The easy answer is “eventually, but not yet.”
There is a lot of great press about how MacOS Sierra offers improved performance, stability and new features. Unfortunately upgrading is a contextual decision. Unless you have some super urgent business need for some of the new features (and we don’t mean you want to geek out and play), hold back. Like our previous warnings, new software, including new operating systems, always have bugs, especially when first released. Apple’s current annual release schedule means this has become a regular occurrence this time of year. Depending on the context of your mix of applications, plug-ins, and hardware accessories, your mileage will vary in terms of which bugs you experience. Most software and hardware developers wait until after the new OS hits the streets before they finalize testing, so it takes a few weeks, and sometimes months, to release fully compatible versions.
In order to ensure that your productivity is not interrupted, we strongly encourage you to avoid the MacOS Sierra upgrade until we can work with you to ensure that your environment is completely compatible. Below we have listed key applications most of our clients run and the status of compatibility as currently published by the developers. Please keep in mind that if you upgrade and run into an application that you need regularly that is not compatible, the only option will be to completely erase and rebuild your computer (after backing up your data). Obviously that is expensive in both time and energy and therefore best avoided!
Applications that require testing and/or upgrades before they are compatible (read as: you will need to check the exact version you are running to see if you have the latest compatible patch)
- Adobe Creative Cloud 2015 has some known bugs with the Beta (pre-release) versions and there’s no official word from them yet.
- Suitcase Fusion 7 v18.1.1 and newer are compatible. Older versions have not been tested.
- Universal Type Client 6.1.0 has been tested and is compatible. Older versions have not been tested.
- Extensis Portfolio Client 2016 can be used if reinstalled after upgrading to macOS Sierra.
- Previous versions have not been tested.
- Sophos Anti-Virus hasn’t posted official compatibility yet.
- FileMaker Pro 15 has some known bugs which FMP is working to resolve, older versions may have issues. You may also have plug-ins for FMP, and those need to be checked too.
- DropBox hasn’t posted official compatibility yet.
- Quickbooks for Mac 2016 hasn’t been fully tested yet.
- VMware Fusion 8 is compatible, but not older versions.
- Parallels 12 is compatible, but not older versions.
- VPN Tracker 365 is compatible. If you purchase VPN Tracker 9 now, you will get a free update for Sierra as soon as it’s available.
- Kerio Connect Mail Server is not fully compatible yet so if you upgrade workstations, you could run into issues with Mail, Contacts and Calendar.
- Microsoft Office 2016 and 2011 – no official word yet.
Please note that this is only a sample, and is not meant to be a comprehensive list. Keep in mind that hardware items like scanners and printers need to have their software updated too. In many cases, the upgrade or patch you need will be free, and easy to install. In other cases it won’t. The key takeaway is this is always a contextual decision. There is no “right time” to upgrade. It always depends on your needs, your environment, and your level of tolerance for a few bumps along the way!
