Most stable and secure MacOS for a MBP 15" mid 2012 ?

[MrAverigeUser]

Hello,
I am still happy with my "old" MBP 15" mid 2012, upgraded since a long time with SSD. Since some years my OS is Sierra, which i appreciate. Never a problem with the last version of it.

I have always waited at least for the most mature version of MacOS, that means 1 "generation" - sometimes even several years if the system ran flawlessly (because at the end of its many updates no more (?) bugs: Never change a running system...

But... now I am thinking of updating my OS because there are no more security updates since some time...

I read some comments about newer OS and while some people seemed to have nor problems, others called some nicknames like "Chaosliona" and "Big Blur" and so on and I learned that there were some OS that started new with the same security bugs that were already resolved in their predecessors... it seems that it is less simple to choose the best one than I thought...

So... what would you recommend me as a stable, reliable and secure OS to replace Sierra on my MBP mid 2012?

Thanks in advance

 

[MBAir2010]

MOJAVE!
i put that stuff on everything!
that runs 32 bit programs and does everything fast!
and that OS has iTunes which is good and can still sync with everything iPad wise.

 

[CooperBox]

I have the same MBP 15" mid 2012, also upgraded with an SSD. (This is my 2nd, last year a friend persuaded me to sell it to him, and 3 months later I regretted my decision and had to find another). Wonderful machines, arguably one of the best models ever from Apple!
I've used Sierra, then High Sierra, and now on Mojave, it's certainly stable and I'm totally satisfied, although have a feeling it may have performed slightly better on High Sierra. (I have 16Gb RAM installed). Unless I decide to patch it in a few years time I can see no benefits at the moment of going higher. I certainly won't be putting Catalina on it that's for sure.
I'm convinced that these mid 2012 MBPros will still be going strong when many M1 laptops will be unrepairable due to excessive costs.

 

[calliex]

I have same machine and run Sierra. Only problem vers of Safari bombs on Apple.com and linkdin. I use fire fox without a problem. I run Sierra because my vers of FileMaker breaks on High Sierra. Do not use it enough to go subscription. Buying an M1 in a week or two.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

Oh,
thanks a lot for your participation and your recommendations!

I started in 2008 with an MBP and 2 years later as well an MacPro 8-core.
Both upgradable, which I appreciate.
Lost the MBP of 2008 in 2011 because of the typical problem of overheated internal discrete GPU,
Purchased then the MBP 2011 which died as well the GPU death some years later.
Then I bought second hand the 2012 model and installed immediately the macFanControl app to get rid of the insufficient cooling and installed the gfxCardStatus App to even stop the discrete GPU and go with the internal GPU alone. So, my MBP 2012 had a good prognosis since then - other than the 2 "grilled" ones before. If I need more GPU power, I activate the discrete GPU, but only then.

And... YES, the mid 2012 MBP seems to be one of the best MBP, at least very reliable, the last completely upgradable, very repair-friendly, although sadly the first without the option of anti-glare Screen... Mine has 16 GB RAM and 2 TB SSD, replaced the battery a year ago... NOTHING of those important things is glued or soldered - that´s how it should be!

Just 2 days before I found a very good YT-review of the 2012, which is referring NOW about it. He emphasised all the good things about it and I was happy that there are still honest people on YT who don't push you to the last model that hit the market:

OK, back to topic, back to MacOS:
I stopped upgrading when I heard of the many problems with the APFS file system at its very beginning in High Sierra.
Meanwhile it seems to be ok. So MOJAVE seems to be a good move ?

cheers

 

[KeesMacPro]

OK, back to topic, back to MacOS:
I stopped upgrading when I heard of the many problems with the APFS file system at its very beginning in High Sierra.
Meanwhile it seems to be ok. So MOJAVE seems to be a good move ?

I agree with you: the MBP 2012 is a very well-build MBP and easily upgradable.

Mojave is known as one of the most stable OS versions , like e.g. Snow Leopard back in the days.
I'm using a MBP 2012 (tbh "sharing" with my daughter) on daily basis and it's rocksolid running Mojave , 16GB RAM and a Samsung 850 EVO.

About APFS: this file system is meant for SSDs and doesnt work very well on a platter-based HDD.
Besides that, I've been using APFS since day 1 and never had any issue whatsoever .
My MBP 2012 runs Mojave for years now and I'll never upgrade it to Catalina.

 

[IngoX]

MOJAVE!

I certainly won't be putting Catalina on it that's for sure.

