High Sierra (OS X.13): Should You Upgrade?

High Sierra (Mac OS X.13) has arrived! Actually, it’s been in circulation for a few months – and, of course, Apple is hectoring all of us to install it. Sure, it seems like only the day before yesterday that Sierra was introduced, and now there’s a new one? Should you update it? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

As is Apple’s (fairly recent) position, High Sierra is a free update, so there’s no cost (other than your time) to upgrade. The installer will download directly to your Applications folder, so there is no fussing around trying to locate the installer program.

So how will your world be different if you elect to upgrade to High Sierra?

Pros:

  • Improved Apple File System (APFS) – allows zippier access of file info (Command-I)
  • Safari 11 delivers subtle improvements over previous versions
  • Photos contains additional editing tools

Cons:

  • Some legacy versions of software don’t work (FileMaker Pro and QuickBooks, to name two)
  • Taking the time and effort of updating your OS
  • If you don’t have enough hard drive space, you won’t find out until after the installation has started (Danger, Will Robinson!)

It’s a Wash:

  • Different desktop picture (but then again, why would you stick with the default Apple picture?)
  • Again, Apple tries to bully you into using iCloud Drive
  • Notes – the new “Pinned Notes” feature allows you to access oft-used notes quicker

Bottom line: No problems with High Sierra, but check with developer if you have legacy versions of software. The hardware requirements for High Sierra are the same as Sierra, so if you have Sierra installed, you won’t have a problem with hardware compatibility.