Today’s Question: Do you feel it is safe to upgrade to the latest Macintosh “Big Sur” operating system? Do the Adobe applications work with this new version?
Tim’s Quick Answer: I do not recommend upgrading to the new “Big Sur” version of the Macintosh operating system, at least until there is an updated bug fix for the current version. However, the key Adobe applications are compatible with this new operating system version.
More Detail: The “Big Sur” version of the Macintosh operating system represents a rather significant update, but it is also an update that has been reported to have quite a few stability and compatibility issues.
One of the major updates in this new version of the operating system is support for Apple’s new M1 chip. Some of the newest computers from Apple make use of this processor rather than the Intel processors that had been in use for prior computer models. This introduces some additional compatibility issues for applications. Adobe has indicated, for example, that their applications will not natively support the M1 chip until 2021.
The issue of the M1 chip is only a factor if you buy one of the new computers with this chip. However, the Big Sur update also creates some concerns about stability and compatibility.
I highly recommend waiting at least until there is a bug fix release for the Big Sur operating system before upgrading. I also recommend confirming compatibility for the software and devices you will be using to ensure you won’t run into any issues there.
In short, I suggest not being in any particular rush to upgrade, so you can avoid the frustration of stability and compatibility issues.
You can read details of Adobe’s support for the MacOS Big Sur operating system here:
https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/macos-big-sur.html