iMac 27” late 2013 - latest iOS

[GarethiMaclate2013]

Hey all,

I have an iMac 27” Late 2013 and wondered what the latest iOS version should be. Is this age of iMac meant to still receive updates or is it now obsolete? I know it’s not supported for repairs anymore. I don’t think I can install Big Sur on it… or the update hasn’t been available to download yet.

I’m currently running with an external USB Samsung T5 SSD drive as the boot up drive, and it’s running really good at the moment. Considering it’s 10 years old, it still runs like a new iMac! (This upgrade is absolutely worth it for those who haven’t done it yet!)

If the iMac isn’t receiving anymore updates any idea how long it will be useable for? For example, I’ve got an old iPad 2, and it doesn’t load webpages very well as the version of safari is so outdated. (Not sure what to do with this old iPad 2 now!) I’m not ready to scrap the iMac yet!

 

[CoastalOR]

The maximum Apple supported macOS for a iMac 27” Late 2013 is Catalina 10.15.7. It is considered "obsolete" by Apple and will receive no more macOS updates beyond Catalina or Security Updates. You should be able to use your iMac as long as the is no hardware failures and the software continues to perform satisfactorily for you.

 

[GarethiMaclate2013]

Thank you very much for your swift response! I’m a little disappointed that it will not receive any further updates as the machine runs so well. But understand it’s also 10 years old and technology has moved on a fair bit since! Just hope I’m able to use it for a few more years yet before it’s unusable on safari. Many thanks again!

 

[SamWijib]

It is now very easy to use Open Core Legacy Patcher (OCLP) to install Monterey or Ventura on a 2013 27" iMac - I've done it multiple times including 2 of that exact model and also to an external SSD. The latest version of OCLP automates most things, including creating the install media (a USB stick). There are threads on these forums which discuss it in detail and MrMacintosh on youtube has several instruction videos - just type "OCLP" in the search bar of youtube. I've not tried Ventura yet as this was only recently added. I haven't tried to update an existing installation, so I don't know how possible that is. I always start with a clean new install and reload whatever software I need from the App Store or Web then import personal and data files from another drive - saved from the old OS to a USB stick. The usual precautions apply as with any update - backup you files.

 

[GarethiMaclate2013]

Many thanks for this. Can you confirm the purpose of installing OCLP to install Monterey or Ventura? Would I not want to keep the very latest version of iOS on the iMac?

 

[sam_dean]

The maximum Apple supported macOS for a iMac 27” Late 2013 is Catalina 10.15.7. It is considered "obsolete" by Apple and will receive no more macOS updates beyond Catalina or Security Updates. You should be able to use your iMac as long as the is no hardware failures and the software continues to perform satisfactorily for you.

2013 iMac 22nm has received its final Security Update more than 6 months ago.

At a decade old I'd advice buying the next iMac 5nm or other M2 5nm Mac.

Be aware that your experience with OCLP will vary as the unsupported macOS version gets newer into the future. Your Mac may not have specific hardware it needs to run X Y Z feature dependent on it.

I myself have the 2012 iMac 27" 22nm that is also stuck on 2019 macOS Catalina that received its final Security Update more than half a year ago. When a direct 5nm replacement comes out I intend to order it.

Will only replace it after the final macOS Security Update was released in by 2033 to a 5 or 3 Angstrom model.

Hopefully by then 32GB RAM & 1TB SKU will sell for under $2599.

 

[SamWijib]

Many thanks for this. Can you confirm the purpose of installing OCLP to install Monterey or Ventura? Would I not want to keep the very latest version of iOS on the iMac?

This is my understanding: The various O.S.s that will not install on your iMac will not do so because they check your model version and declare it 'no longer supported' due to various reasons e.g. video card not supported. OCLP pretends your iMac (or other Mac computer) is a later model so the OS update software is happy to install, at the end of the installation, OCLP installs some patches (drivers, fixes, workarounds) to bridge the gap. For the 2013 27" iMac it's only a video driver. For the 2014 27" iMac there are no patches needed for Monterey (maybe patches will be needed for Ventura).

The process of finding out which patches are needed for various models when each new O.S. is released is time consuming and a lot of trial and error, with some problems not revealing themselves immediately or being particularly tricky to solve. So there may be some delay when a new OS is released before the bugs are ironed out. That's why the very latest OS is not initially recommended. It looks like Ventura is now fully supported, but I've yet to try it.

