30 Sep The Importance of Keeping Your MacOS Updated
If you’re a Mac owner how confident are you that your machine is up to date?
The macOS is the operating system on which everything else runs on your machine.
Do you know what version of macOS you are using?
This might not seem particularly important for a user to be aware of, but running an out-of-date macOS has a variety of implications for your machine’s productivity, performance and most importantly SECURITY.
Why It’s Important Your MacOS is Up-to-date
Macs are designed to work hard and are built for longevity. Whether you use a MacBook or iMac you’ve likely invested a decent amount of money in your machine and will want it to run efficiently for as long as possible. One of the easiest ways to do this is to keep your macOS up to date.
So why is your macOS version important?
1. Security
2022 has seen a proliferation of malware and virus attacks with the highest number of attacks recorded so far! Cyber-criminals are constantly working to find ways to compromise systems to steal data, immobilise your machine or reach others for similar purposes.
Keeping your macOS up to date helps to keep your security methods up to date alongside the latest threats reaching the market. This alone won’t prevent malware from slipping through the net, you’ll still need a reputable anti-virus software, but Apple bundle protection against the most common and best-known viruses that might threaten your Mac in their updates.
2. New or Updated Drivers
When new operating systems are developed or existing ones are built on, new drivers are also released. These help your machine keep up to date with the latest software and technology innovations and can help keep your apps running smoothly or better.
3. Machine Speed
A common side effect of an out-of-date or ageing Mac is slowing down in performance. By not keeping the macOS version up to date, it is out of sync with changes to technologies and can get woefully slow in some worse cases. Software technologies change over time and new ways can be found to provide additional or improved functionality in apps or relating to hardware performance. Keeping up to date ensures you have the latest and best technology on offer.
How To Check Your MacOS Version
Not all Macs support all versions of macOS so you may want to compare the version of macOS you’re using to the latest one released to see whether your machine supports it.
Apple provides a list of all the versions and how to check which you are running here.
How to Update Your MacOS
You can set your Mac to perform most updates automatically but you may want to check this manually to be more in control of exactly when and how it is updated and prevent potential data loss.
The steps to update your Mac are fairly straightforward.
In summary:
- Look for notifications
- Prepare for an update by backing up important information
- Click Software Updates in the System Preferences Window
- Install Updates
- Check individual apps for updates if not from the Apple Store
Both Apple and Digital Trends have useful pages on the update process including with handy images to follow.
Things to Consider When Buying a Mac
Alongside the out-of-date operating system problems, there is another common problem Mac users may run into that affects performance. Most commonly this is running out of disk space on the hard drive.
Unfortunately, buying a model with more storage can feel too expensive an initial outlay but given the lifespan of Macs and an often-increasing need for software to use storage, it can cause problems later down the line.
Unfortunately for consumers, the hard drive cannot be upgraded for many models of Mac. This particularly affects the newer MacBook models (post 2016) where the internal hard drive is soldered to the board and the portable laptop-style iMac models. Be sure to factor these restrictions in before purchasing and always go for the best you can afford. If you do run out of storage there are some useful tips and ideas which may help with the need for extra storage here.
To find out more about how we can help keep you and your Mac productive Contact us at Transpeed for a chat.
TAGS – macOS Apple Productivity Version Updates
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