Move from El Capitan to High Sierra on Mac Book Pro?

Mac
#1

Is there any advantage moving from El Capitan to High Sierra? I’m reluctant because it seems every major update has lost me some functionality, some is probably my fault, not the OS’s e.g. such as not putting enough time and effort into learning Photos.

My (old) version of Creative Suite and various bookkeeping programs are no longer supported. (I’m going to look into Gimp unless someone has a better suggestion for manipulating artwork and creating layers).

El Capitan is letting me do everything I currently use the laptop for: Mail, Google/Safari searches, Word-processing using TextEdit rather than Pages, don’t use social media or play games. Advice will be appreciated. Thank you.

#2

SeaShore? Actually, maybe that doesn’t do layers. Worth a look anyways.

#3

If your Mac is doing what you require leave it alone.
If you want to move to High Sierra have a think about setting up an external drive that is bootable and load HS onto the external.
That way you keep your existing setup.

BTW: Always have a full working backup for the unexpected.

Al

#4

If you haven’t already it might be worth looking at the Apple page to see some of the features MacOS High Sierra has. Depending on what model MacBook Pro you have though you might not get them all.

As for graphical manipulation I can vouch for the Affinity creative software. I refused to get into Adobe’s subscription model so I’m stuck with CS6, but I moved across to Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer and they are very solid. The InDesign competitor, Affinity Publisher, will have a public beta at the end of August. None of them are free, but they’re quite cheap, and on sale right now.

#5

I’ve resisted “upgrading” to HS. I’m on Sierra on my White Macbook and on El Capitan on my 2012 Mac Mini. All the stuff I use works well. I dont like the subscription model and really, dont need Adobe for anything. I have Luminar and AuroraHD as well as Affinity, the OnOne RAW suite, theres a ton of stuff out there that can do what PS/LR does.

Another thing to consider is extensions for Photos. I have the MacPhun Creative Suite and a few others. All good stuff and makes photo editing really easy

1 Like
#6

If your work requires CS then leave it alone. I’m still running 10.9 on my MacBook because I require CS for what I do, and there’s no way I’m paying for CC with what I earn presently doing that.

At the end of the day what I learned while working in corporate IT is that if the tool are good enough for what you need to do then leave well enough alone.

2 Likes
#7

I can use various CS3-6s on High Sierra. With a 1080p monitor I saw no issue, with my 2012 MacBook Pro no issue. Mac Pro with 4K monitor, there resolution doesn’t work right and the CSs all are pixelated except I think for 6 maybe? I think I have to use only 6 now? I can’t remember, and I’m out of the country, so I can’t check my Mac Pro.

#8

YUP (I’m union IT director, this exactly, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, you make people angry).

1 Like
#9

Thank you all for the excellent advice.

The CS I have/had, is CS2, really old and I haven’t used it for years. My requirements are quite simple: scan in my own original black & white artwork, possibly add a text layer, add a colour layer(s), If I don’t like it try something else till I get an effect I like. When I’m happy execute it by hand full size. It’s simply a way to try various effects without wasting a lot of expensive materials and time repeating individual experiments that may not work.

Thanks again, I’ll report on what I choose.

#10

This is what Wickipedia has to say about Seashore:17%20PM

It apparently does do layers but I may as well go straight to Gimp. I looked it up and read a bit about it. Hope I get what I’m looking for, not something else!:blush:

I’ll check out Infinity, too, but it sounds as though Gimp will work so I’ll explore that first. If I can master that I may want to do some photo editing on a more precise scale. I’m not expecting to do much with photo editing as I’m working with my own artwork, rather than photos and hadn’t heard of extensions for Photos. I need to try one thing at a time or I’ll meltdown.

Yep, Al ! Backup has the OS as well as all files and apps.

#11

Use GIMP.

#12

Seconded. GIMP is powerful. I’m spoiled by 20 years of PS, and therefore I’ve been slow to learn GIMP’s eccentricities, but it’s far more powerful and far superior to other alternatives.

#13

Thanks for the reassurances. I’m trying to D/L Gimp forOSX from their site, not a mirror site,09%20PM and have this info on the screen but don’t know what to click on or do next. Guidance appreciated, please.

#14

gimp-2.10.4-x86_64.dmg

#15

Thank you purana. Done! I dragged it to the applications folder, hope that’s the right thing to do. I suppose I should put it in the dock?

#16

Double click it, and copy the application inside the dmg after its mounted to the applications folder. Then unmount the dmg.

DMG = Disk Image. You need to mount it to get the application it contains out of it (or its installer executed to perform the install).

#17

10%20PM
I changed the security settings to allow connections but do I have to do that before I D/L it, please? I did it after it was D/L.

The Gimp application icon is showing in the App. folder but double clicking just brings up this window.

#18

Go to the security button in settngs, look at the bottom, it should allow you to run it after clicking on it there.

#19

Thank you kionon. 52%20PM

Not sure where Settings is, on my Mac or Firefox, where I D/L it? Clicked Open anyway and got the same message, also tried Anywhere with no joy. I gather it’s downloaded, just won’t open. Thank you for the suggestion.

#20

The screenshot is exactly where you should be, did you “open anyway” successfully?