have two links. One opens a full screen to my PC and the second opens a small window to my pc. I never need to use the pc monitor. Mouse, cut/paste etc work seamlessly.
 
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I am on Monterey - 12.1

I have only once clicked on update - and almost ruined the laptop when I had a power failure while updating- so obviously I am a tad hesitant -

Usually my Mac-expert backs up everything thats on my MBP. Then does an upgrade - and re-installs me stuff. But I am really keen to try again as well -

Thoughts on what can go wrong? (besides a power failure)
 
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Winston Churchill (Sir) said:
I am on Monterey - 12.1

I have only once clicked on update - and almost ruined the laptop when I had a power failure while updating- so obviously I am a tad hesitant -

Usually my Mac-expert backs up everything on my LAptop. The does an upgrade - and re-installs me stuff. But I am really keen to try again as well -

Thoughts on what can go wrong? (besides a power failure)
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I’ve never had any issues upgrading but always have a full backup just in case. One thing that is possible is compatibility with your working Apps like LR or Photoshop, make e sure they are up to date or will be. When moving to a whole number update , like from moving from Monterey to Ventura or Ventura to Sonoma it will take a while and restart several time. Be patient.
 
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Winston Churchill (Sir) said:
I am on Monterey - 12.1

I have only once clicked on update - and almost ruined the laptop when I had a power failure while updating- so obviously I am a tad hesitant -

Usually my Mac-expert backs up everything on my LAptop. The does an upgrade - and re-installs me stuff. But I am really keen to try again as well -

Thoughts on what can go wrong? (besides a power failure)
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Elsa,
First, check to see if your current Mac is compatible with MacOS 14 (Sonoma). It is on 14.1.1 as of this week.
Next, Do a complete backup of your laptop. (I do a complete backup to an external drive, and then do a second data only backup to a different hard drive. I started doing this back when I was in IT and we were working with mainframes and Windows computers).
If on a laptop, ensure your battery is fully charged. In the event of a power failure, the laptop won't shut down or shouldn't shut down. It may postpone the update but won't shut down.

As for what can go wrong, lots of things but proper prep like backups will help counter any possible mishaps. I forget the keystrokes on startup (Google) but all Macs can be reset to factory original OS and factory default settings and you can update from there in the event of something bad happening.

Now, to ease your mind, I've been using Mac since I retired 6 years ago. I was an IT guy at my company for 36 years and they were a Microsoft shop. I wanted to not be reminded of work every time I turned on my computer. To be honest, in those 6 years, my Mac computers have been flawless.

Hope this helps.
Jeff
 
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Winston Churchill (Sir) said:
I am on Monterey - 12.1
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Monterey is still supported, but you are on an ancient version and this is risky from a security point of view. The current Monterey version is 12.7.1 and you are almost two full years behind on security patches (19 individual patch releases), with some very easy to exploit super critical issues fixed in some of those.

Do yourself a favour and always, ALWAYS, make sure you stay current on the dot releases. The security fixes are 100% critical to your digital safety (and probably the safety of your bank account).


As for the upgrade to a newer version, the upgrade process on a MacBook is pretty solid and resilient. Yes you should have a backup, make sure that your Time Machine backup is current.

I know load shedding is a pain, I already hate it when I am on a business trip to SA, let alone if you experience it every day... For some additional assurance, you could also hook your macbook up to an external power brick, but when using a full battery, it really should not be required.
 
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Thank you all for valuable information - I will be attending to it this week
I now have solar power and 10 KVA batteries so Load-shedding is no longer a factor
Time machine is always up to date
I have a 2021 MPB - so it is compatible with the latest OS

I havent bothered with updating as I had no issues at all - but I do get a notice now saying Photoshop will perform better on the latest OS -
what better means is relative I suppose...
 
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hrv said:
Before I upgrade to Sonoma, I am curious to learn if you have already upgraded or are still holding off.

I have not read about any issues with LRC and Sonoma, but maybe your experience has been different.
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I upgrade as soon as available, M1 Mac.
One1 was good and Nikon Studio although I don’t use Studio extensively.
Still no support for Z8 from Apple.
 
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Winston Churchill (Sir) said:
Thank you all for valuable information - I will be attending to it this week
I now have solar power and 10 KVA batteries so Load-shedding is no longer a factor
Time machine is always up to date
I have a 2021 MPB - so it is compatible with the latest OS

I havent bothered with updating as I had no issues at all - but I do get a notice now saying Photoshop will perform better on the latest OS -
what better means is relative I suppose...
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There is a difference between the latest version and the latest version :)

Major upgrades would be, from Monterey to Ventura or to Sonoma.
I would never want to be first and some software may not support the new version till weeks or sometimes even months after release. So no need to rush I would say.

Minor upgrades or point / dot releases happen within the same OS release, so in your care, there have been numerous minor updated on Monteterey.
These I would follow closely and I would be amongst the first to apply the update. In fact, I have automatic updates turned on for these releases as they primarilly fix bugs and more importantly, they contain security updates.

You really shouldn't want to run without the latest security fixes.
 
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hrv said:
There is a difference between the latest version and the latest version :)

Major upgrades would be, from Monterey to Ventura or to Sonoma.
I would never want to be first and some software may not support the new version till weeks or sometimes even months after release. So no need to rush I would say.

Minor upgrades or point / dot releases happen within the same OS release, so in your care, there have been numerous minor updated on Monteterey.
These I would follow closely and I would be amongst the first to apply the update. In fact, I have automatic updates turned on for these releases as they primarilly fix bugs and more importantly, they contain security updates.

You really shouldn't want to run without the latest security fixes.
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Apple just put out another Monterey security update recently.
 