My MBP 2012 runs Mojave for years now and I'll never upgrade it to Catalina.

If you don’t need to run 32-bit code or use iTunes with older devices, are there any other reasons not to update to macOS 10.15 Catalina?

I’m running a revived mid 2012 13” MBP with 16 GB ram and SSD on Catalina and see no issues. It’s only used as a secondary backup machine, but still recently made some lower resolution live streaming in OBS satisfactory (ok, some stuttering). I don’t remember any performance-hit when it was updated from 10.14 Mojave to Catalina, but only have the subjective memory to rely on.

 

[Jack Neill]

My 2012 is running 11.6.2. Much smoother than 10.15.7. SSD and ram are your friends.

 

[TimmuJapan]

With OCLP, this machine will run Big Sur or Monterey.

It runs Catalina natively, and I’ve been using a 2012 mbp 15 inch with Catalina for over a year now.
Catalina runs perfectly. No complaints.

While older OSes like high sierra or Mojave have some advantages (like being able to run 32bit apps), the older OSes are also no longer receiving security updates from Apple, so if you would like to use a macOS that is unsupported (Mojave or high sierra), it is best to use it with anti-virus software and also maybe use chrome instead of safari.

When the OS stops receiving security updates, safari also stops receiving security updates, so your computer might be more vulnerable to security issues when browsing the internet on safari with macOS Mojave or High Sierra. The safari on a currently supported macOS (Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey) will still be receiving security updates.

Another issue with unsupported macOSes (like Mojave and high sierra) is app compatibility.
For example, you cannot download a fresh copy of Microsoft teams or the LINE app or several other apps on unsupported macOS (Mojave, high sierra). Many companies will only make their apps available for the three most recent macOSes. In this case, that would be Catalina, Big Sur, and Monterey.

I would go with Catalina, unless you need 32 bit app support.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

Thanks again for your input ! I really appreciate that.

At the moment I am still reorganizing my personal data which will take some weeks. I have also still a MBP 15" Late 2011 (the last with antiglare Screen which i love ... I mean the Screen) and used this also besides the 2012, so need to bring Data from 2 SSD on two MBPs together and clear the resulting new 4TB Samsung SSD from double files... perhaps a good moment to make a clean MacOS upgrade ? On the other hand I had never problems with just upgrading the OS since 2009... about every 2 or 3 years skipping often enough 1-2 generations of OSX... I did stay with Snow Leopard for a lot of years., for example..
Looking back, I upgraded only 4 times in 14 years... and always very late on a mature OSX that had at least already a successor. My first MBP came along with Leopard.
Upgrades have been: Snow Leopard -> Mountain Lion -> ElCapitan -> Sierra.

So... now Mojave or Catalina? hmmm... I have no idea if one of the apps I am using is still 32 bit or not... I believe that this is not the case..
On the other hand .... still having iTunes with all my IOS backups instead of 3 different apps plus a new way of backup my IOS devices IOS might not be the worst? So better go for Mojave?

More easy to upgrade to Mojave and perhaps later to Catalina than the other way round...

And yes.... If - in 1-2 years from now - it gets evident that the M1 processor is really running stable, not prone to security bugs (or at least no more) this could be the moment to buy a M1 MBP in good condition second hand at a reasonable price... but the idea that this M1 machine will not be hardware at all upgradable drives me (nearly) crazy...

cheers

 

[Jack Neill]

still having iTunes with all my IOS backups instead of 3 different apps plus a new way of backup my IOS devices IOS might not be the worst? So better go for Mojave?

With Retroactive you can run iTunes on anything past Mojave. I am using 12.9.5 on several Intel Macs including Monterey 12.1.

 

[rovostrov]

I have the exact same macbook and honestly, over the years it has been great on every OS I have installed on it. I stayed on Mojave for a long time because of the negative reviews of Catalina. Finally, about 6 months ago I decided to upgrade it to Catalina. Everything has been working just fine. Maybe the later releases of Catalina are more stable, i dunno but everyting has been running well. I've had no more issues or quirks with Catalina than I did with Mojave. Only thing, as others mentioned is the 32 bit apps not supported with Catalina but if that isnt needed, I'd recommend Catalina as it should still receive security updates until the end of 2022

 

[rovostrov]

although sadly the first without the option of anti-glare Screen...

You can get a anti-glare screen for the 15" 2012. I bought one and replaced mine several years ago.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

With Retroactive you can run iTunes on anything past Mojave. I am using 12.9.5 on several Intel Macs including Monterey 12.1.

