My MacBook Air is currently running OS X 10.8.5 and I'm considering updating it to Sierra. I have lots of Keynote presentations made with Keynote '09. If I upgrade to Sierra, will my Keynote '09 and my prepared presentations still work? Thank you.
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Will Keynote '09 work with Sierra?
- Thread starter TeddyD
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As with any transition, I think you should be prepared for some effort. Apple let iWork apps lay fallow for awhile, but over the last few years they've released newer versions, including iCloud-based versions. In my experience, all sort of things contribute to transition hiccups. Fonts, transitions, graphics formats, for example. You may want to consider creating a bootable 10.12 disk, try a few things, and see what lays ahead for you.
One question for you - can you download an updated version as part of your purchase history?
One question for you - can you download an updated version as part of your purchase history?
FWIW, I just updated my 2013 MBA from Mountain Lion to Sierra. I have a lot of very expensive legacy software (would cost between $7000-$8000 to upgrade everything) which is the reason I stuck with 10.8.5. But it was time to make the transition, so I cloned my internal 512gb SSD to a 500b external Samsung T3 SSD. These are really fast drives and it allowed me to boot into either Mountain Lion or Sierra.
As it turned out, I was very happy to see that almost all my old software still worked (pro video, audio, 3d and CAD programs going back 10 years in some cases). The only thing that doesn't work is VectorWorks 2008, but evidently that broke with Mavericks. That is a $2500 program that I still need but don't use very often. I am going to transition to AutoCAD LT in the long run, which is much cheaper. But in the meantime, I can just boot into 10.8.5 on the MBA, or run it on my Mini that is setup to dual boot. I might end up making a small Mountain Lion partition on the MBA if I really need to keep using VectorWorks.
Now when I updated the MBA I just installed Sierra on top of Mountain Lion, as opposed to erasing the SSD and starting from scratch. I think that minimizes any issues, although the Migration Assistant may also do a good job. So I don't know whether Keynote will still work for you, but don't think you should be afraid to try. And worst case, you can upgrade to the new version which is a LOT cheaper than the expensive software that I use.
But no matter what you do, make several clones of the MBA before you update anything - I used Carbon Copy for this. That should allow you to revert to 10.8.5 if you have any major issues.
As it turned out, I was very happy to see that almost all my old software still worked (pro video, audio, 3d and CAD programs going back 10 years in some cases). The only thing that doesn't work is VectorWorks 2008, but evidently that broke with Mavericks. That is a $2500 program that I still need but don't use very often. I am going to transition to AutoCAD LT in the long run, which is much cheaper. But in the meantime, I can just boot into 10.8.5 on the MBA, or run it on my Mini that is setup to dual boot. I might end up making a small Mountain Lion partition on the MBA if I really need to keep using VectorWorks.
Now when I updated the MBA I just installed Sierra on top of Mountain Lion, as opposed to erasing the SSD and starting from scratch. I think that minimizes any issues, although the Migration Assistant may also do a good job. So I don't know whether Keynote will still work for you, but don't think you should be afraid to try. And worst case, you can upgrade to the new version which is a LOT cheaper than the expensive software that I use.
But no matter what you do, make several clones of the MBA before you update anything - I used Carbon Copy for this. That should allow you to revert to 10.8.5 if you have any major issues.
Excellent advice already posted in this thread.
iWork '09 still runs well in Sierra. If you are planning up upgrading (rather than fresh-installing Sierra) then you should be fine. (I recommend following the advice to create backups)
iWork '09 still runs well in Sierra. If you are planning up upgrading (rather than fresh-installing Sierra) then you should be fine. (I recommend following the advice to create backups)
It's funny you ask. That's another issue I'm having. The short answer is "No." Evidently, if you don't upgrade in a step-by-step process, it appears that making such a big leap from OS X 10.8.5 to anything currently available isn't easily accomplished (if at all).
I have never used Keynote or any of the "i" apps, but I thought it was free now? When I go to the Mac App Store, it just has a "get" button to download instead of a price. Doesn't that mean it's free? I also thought it would open old documents.
If so, then I don't see the risk. Most likely, the old version will continue to work. But as long as the new version will open your files, you're good to go. And it's probably a good idea to make the transition to the new version when you have the time.
If so, then I don't see the risk. Most likely, the old version will continue to work. But as long as the new version will open your files, you're good to go. And it's probably a good idea to make the transition to the new version when you have the time.
Some of the old software is quite different to use. The completely revised versions that are free as supposed to be user-friendly, but I find the opposite is true. I liked the old iMovie (but it now lacks newer resolutions) and Keynote. I can understand trying to keep on using them.
Oh, I understand the feeling. I have worked with Final Cut Pro ever since 2002 and am finishing up a project on version 6 right now. I know it really well and can work fast. But all good things must come to an end, I'm transitioning to FCPX now, which is slow but I'm getting there. It is a completely different program from legacy Final Cut Pro.
But the good thing is, FCP6 seems to run fine under Sierra, so I can still use it if needed. According to @sracer above, Keynote should also work on Sierra so the OP should be fine. But at some point it makes sense to move to newer software, and in this case, it's free... which is quite different from the $2500 CAD example I mentioned above.