Mac Pro Os Support

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Mac Pro Os Support

Apple fans have been disgruntled over the past few years with an apparent forced obsolescence of hardware. But how much truth is there in this? How long does Apple support their devices with up-to-date operating systems? By support I mean from the moment a Mac or iDevice is released until it is no longer supported by a version of Mac OS X or iOS.
Contact Apple Support. If you're struggling to install macOS or OS X on your new hard drive, you may be able to get one-to-one support directly from Apple. Visit the Get Support website to speak to an advisor online or make an appointment at your nearest Apple Store to see a Genius. MacBook Pro Support Change your display's refresh rate. The 16-inch MacBook Pro has a Retina display with an adjustable refresh rate. Use the Touch Bar. The Touch Bar shows you intuitive shortcuts and app controls when you need them. With Touch ID on. Get AppleCare+ for Mac. With AppleCare+. Answer:A: A MacBook Pro 15' Mid-2012 came with Lion 10.7.3, and that is the OLDEST operating system version it will run. This Mac can run Sierra. And unless you have previously downloaded a copy of an older operating system, then Sierra is the next upgrade available to you. If you're struggling to install macOS or OS X on your new hard drive, you may be able to get one-to-one support directly from Apple. Visit the Get Support website to speak to an advisor online or make an appointment at your nearest Apple Store to see a Genius. Generally speaking, Apple doesn't charge anything for software repairs.
For example, the first MacBook was released in May 2006 and came with Mac OS X 10.4. It was supported through 10.6, but it couldn't run Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, which was released in July 2011. Therefore it had an officially supported life of 5 years and 2 months.
Does buying an expensive Mac Pro give you longer support life over the cheaper Mac mini, or does the higher price of a MacBook Pro reward you with longer support life over a consumer-aimed MacBook? Let's find out. Below is a table listing each Mac product line.
For each product line, I have listed three versions (if available): the earliest version of each line to support OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, 10.7 Lion, and 10.8 Mountain Lion. This gives the maximum support life of each product. Of course, if you buy one later on, nearing the release of the next version or purchase a used machine, you get less support. This should be reflected in the price you pay.
For Macs capable of running Mac OS X 10.8, I have included support life for 10.9 Mavericks, as all Macs that can run 10.8 will be able to run 10.9, which is due to be released later this year. Apple are releasing a new version of OS X each year, so 2014 should see 10.10, and nobody knows what the hardware requirements will be. I am assuming Apple will increase it and doubt very much that a 2007 iMac or a 2009 MacBook capable of running 10.8 and 10.9 will be supported in a 2014 operating system.
For the purpose of this article, we will assume those early machines running 10.8 (and soon 10.9) will end OS support in August 2014, which is roughly when 10.10 should be released.
 The news that OS X 10.9 Mavericks will run on the same hardware as OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion is a huge boost for current Mac users. It is the first time since the release of Mac OS X 10.3 Panther in 2003 (which required built-in USB) that no hardware hikes have been included and extends a lot of Macs supported life by another 12 months at least.
Looking through the table, it seems the average supported life from Apple is just over five years, with a few exceptions. The original MacBook Air falls short at only 4 years and 6 months and the Mid 2007 Mac mini falls short of the five year mark also, both models due to not being able to run Mountain Lion.
The Mac mini is Apple's budget Mac. It originally aimed at Windows users, hoping to entice them to switch. It came with no accessories, assuming you had a monitor and USB keyboard and mouse from your existing set up. Retailing from US$499 in 2005 for the original model and $599 for later ones, it was Apple's cheapest Macs since the 2000 model iMacs and the ATI eMacs coming in behind at $799. For this reason, you can forgive Apple for not support it as long as a Mac that is double in price. However, the first Mac Pro – retailing at $2,499, nearly 5x the price of the Mac mini – only received 5 years and 11 months support, a little over a year more than the Mac mini.
The few exceptions to roughly five years of OS support – which must please their owners no end – are the Mid 2007 20' iMac at 7 years and the Mid/Late 2007 MacBook Pro at a whopping 7 years 2 months.
What does this all mean? Well, it should help you gauge what sort of machine will provide a better cost-per-year, and for those on a tighter budget this could give them an extra two years before they feel the need to replace it.
