It has been just over three months since Apple has released their latest Operating System Big Sur - and this biggest 'shake up' to MacOS in 20 years is bound to take some time to settle.
Unlike previous incremental updates, the step to Big Sur may not be one every Mac user is quite ready for yet, so thought must be given as to whether upgrading to Big Sur is right for you now!
The latest Big Sur MacOS 11, is the first ‘integer’ version upgrade since MacOS X released in 2001, and follows the naming convention of places in California, from Catalina, Mojave & Sierra.
Named after a rugged and mountainous portion of the California coastline, Apple states “Big Sur elevates the desktop operating system to a new level of power and beauty”, and the new interface design and Control Center will be familiar to users of iOS, borrowing a number of features from iPhones and iPads.
However, negotiating the migration to Big Sur can be quite an expedition:
Installation – Big Sur has been developed for Apple's newest architecture, will it work on your existing Mac?
- If your name is not down - first you must check it will work on your Mac
- No room at the Inn - Don't bother trying to update to Big Sur if you have a 128GB Mac, or are unable to free up the minimum 36GB free space to install
Compatibility - Your applications may not be compatible with Big Sur just yet
- When I’m 64 – Big Sur is 64-bit only, so no 32-bit software applications will work and many 64-bit programs with installers (pkg, dmg files etc) no longer work
- Unofficial – you will have to rely on crowd-sourced lists of compatible apps such as RoaringApps & ToolFarm
Security – While Apple products are ‘known’ for being more secure that others, security SNAFUs still crop up
- Phone Home - Apps installed ‘call home’ to Apple notarisation servers, to check legitimacy, however not all traffic is encrypted– this could enable unauthorised device tracking. Apple are working on improving this.
- Tunnelling through VPNs - Apples own process and programs have been found to bypass security measures such as VPNs and firewalls
Performance – Still, being a fairly new operating system, macOS 11 Big Sur problems are abound
- Glomar response - Outages to notification servers can cause programs installed on your Mac to stop working unless you enable airplane mode.
- Run out of Apple Juice - Some Macbook Pro devices are failing to charge above 1%, this software compatibility problem requires replacement of the affected battery for a newer one??
When is best to upgrade?
If you have any concerns about app stability, performance issues, and other bugs – Don’t upgrade! Hold out before upgrading, depending on your stability tolerance, 6 months should have ironed out most of the initial bugs
If you're relaxed with teething issues, go for it! But with four releases in under three months, even the latest build Big Sur 11.2.2 is liable to have issues.
What if I don’t want to update to Big Sur now?
If you don’t want to update to Big Sur right now, then you need to turn off Automatic updates
- Go to the Apple menu -> Click on App Store -> Now click on Preferences -> Uncheck Automatic Updates
Your device will still check for security and application updates and will alert you to download and install these manually.
Don’t forget to turn updates back on later when a Big Sur migration is right for you.
What Next?
For advice on whether Big Sur is right for you, and any technology query please contact IT Genie on 0345 0945 353 or info@itgenie.com.
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