Oct 07, 2019  There are a host of great new features and changes for Mac users with the release of macOS Catalina.But before you install the latest operating system.

1. A new SSD inside an older iMac, MacBook, Mac mini, or Mac Pro will lead to much faster OS X performance, app loading, restarting, and file accessing. All Macs: Preserving Your Software (If You.
2. If your Mac is too old to install macOS Mojave, you can still upgrade to the latest version of macOS that is compatible with it, even if you can't find those versions of macOS in the Mac App Store. Apple has pages for High Sierra, Sierra and El Capitan than include links directly to the hidden Mac App Store pages with those downloads. Mac Video Tutorials and Tips for Apple Users.
3. As for how well macOS Catalina works on older Macs, we’ve seen a few reports that users with older systems (2012–2015) are experiencing equal or better performance on Catalina versus Mojave.
4. Want to upgrade your 2009 or later iMac’s hard drive or memory? There’s a very good chance that it can be done, depending on the model you own. But before you dive in on your upgrade – and even if you already have begun – there are some very important things you need to know.
5. Install the latest OS. As soon as we suggest upgrading to the latest OS your Mac will support, we’re inviting horror stories of old Macs completely grinding to a halt under the strain, and there.

Is it worth maxing the RAM in older computers? This has been a long-asked question, one I see on mailing groups regularly. Older RAM can be quite expensive, especially the PC100 or PC133 type for G3 and G4 machines.

Currently a 512 MB stick of PC133 for machines like the PowerBook G3 and PowerBook G4 are around £25, which isn’t too bad for higher-end Titaniums like mine, but the RAM can sometimes cost more than the machines themselves, especially in machines like the slot-load iMac G3, which can take two 512 MB sticks. [Publisher’s note: As we migrate this article to WordPress in mid 2013, OWC is selling 512 MB laptop modules for about US$20 each.]

I currently use a 15″ 867 MHz Titanium PowerBook G4, which I have had for about six months. When I first got it, it came with two 256 MB sticks for 512 MB total. This machine officially supports Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. With only 512 MB of RAM, it would have suited OS X 10.4 Tiger, but Leopard wasn’t going to be too smooth an experience. Luckily, I had a spare 512 MB stick laying around, so I upped the RAM to 768 MB at no extra expense and installed Leopard.

Is Upgrading Old Macs To New Software A Good Ideas

I have been running it like this for a few months, and I must say it has been a good experience. A few days ago I got hold of another 512 MB stick, took out the remaining 256 MB, and maxed the machine to its 1 GB limit.

It Was Worth It

Is it worth it from a performance point of view? And is it worth it from a financial point of view? And is there a fine line between performance and value?

I have been running my TiBook with 1 GB of RAM for a few hours, and the difference is instantly noticeable. Boot time is a lot faster, and app loading time is faster, especially with processor heavy apps. Photoshop loaded more quickly, opening large files was slightly faster, and even editing them was quicker. iTunes encoded audio tracks about 10% faster, and adding effects to audio files in Audacity was quicker too.

I benchmarked the system before and after I upgraded the RAM, and that also has a positive reflection. With 768 MB of RAM, Xbench results were 21.85 and Geekbench was 424. With 1 GB of RAM, Xbench results were 26.43 and Geekbench was 519. These increases are large – especially on older machines.

Leopard is a huge operating system (OS), and it is very RAM hungry, so it is no surprise that the added RAM helps general system and application handling.

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Also Better with Tiger

However, this isn’t just limited to Leopard. A few months ago I had a Power Mac G4 Sawtooth. Running at 400 MHz, it wasn’t the fastest G4 by a long stretch, but I upped the RAM from the measly 256 MB it came with, and the performance was instantly improved. I was running Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, which according to Apple has a minimum requirement of 256 MB, but realistically, it should be a lot higher. https://ninph.netlify.app/backup-sync-software-mac-free.html.

I upped it from 256 MB to 512 MB, and the performance shot through the roof. It was no longer sluggish at booting, no longer showed the “spinning wheel of death” every time you asked it do something, and apps loaded and handled so much faster. Taking it even further to 1 GB (by means of four 256 MB sticks of RAM) you could have easily forgotten it was only a 400 MHz G4.