Okay, before you all scream This is Low End Mac and point out that many people still use older, non-supported Macs, just because a Mac loses support by Apple doesn't mean it is useless. That is not what this article is about.
Snow Leopard LivesA 2006 Intel Mac running OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard is still fully supported by most developers, and with a user base of around 30%, Apple cannot ignore it. [Editor's note: Site analytics show 24% of Intel Mac users visiting Low End Mac are using OS X 10.6.] Apple in the past have taken a 'current plus previous' approach to supporting Mac OS X, meaning when 10.5 Leopard was released they still released Security Patches for 10.4 Tiger – but not 10.3 Panther.
However, Apple recently released a Snow Leopard Security update, despite it being two revisions back from today's 10.8 Mountain Lion. Interestingly, there are more Snow Leopard users than Lion users [16% according to Low End Mac analytics, vs. 24% for 10.6], which shows both how good Snow Leopard was and how many early Intel Macs are still around that cannot run anything higher.
How Long for OS Support?This provides an interesting look at just how long you get support for an Apple product. Support is meant as currently supported by Apple and able to run the latest OS. A first generation MacBook shipped in 2006, is now 7 years old, and is still used by a lot of people, still supported by developers, and still being offered security updates by Apple if it's running Snow Leopard. It isn't obsolete – far from it, it can still run the latest Flash and Firefox, unlike a G4 or G5 Mac.
However, there are still plenty of people who use a G4 and are happy with it. One interesting point about Intel Macs over PowerPC Macs is that once Apple do end all support for your Mac – it is Intel based – so it is possible to run Windows or Linux on it, as both tend to run on older hardware. As much as it pains me to say it, where Apple ditched Core Duo and early Core 2 Duo Macs, not allowing them to run Lion or anything higher, they will run Windows 8 or the latest Ubuntu with full support.
A device is useful depending on the needs of the user. Some people need a top-end brand new Mac, but some people can get by using a PowerBook G4.
To see how Apple supports iDevices in comparison to its Macs, see my companion article, How Long Will Apple Support Your iDevice.
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Which Mac operating system is the best is a topic of numerous debates among Apple fans.
Since the mission of this blog is to refute myths and legends around Macs, it's time for me to provide my 2 cents about the issue on hand. While everything below is just my opinion, as a long-time Mac user and veteran software engineer, I hope my opinion worth something.
The best Mac OS version is the one that your Mac is eligible to upgrade to. In 2020 it is macOS Big Sur. However, for users that need to run 32-bit apps on Mac, the best macOS is Mojave. Also, older Macs would benefit if upgraded at least to macOS Sierra for which Apple still releases security patches.
How to Tell Which macOS You Are RunningTo find out which macOS is currently running on your Mac, follow these steps:
Click on Apple logo in the top left corner of the menubar
In the dropdown click on the first item: About This Mac
The first line in the Overview tab is the name of the current OS.
What Version of OS Can My Mac Run?Not all Macs can be upgraded to the latest OS version. For instance, old Macs powered by PowerPC CPUs cannot run OS intended for Intel-based computers. Also, some versions have hardware limitations.
For instance, Mojave cannot be installed on MacBook Pro earlier than Mid 2012 model.
Check below to know exactly what version of OS your Mac can run.
Which OS is Best for my MacAnytime someone asks me which OS is best for them I always suggested going with the latest. Things have changed recently, however.
Should I Upgrade to macOS Catalina or Big Sur?While personally I like macOS Big Sur and have it installed on my MacBook Pro, it comes with serious breaking changes.
The first issue is compatibility.
Big Sur is a transition OS which is designed to help Apple to move from Intel processors to their own chips on ARM.
After I installed Big Sur on my MacBook Pro mid 2020 (pre-Silicon), most of my apps, including Microsoft Office, were working as expected.
However, my VMWare Fusion 11 does not start anymore, so I have to purchase a new license if I want to keep using it (or roll back to Catalina). Luckily, I took a full backup before the upgrade.
The second breaking issue is the lack of 32-bit app support.
macOS Catalina and Big Sur can only run 64-bit apps.
If you wondering whether you should upgrade to macOS Catalina or Big Sur, first verify that you don't have any 32-bit apps. But first, take a back up, so you can go back in case something breaks after the upgrade.
For instance, I had to remove uTorrent after upgrade. And I didn't know that uTorrent is 32-bit!