The technical intricacies of OCLP patching are way beyond my understanding and it's all in the realm of "miracles" as far as I'm concerned and the developers are heroes. From Mr. Macintosh: "Thank both Mykola (khronokernel) & Dhinak (dhinakg) for your work on OCLP + all of the contributing developers who help maintain the patcher! OCLP brings new life to thousands of Macs saving them from the recycler!"

I understand Apple's policy of making older models 'unsupported' - it gives them freedom to improve and keep everything stable without having to support older legacy technology. Using OCLP as a workaround will not restore official Apple support, but it keeps the older iMacs and other Apple computers going for a few more years. I was happy to run old officially supported OS versions, they still work great, but it was a problem when 3rd party software e.g. Chrome stopped supporting it.

 

[sam_dean]

This is my understanding: The various O.S.s that will not install on your iMac will not do so because they check your model version and declare it 'no longer supported' due to various reasons e.g. video card not supported. OCLP pretends your iMac (or other Mac computer) is a later model so the OS update software is happy to install, at the end of the installation, OCLP installs some patches (drivers, fixes, workarounds) to bridge the gap. For the 2013 27" iMac it's only a video driver. For the 2014 27" iMac there are no patches needed for Monterey (maybe patches will be needed for Ventura).

The process of finding out which patches are needed for various models when each new O.S. is released is time consuming and a lot of trial and error, with some problems not revealing themselves immediately or being particularly tricky to solve. So there may be some delay when a new OS is released before the bugs are ironed out. That's why the very latest OS is not initially recommended. It looks like Ventura is now fully supported, but I've yet to try it.

The technical intricacies of OCLP patching are way beyond my understanding and it's all in the realm of "miracles" as far as I'm concerned and the developers are heroes. From Mr. Macintosh: "Thank both Mykola (khronokernel) & Dhinak (dhinakg) for your work on OCLP + all of the contributing developers who help maintain the patcher! OCLP brings new life to thousands of Macs saving them from the recycler!"

I understand Apple's policy of making older models 'unsupported' - it gives them freedom to improve and keep everything stable without having to support older legacy technology. Using OCLP as a workaround will not restore official Apple support, but it keeps the older iMacs and other Apple computers going for a few more years. I was happy to run old officially supported OS versions, they still work great, but it was a problem when 3rd party software e.g. Chrome stopped supporting it.

In truth it's over a decade old. Time to retire or give it to someone whose data isn't worth secure.

 

[EugW]

Just run 10.15 Catalina with Chrome.

We're still running a 10.13 High Sierra Mac with Chrome. Speed is absolutely fine, with 12 GB RAM and internal SATA SSD. As for browsing security, it's running the latest version of Chrome. Chrome has better compatibility in general than Safari anyway, and I say this as someone who prefers Safari over Chrome.

 

[SamWijib]

The process of finding out which patches are needed for various models when each new O.S. is released is time consuming and a lot of trial and error, with some problems not revealing themselves immediately or being particularly tricky to solve.

Just wanted to clarify that this is referring to work done by the OCLP developers, it's not something you'd have to do. The latest OCLP (0.6.1) is a standalone app that does just about everything for you. The Mr Macintosh videos show all the steps and the links are in the descriptions.

 

[Cees17]

In truth it's over a decade old. Time to retire or give it to someone whose data isn't worth secure.

Yes, over a decade old. But with an SSD it is still really nice workable. Everything I do works quick enough. It has a really nice screen and overal design. So sad that it isn't supported anymore. I run Ventura on it. It sometimes runs into some glitches (copy paste or just any key crashes an application, top right menu items do not show anymore, I once had an issue with the background image not showing) but with a reboot that all just goes away. All in all I think this is a workable solution. Especially with Microsoft Office, you need the newer MacOS version, on Catalina they won't update you anymore.

 

[Fishrrman]

Updates or no updates, Catalina isn't all "that far back".
I'd install it and use it.

If you're worried about security when using an old version of Safari, there are several 3rd-party browsers that will work just fine.

Personal experience:
I've been a Mac user 36 years.
During that time, I've used old Macs with outdated OS's, and never had a problem.
Life is better when one doesn't trouble ones self with such things.