This machine supports up to 2 GB of RAM, however I didn’t have the funds to shell out for extra RAM, but it would have been interested to see how much further performance would have improved with all the extra RAM. [Publisher’s note: G4 Power Macs have either 3 or 4 RAM slots, and mid 2013 prices at OWC are $13 for 256 MB sticks and $19-20 for 512 MB, currently making 512 MB modules the better buy.]

Living at the Low End

Performance-wise, more RAM is better. However, most of us low-end Mac users don’t just use older Macs because we love them; we use them because funds are tight and we cannot afford the expense of a shiny new Mac. In my local Mac User Group, I have gained a reputation for collecting all the older equipment and usually get first refusal on older equipment. I have been offered G3 and G4 towers, iMac G3s galore, even an iBook G3 recently, simply because they are “too old” for most people to bother with.

With that in mind, is it financially viable to spend lots of money upping the RAM in older machines?

I would initially say no. Don’t go out and spend £50 maxing the RAM in a G3 iMac that is probably only worth about £30. Use that money to buy a slighter faster machine that wouldn’t necessarily need cramming full of RAM to get the most out it.

An Example

For example. A 600 MHz iMac G3 model could be picked up for free or around the £20 mark, maxing it with two sticks of 512 MB PC133 RAM will set you back around £40. Then there is the hassle and expense of getting an AirPort bracket and AirPort Card at around £35 if you want to have WiFi.

A 1.25 GHz eMac G4 can be picked up for £60. Two sticks of 1 GB DDR RAM will set you back no more than £20, and a AirPort Extreme Card will cost you around £15, so for around £95 you could get an AirPort enabled, maxed out G3 iMac or an AirPort Extreme enabled, maxed out G4 eMac with twice the RAM.

Take your pick.

My 867 MHz PowerBook G4 is probably worth around £150, so I wouldn’t want to spend £50 on maxing the RAM to add only £10-20 on the final resale value, which is dropping each month I keep hold of it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, upping the RAM is a good idea in older Macs; it gives the OS and software so much more breathing room, but be careful. Do it as cheaply as you can. Remember that these machines do not have a great resale value, and adding lots of RAM probably won’t increase that resale value by the amount you have spent on the RAM.

Your payback comes from working more efficiently, not resale value.

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Should I Upgrade My Mac Software

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Although Apple makes new software updates available to as many older devices as possible, there are always some reasons why it may not be in your best interest to install the latest and greatest right on day-one, even if your Mac is compatible. With macOS Catalina just around the corner, take a moment to consider whether you should make the leap right away or wait a few days (or even weeks) to update your Mac.

Is my Mac compatible?

If you have the following model of Mac, you can download and install macOS Catalina:

• MacBook (Early 2015 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or newer)
• Mac mini (Late 2012 or newer)
• iMac (Late 2012 or newer)
• iMac Pro (2017)
• Mac Pro (Late 2013, plus mid-2010 and mid-2012 models with recommended Metal-capable GPU)

If your Mac is older than any of the models listed above, it isn't compatible with macOS Catalina.

What about other minimum requirements?

Are you postponing updating your iPad to iPadOS 13, or are using an iPad that isn't compatible with iPadOS 13? You won't be able to use Sidecar. It requires both macOS Catalina and iPadOS 13. iPadOS 13 is supported on the following devices:

• 12.9-inch iPad Pro
• 11-inch iPad Pro
• 10.5-inch iPad Pro
• 9.7-inch iPad Pro
• iPad (7th generation), iPad (6th generation), and iPad (5th generation)
• iPad mini (5th generation)
• iPad mini 4
• iPad Air (3rd generation)
• iPad Air 2

To take advantage of 4K streaming movies and TV shows in the TV app you'll need a Mac laptop or desktop that supports 4K resolution. According to Apple's Catalina features page:

4K, 4K HDR, 4K Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and HDR10 content is available on all Mac models introduced in 2018 or later with 4K-resolution screens.

To hear Dolby Atmos audio in the TV app, you'll need a Mac notebook from 2018 or later

Do you meet the requirements to use all of macOS Catalina's new features? Are the featrues your Mac doesn't support deal breakers for you? You may want to think about postponing updating a little longer or upgrading your Mac.

What about my iTunes Library?

In macOS Catalina, Apple has redesigned the way we listen to music and podcasts, watch movies, and read books. Similar to how the iPhone works, these features are broken out into individual apps instead of a singular iTunes app.

What does this mean for your well-currated iTunes Library of songs you've burned from CD and meticulously tagged and added customized metadata? It should mean absolutely nothing. iTunes isn't being deleted. It's simply being broken out into separate apps. Your iTunes Library will stay intact. You'll just find it in the new Music app.

If, however, you are concerned with potentially losing all that data you've added manually, I highly recommend postponing updating until the coast is clear. I didn't have any issues getting my entire iTunes Library in the beta of macOS Catalina, but I don't input my own tags and other information, so I don't have first-hand experience with it's migration. Once Catalina is available publicly and more people have installed it, we'll have a bigger audience to know for sure how well metadata syncs.

If you want to take the risk and update on launch day, just be sure to back up your iTunes Library so if something happens, you can get it all back.

What about unsigned third-party apps?

Security gets a little more secure in macOS Catalina. You'll get more notifications about apps accessing data and permission requests to use them. Activation Lock makes it harder for someone else to wipe your data. It also adds some stricter security measures that may make Gatekeeper think apps you've previously given permission to are not secure enough for your Mac. From Apple's Catalina features page:

macOS Catalina runs in its own read-only volume, so it's separate from all other data on your Mac, and nothing can accidentally overwrite your system files. And Gatekeeper ensures that new apps you install have been checked for known security issues before you run them, so you're always using good software.

If you are using apps that, in a former OS (High Sierra or older), you were able to download 'from anywhere,' you should find out from the developer whether their apps are compatible with macOS Catalina before you decide to update.

I'm ready to try it out, but what if I don't like it?

Upgrading to a new software system, especially on a computer, can be a big upheaval that causes stress and confusion. You might be excited about macOS Catalina after reading about everything it can do, but quickly decide that it's not right for you.

The first, and most important thing you should do before upgrading to macOS Catalina (or updating any software, no matter how small), is to back up your Mac.

Next, it is not a bad idea to think about partitioning your Mac so you can install macOS Catalina in tandem with your current Mac operating system. That way, you can get used to the changes while still having access to what you are familiar with. It will also make it easier to simply delete the software if you know you don't want to use Catalina at all.

I also checked the mobile Bluetooth setting and the Galaxy watch was NOT connected. Having completed this and feeling very happy with the mobile less than 1/2 metre from me and me wearing the Galaxy watch I watch a little TV. Samsung gear fit 2 app for mac download. HOWEVER, about 1/2 hour after completing as described above, my watch vibrated and my phone rang a 'ping' sound. On looking at my mobile Wearable App I could see that it was displaying 'Disconnected from watch'. I clicked connect and the Mobile Bluetooth made contact with the watch.

Product design software mac free. If you've downloaded macOS Catalina on your main hard drive, you're not out of luck. You can always downgrade back to your previous operating system.

OK. I'm just going to go for it!

Wait!

It's not always such a good idea to download a huge update on Day One. There are a number of factors that can give you a negative experience right out of the gate, which might leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Hundreds (or even thousands) of people will hit the download button the exact moment they hear that macOS Catalina is available to the public, which could put a strain on the servers and make it take a really long time for you to complete the process.

With changes in macOS Catalina, it also means that some third-party apps will need to be updated for compatibility. Not all developers will have their updates ready right away. If there are any apps that you just can't live without, you might be forced to .. well .. live without until they are updated. The best way to see if your must-have apps are going to be ready for macOS Catalina is to visit the companies' websites or check their social media feeds.

Proceed with caution

If, after reading everything I suggested, you still think you are ready to upgrade to macOS Catalina, then, by all means, go for it! I've been using it for a couple of months now, and frankly, I love it. Just make sure you've got a current backup of your Mac, just in case something goes wrong.

Updated October 2019: Updated for macOS Catalina.

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Apple announces new initiative with HBCUs to boost coding and creativity

Apple has today announced expanded partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities to boost coding and creativity opportunities.