How to Know If App is 32-bit or 64-bitTo find out whether the app on your Mac is 32-bit or 64-bit follow these steps:
Click on Apple logo in the top left corner of the Mac screen
Click on About This Mac option
Click on System Report button in Overview tab (first one)
Scroll down to Software -> Applications
Find the app and check Kind
Which macOS Should I UseIf you have an older Mac which is not eligible to upgrade with some latest software or hardware, I'd suggest upgrading at least to Sierra (or better High Sierra) for the following reasons:
Sierra is still supported by Apple, and it gets security updates
APFS file system is available
It supports Siri
Significant security improvements
The most important point when choosing the best OS is the ability to get security updates. While Apple generally does not announce the OS end of life dates, it is possible to know when they stop releasing security updates from this page.
For instance, according to the page, the last security update for OS X Yosemite was released on September 12, 2017. The last update for OS X El Capitan was in July 2018, and Carnegie Mellon University confirmed that El Capitan's end of life date was August 2018.
Snow Leopard MythI know that some users on forums believe that the best OS version for Macs was Snow Leopard. But that is a myth. And I know how such myths get created.
Once I worked in the company, which was selling a 20-year old product. And customers were still using and didn't want to switch to new versions, because the old one was rock solid.
I then talked to the engineer who worked on the project, and he revealed that the product was a total disaster when it was first deployed. Engineers had to work on-site for almost a year in order to fix all bugs.
After five or so years of polishing the product, it becomes virtually bug-free, and nobody now remembers how bad it was when it was first rolled out. A similar thing happened Snow Leopard, and it was recognized as best mac os version after some time.
How to Update to the Latest VersionThere are two ways to update to the latest OS version on Mac:
From the Software Update section in System Preferences
Use a download link
Using Software UpdateThis is by far the best option, but it only available if you have Yosemite, or later OS installed already. If you enabled automatic updates, then Mac will inform you that the next macOS is available.
Just open System Preferences, go to Software Update and click on the Upgrade Now button.
This method is also best if wondering how to check if you have the latest version of OS installed on your Mac. Only the version compatible with your hardware will appear here.
For instance, my the latest version for Mac Mini 2012 is Mojave, I can't install anything newer than that.
Using download linksFor older systems or in case you need to downgrade, you have to download a standalone installer in DMG format. DMG stands for disk image, similar to ISO, just different formats.
After downloading the installer, just double click on it and follow instructions. Again, do not forget to take a backup before the upgrade.
Mac OS Comparisons: Requirements, Features, Compatibility, Download LinksFollowing is a high-level description of all Mac operating systems as early as Mountain Lion.
You can refer to those descriptions when deciding which operating system is best for your iMac, Mac Pro, Mac mini, or MacBook.
With each OS description, I included a list of Macs supported. However, you can use Mac OS compatibility checker for more detailed information.
macOS 11 Big SurmacOS v11 (codename Big Sur) is the latest version of the operating system for Apple computers.
Release date: October 13, 2020
Hardware Requirements: RAM requirement 4GB. Big Sur is the first OS to support new Macs using ARM technology (in the future).
FeaturesThe biggest design refresh since macOS X.
Support for new ARM processors.
Safar improved performance and power consumption.
Time Machine supports backup to APFS volumes.
One-click translation for 7 languages.
Redesigned maps
Software Compatibility Issues
Only 64-bit apps are allowed to run on Big Sur.
How to installThere are two ways to install Big Sur: enable automatic updates in System Preferences or download by using the following link.
List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Big SurMacBook (2015 and later)
MacBook Air (2013 and later)
MacBook Pro (2013 and later)
Mac mini (2014 and later)
iMac models (2014 and later)
iMac Pro (2017 and later)
Mac Pro (2013 and later)
macOS 10.15 CatalinaRelease date: October 7, 2019
Hardware Requirements: RAM requirement increased from 2GB to 4GB.
FeaturesIntroduced Sidecar, which allows for Macs to use an iPad as an external display.
iTunes was replaced by separate apps: Music, Podcasts, and TV.
Find My Mac and Find My Friends have merged into one app.
Software Compatibility Issues
macOS Catalina is the first Mac operating system that does not support 32-bit applications. Only 64-bit apps are allowed to run on Catalina.