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Just be aware that if you are using a Nikon Z8, Apple (as of today) has STILL not provided RAW support in Sonoma (up to version 14.1.1). If you use either the "Photos" app, or the "Preview" app, your photos will only appear as a blank gray square.
 
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Anjin San said:
Sonoma…the laptops went a couple days after release (both are M1, an Air and a 14 MBP) and just did the Studio LR machine/file/print server yesterday. Pretty painless.
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My MacBook also upgraded easily. However, now Nikon Studio is having problems. I have mainly used it as a viewer and to bring in my NEF. files. Now. You cannot transfer said files via tiff format to Photoshop or LR. After checking to make sure that I had the latest software, Nikon said I did. A Google search showed that there had been two updates since my last. Tried both, none work. Have been using the “Other Apps” prompt. A visit to the Apple store and $79 brought no relief. Guess I will have to change my easy to use workflow to something else.
 
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fredheidepriem said:
My MacBook also upgraded easily. However, now Nikon Studio is having problems. I have mainly used it as a viewer and to bring in my NEF. files. Now. You cannot transfer said files via tiff format to Photoshop or LR. After checking to make sure that I had the latest software, Nikon said I did. A Google search showed that there had been two updates since my last. Tried both, none work. Have been using the “Other Apps” prompt. A visit to the Apple store and $79 brought no relief. Guess I will have to change my easy to use workflow to something else.
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That software is replaced by NX Studio which runs fine on the Mac. Download it at Nikon.
 
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Patrick M said:
Sadly, my 2017 iMac 5k is no longer supported. I did follow several u-tubers that showed how to upgrade to Sonoma, but it was less than 109% so I reverted To Ventura. The 5k screen is just so good. Sadly, it can’t be used as a monitor for a Mac like the Mac mini or studio.
there’s still talk of a 32” iMac next year. I’m prepared to wait!
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Are you sure? I have a 2009 27” iMac that by the internet said I was limited to OS 10.12.6 and wanted to use it as a second screen. I contacted Apple Support and after I told them all the apple products I had they gave me a link to upgrade to 10.13.6 and I now can use the iMac as a screen only. I was told everything after OS 10.13.6 has that capability. Your machine should be way ahead of that. It could just be your cable you are using. You would need a Thunderbolt 3 or 4. I had to use a third party adaptor in the back of the computer to be able to use a USB C. Good luck.
 
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James C. said:
Just be aware that if you are using a Nikon Z8, Apple (as of today) has STILL not provided RAW support in Sonoma (up to version 14.1.1). If you use either the "Photos" app, or the "Preview" app, your photos will only appear as a blank gray square.
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The Z8 RAW files are not supported in any MacOS or iOS.
 
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Whiskeyman said:
Same here as having a 2017 iMac and still using Ventura. I also have a mid 2015 iMac that is still operating with Big Sur. Just waiting until either can no longer be used due to other software changes. My 14-inch MacBook Pro can take the upgrade to Sonoma, but I see no need to do so this instant.

As far as the 32-inch iMac, please let it be available in silver; I'm not a fan of their other colors.
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See comment to Patrick M. Good luck.
 
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fredheidepriem said:
NX Studio is what I was talking about. It does not. The new Mac update caused the problem. Since Apple generally have security updates built in, I always update. Wish I hadn’t.
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NX Studio 1.5 running fine on my 2021 MBP with 14.1.1. Don't think it was the Mac update, try a fresh download. Make sure you have the correct version. Good luck.
 
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TonyDownunder said:
Are you sure? I have a 2009 27” iMac that by the internet said I was limited to OS 10.12.6 and wanted to use it as a second screen. I contacted Apple Support and after I told them all the apple products I had they gave me a link to upgrade to 10.13.6 and I now can use the iMac as a screen only. I was told everything after OS 10.13.6 has that capability. Your machine should be way ahead of that. It could just be your cable you are using. You would need a Thunderbolt 3 or 4. I had to use a third party adaptor in the back of the computer to be able to use a USB C. Good luck.
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Very interesting.
 
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TonyDownunder said:
Are you sure? I have a 2009 27” iMac that by the internet said I was limited to OS 10.12.6 and wanted to use it as a second screen. I contacted Apple Support and after I told them all the apple products I had they gave me a link to upgrade to 10.13.6 and I now can use the iMac as a screen only. I was told everything after OS 10.13.6 has that capability. Your machine should be way ahead of that. It could just be your cable you are using. You would need a Thunderbolt 3 or 4. I had to use a third party adaptor in the back of the computer to be able to use a USB C. Good luck.
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Can you share that link with us?
 
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Patrick M said:
Sadly, my 2017 iMac 5k is no longer supported. I did follow several u-tubers that showed how to upgrade to Sonoma, but it was less than 109% so I reverted To Ventura. The 5k screen is just so good. Sadly, it can’t be used as a monitor for a Mac like the Mac mini or studio.
there’s still talk of a 32” iMac next year. I’m prepared to wait!
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Same same! I got the 5K iMac when it came out. Alas I have not been able to upgrade the OS for a while. Also my last upgrade of Photoshop told me that my computer was no longer fast enough to run PS efficiently. Also the new gee whizz AI in PS 2024 will not run at all (I've stayed on PS 2023 after the warning last year). I have been waiting for the new 27/32 inch iMac. I believe the 5k screen on the old 27" iMac is still better than many of the 4k screens on offer today (AND you got a free computer attached for not much more money!!!). Recent rumours suggest the 27" is a no go and the 32" if it appears will be a very expensive unit. At least if I jump to a Studio set-up I should be able to keep the screen and in the future just get a new box every few months if technology keeps going at the speed it is!
 
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