Software Updates

[kpc]

I have to say - I am growing ever more tired of software updates. I did my taxes this week and TurboTax notified me that I can use their software this year, but next year, it won't run on my system. Why? They can't possibly be changing their code base so dramatically that it won't run next year when it does this year.

I have a 2012 MP which is a great Mac. No complaints. It might be a bit slow, but i don't notice it. Boots up everyday, runs Logic without a hiccup. I haven't had a lick of problems with this Mac since I got it. I get that it is 8 years old. I get that things change and new tech comes along that needs new hardware.

Maybe I can understand Apple not releasing OS for this machine anymore. Maybe. But my OS (High Sierra) is only 3 years old. There is no reason for software not to continue to support it. Especially something as low tech as Tax Software. Maybe the latest Video plugin wouldn't be expected to run on this hardware - but still.

And Apple is to blame here as well. Why can't I run Catalina on this machine? If I upgrade my video card, why not? You tell me they can't make it happen? So I can spend $600 on a new video card and still only update to last year's OS? I know - it's all about making money. Apple's OS drives hardware sales.

So it is on us end users to say no - this is not acceptable. to demand from our leaders and companies we support that 3 year old software should not be too old to use. Imagine a 3 year old (or even a 8 year old) car that you can't buy tires for. (And, the new MP costs more than my car, so it is not an outlandish analogy).

[Lawrence]

I think you can run Catalina on your Mac through a kludge by dosdude1. He put together a working patcher for Mojave which allowed me to (quite successfully) update my 2008 MP. I believe he has a Catalina patcher.

Edit-yep. http://dosdude1.com/catalina/

I would DEFINITELY use a cloned drive to try it. I did the Mojave upgrade the other way around and it worked out ok, but it looks dumb in retrospect.

[Guy Rowland]

I think Mac users have it harder than Windows here, with essentially a new OS every year. Windows have all kinds of ongoing traumas - any update can break stuff - but in theory Windows 10 should work on any Windows 10 product.

But I'm in the same boat on my MacBook Pro (which I otherwise love and can't be parted from). I can't upgrade to Catalina or else I'd lose Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (32 bit) which is a helluva workhorse for me, and there's just no equivalent that will do the job(s) as well as this. And already there are new Mac products that REQUIRE Catalina, this will be ubiquitous in the next couple of years, and the cycle goes round again. The "solution" is to subscribe to Adobe's plan $20 per month, forever, just for one product. Oh, and also buy a new version of Ableton that I only use with Launchpad for a few play-in jobs.

Screw that.

It is all very, very, VERY tiresome.