How to installThere are two ways to install Catalina: enable automatic updates in System Preferences or download by using the following link.
List of Apple computers compatible with macOS CatalinaMacBook (Early 2015 or later)
MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or later)
MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or later)
Mac mini (Late 2012 or later)
iMac models (Late 2012 or later)
iMac Pro (All models)
Mac Pro (Late 2013)
macOS 10.14 MojaveRelease date: September 24, 2018
Mac Pro Os Support MacHardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 18.5GB free space on disk
FeaturesThe main feature of Mojave is 'Dark Mode'
FaceTime adds group feature which allows chatting with up to 32 people
News, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Home apps were ported from iOS to Mac.

How to installIf your Mac is eligible to update to Mojave, then the easiest way to install it is by enabling automatic updates. Downloading a standalone Mojave installer could be a little tricky.
List of Apple computers compatible with macOS MojaveMacBook (Early 2015 or later)
MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or later)
MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or later)
Mac mini (Late 2012 or later)
iMac (Late 2012 or later)
iMac Pro (All models)
Mac Pro (Late 2013 and 2010-2012 models with upgraded GPU)
macOS 10.13 High SierraRelease date: September 25, 2017
Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 14.3GB free space on disk
FeaturesAPFS (Apple File System) becomes the default file system in High Sierra. It's a significant upgrade from the older HFS+ in terms of speed, size, and security
iCloud support of Messages which allows sync messages of the account across multiple devices
Mail app uses 35% less storage space due to optimizations
List of Apple computers compatible with macOS High SierraMacBook (Late 2009 or newer)
MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
iMac (Late 2009 or newer)
Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
How to installHere is a High Sierra download link.
macOS 10.12 SierraThis is the first macOS version. Previous OS versions for Macs were called OS X (X stands for 10).
Release date: September 20, 2016
Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk
FeaturesSiri was introduced to Macs
Optimized storage with iCloud sync
Auto-lock feature allows unlocking MacBook with paired Apple Watch
APFS preview available
Disk Utility can manage RAID sets again
Significant security improvements
How to installHere is a Sierra download link.
List of Apple computers compatible with macOS SierraMacBook (Late 2009 or newer)
MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
iMac (Late 2009 or newer)
Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
OS X 10.11 El CapitanLast OS X version.
Release date: September 30, 2015
Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk
FeaturesSystem Integrity Protection – a security feature that protects even when the root user executes the process
Performance improvements: open PDF files four times faster, Mail is twice faster, launching apps 40% faster
Notes app similar to the app in iOS
Macs compatible with OS X El Capitansame as OS Mountain Lion.
How to installHere is El Capitan download link.
OS X 10.10 YosemiteRelease date: October 16, 2014
Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk
Macs compatible with OS X YosemiteSame as OS Mountain Lion.
FeaturesMajor user design overhaul
Introduction of Handoff and Continuity features
Photos app replaced iPhoto and Aperture
How to installHere is Yosemite download link.
OS X 10.9 MavericksFirst free Mac OS. Previous OS versions vary from $19.99 to $129.
Release date: October 22, 2013
Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk
FeaturesCompressed Memory feature automatically compresses inactive apps when approaching maximum memory capacity
Timer coalescing is a feature that reduces CPU usage by up to 72 percent
App Nap puts apps that are not currently visible to sleep
Macs compatible with OS X MavericksSame as OS Mountain Lion.
How to installOS X Mavericks installer is not available on Apple Site. Follow instructions here to install Mavericks.
OS X 10.8 Mountain LionMust be purchased. Fixed many bugs introduced in OS X Lion.
Release date: July 25, 2012
System Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk
FeaturesNew apps: Notification Center, Notes, Messages, Game Center
AirPlay mirroring allowed to mirror Mac screen to Apple TV
Application updates automatically install from the App Store
List of Apple computers compatible with OS X Mountain LioniMac (Mid-2007 or newer)
MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
Xserve (Early 2009)
How to installMountain Lion installer is not available on Apple Site. Follow instructions here to install OS X Mountain Lion.
List of older Mac OS VersionsFollowing Mac OS versions are still running on older Macs, but Apple does not support them anymore, and there is no point to upgrade (or downgrade) to them:
OS X 10.7 Lion
OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
Mac OS X 10.3 Panther
Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar
Mac OS X 10.1 Puma
Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah