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Should I upgrade to Big Sur? (macbook pro 16)

S

skiabox

macrumors regular
Original poster
Hello guys.
I have a macbook pro 16.
Should I upgrade to big sur or not?
I saw that it solves the safari 4k youtube playback problem!
 
Hey @skiabox

Your MBP 16" would have come with macOS Catalina which a good number of users on this forum have had issues with or reported bugs etc. Not saying that's the case with your experience as some users have also praised macOS Catalina.

I would also like to update my Mac Pro (Late 2013) from macOS Mojave to macOS Big Sur once the official release is available. For my particular usage case, macOS Mojave is running very well and I am very happy with it overall. If the Big Sur update runs just as well for me I will very likely keep that on my system.

I guess if macOS Catalina does everything you need it to do and the Big Sur update does not offer you any particular improvement to your systems performance you could stay on that.

However, you may need to update to solve the Safari/4K/YouTube issue you are having. Also, Apple Support would most likely recommend that you keep your macOS up to date whenever possible.

You could also try to install macOS Big Sur on an external SSD or a separate partition on your MBP 16" internal drive. This way you could test it out to see if you like it and if the Safari issue is solved.

Cheers!
 
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You could watch 4K YouTube just by using Google's Chrome Browser. After all it's not because the Mac can't render 4k it's because Google chose to use a VP9 codec instead of H265 for definitions over 1080p.
 
Rodan52 said:
You could watch 4K YouTube just by using Google's Chrome Browser. After all it's not because the Mac can't render 4k it's because Google chose to use a VP9 codec instead of H265 for definitions over 1080p.
Click to expand...
I know it.
But I was hoping that watching 4k in safari would probably be more silent than watching 4k in chrome, which always starts the fans.
 
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It's still in the developer preview/beta stage. Upgrading purely to get a new feature rather than to find and report bugs isn't really what the program is for. If it's your daily-use machine there's also the caution of not using beta versions that can be problematic.
 
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There is another possibility; given the 4K is pretty intensive use it may cause Safari to to push the fan speeds up in Big Sur anyway.
 
I've got the beta downloader on my desktop, but I'm scared to download it! when the real thing drops do you have to go back to Catalina first, or just jump from beta to the real thing?
 
hatchettjack said:
I've got the beta downloader on my desktop, but I'm scared to download it! when the real thing drops do you have to go back to Catalina first, or just jump from beta to the real thing?
Click to expand...
No. The first rev of a new version is always a fun install. This can be done over any previous rev including betas.
 
If you can wait that’s what I would do. I won’t even think about touching Big Sur until it’s at 11.2 or later. There initial software releases now are buggy and you run the risk of it going wrong and having to restore your Mac and potentially lose data.
 
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macOS Big Sur is currently 11.0.1.
macOS 11.2 would be the next OS after Big Sur. What we are waiting for is macOS 11.0.2
 
Rodan52 said:
macOS Big Sur is currently 11.0.1.
macOS 11.2 would be the next OS after Big Sur. What we are waiting for is macOS 11.0.2
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Actually, the next version of Big Sur will be v11.1:

www.macrumors.com

Apple Seeds First Beta of Upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.1 Update to Developers

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming five days after the launch of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, the release version of the software. Developers can download the macOS Big Sur 11.1 beta using the Software...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com

But I suspect even that version will still have bugs/issues. Also, if the op uses any third party software, are all those programs compatible with Big Sur?

Also, the next version will be V11.2. I would not be surprised if such a version is released before Christmas, or shortly after New Years.
 
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Andy2k said:
If you can wait that’s what I would do. I won’t even think about touching Big Sur until it’s at 11.2 or later. There initial software releases now are buggy and you run the risk of it going wrong and having to restore your Mac and potentially lose data.
Click to expand...
Well stated! Plus there is the issue of third party software compatibility.

Myself, I plan on downloading V11.2 and installing it on an external SSD to do testing. I hope by that time at least 2 or 3 of my remaining 5 critical programs are compatible with Big Sur.
 
honestone33 said:
Well stated! Plus there is the issue of third party software compatibility.

Myself, I plan on downloading V11.2 and installing it on an external SSD to do testing. I hope by that time at least 2 or 3 of my remaining 5 critical programs are compatible with Big Sur.
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Version (macOS) 11.2 will not be Big Sur, it will be the next macOS probably released around Fall 2021.
You may be suggesting there will be a macOS 11.0.2 but that may not happen.
 
Rodan52 said:
Version (macOS) 11.2 will not be Big Sur, it will be the next macOS probably released around Fall 2021.
You may be suggesting there will be a macOS 11.0.2 but that may not happen.
Click to expand...
No I am not. V11.1 is imminent. Initially had V11.0, then V11.0.1, and (soon to be) V11.1. We might get a V11.1.1, but I'm willing to bet there will be a V11.2.
 
I sold my MBP 2016 for the M1 MBA, but the 2016´s running fine with big sur. Grab 11.1 later this day and enjoy.
Big sur is funny.
 
I see, are you including the beta releases? I did not enrol in the testing program this year so I'm counting from the public release 11.0.1 which is what I have right now. in the past macOS 10 has had new operating systems numbered eg. 10.13 (High Sierra), 10.14 (Mojave), 10.15 (Catalina) updates were eg, 10.13.1, 10.13.2 etc being updates to Catalina so it it was my expectation that any update to macOS 11 would be in the last digit eg 11.0.1, 11.0.2, 11.0.3 and so on and 11.1.0 or 11.2.0 would be a new macOS. Still Apple seems intent on changing things we have come to expect in the past so that may not be so. Maybe the next macOS will be 12?
 
Well, as I said, Apple seems intent on making things confusing. hallux, you are spot on. I just checked for updates and sure enough macOS Big Sur displays an update available.
Below is what "About This Mac" tells me I have;
 

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Thats just confusing to me. It implies that what I have is BS 11.1 and the update is 11.1
I suppose I can just apply the update and see what About This Mac tells me I have then.
 
Yeah, maybe my reply wasn't in the wrong thread after all.. I was thinking I was in the thread discussing that actual update rather than this one discussing the merits of installing Big Sur on the 16"...
 
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