Interesting...What is "Retroactive" exactly ?

I have the exact same macbook and honestly, over the years it has been great on every OS I have installed on it. I stayed on Mojave for a long time because of the negative reviews of Catalina. Finally, about 6 months ago I decided to upgrade it to Catalina. Everything has been working just fine. Maybe the later releases of Catalina are more stable, i dunno but everyting has been running well. I've had no more issues or quirks with Catalina than I did with Mojave. Only thing, as others mentioned is the 32 bit apps not supported with Catalina but if that isnt needed, I'd recommend Catalina as it should still receive security updates until the end of 2022

Nowadays security updates are more important than ever before. So, indeed - upgrading on a MacOS still getting security updates is a very good argument. To save the possibility to run 32 bit apps I could just keep an old SSD on Sierra or upgrade it not further than up to Mojave or even stay with the MBP 2011 as my backup-hardware with this SSD in case of... and go further MacOS-wise with my beloved mid 2012... so I keep both worlds separated in two MBPs...

You can get a anti-glare screen for the 15" 2012. I bought one and replaced mine several years ago.

My 15" 2011 MBP is equipped with this screen...still in perfect condition. Can I exchange its screen with that of my mid-2012 15" MBP and vice versa without any problem? Is it difficult to do so ?

Again,
thanks for your very helpful comments !


.

 

[MajorFubar]

I regressed my 2012 MBP from Mojave to High Sierra and don't regret one minute. Some of my older apps like CS6 and Office 2011 just simply run better on High Sierra in my experience. YMMV as always.

 

[Jack Neill]

Interesting...What is "Retroactive" exactly ?

GitHub - cormiertyshawn895/Retroactive: Retroactive has been discontinued. You should transition from Retroactive to supported apps such as Music, iTunes for Windows, iMazing, Photos, Darktable, Lightroom Classic, and DaVinci Resolve.

Retroactive has been discontinued. You should transition from Retroactive to supported apps such as Music, iTunes for Windows, iMazing, Photos, Darktable, Lightroom Classic, and DaVinci Resolve. - ...

github.com

 

[MrAverigeUser]

GitHub - cormiertyshawn895/Retroactive: Retroactive has been discontinued. You should transition from Retroactive to supported apps such as Music, iTunes for Windows, iMazing, Photos, Darktable, Lightroom Classic, and DaVinci Resolve.

Retroactive has been discontinued. You should transition from Retroactive to supported apps such as Music, iTunes for Windows, iMazing, Photos, Darktable, Lightroom Classic, and DaVinci Resolve. - ...

github.com

THANKS a lot !

 

[rovostrov]

Nowadays security updates are more important than ever before. So, indeed - upgrading on a MacOS still getting security updates is a very good argument. To save the possibility to run 32 bit apps I could just keep an old SSD on Sierra or upgrade it not further than up to Mojave or even stay with the MBP 2011 as my backup-hardware with this SSD in case of... and go further MacOS-wise with my beloved mid 2012... so I keep both worlds separated in two MBPs...

Sounds like a great idea. I think that scenerio would give you the most flexability. I personally think both Mojave and Catalina run great but I usually stay at least one OS behind what is currently available. With the 2012 macbooks (without tweaking) Catalina is the end of the line

My 15" 2011 MBP is equipped with this screen...still in perfect condition. Can I exchange its screen with that of my mid-2012 15" MBP and vice versa without any problem? Is it difficult to do so ?

I wasn't sure if this would work but it seems as if others have had success switching out the displays from the 2011 to the 2012. It's been several years but I dont remember it being very difficult to disconnect and replace. If I remember correctly, it took about an hour to switch them out. Here's an article I found where someone installed a 2011 display on a 2012. Hope it helps! https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View...hi-res+matte+screen+on+a+mid+2012+MacBook+Pro

 

[MrAverigeUser]

@ rovostrov

THANK YOU as well !

In fact, some years ago I tried to let someone do an exchange of screens between a perfectly running and "as new" antiglare Screen MBP 2009 into a MBP 2011 with the NON antiglare screen
The result was: Though the same dimensions and same resolution, same bezel, this did not work! completely different connections. So I had to pay for nothing...
That´s the background why I ask if this transplantation between MBP 2011 and mid-2012 works... but as they are very similar it seems that it might be possible.

cheers

 

[Antares23]

I personally run Catalina on my Late 2013 Retina MacBook Pro, because Big Sur make that thing run so ****ing slow and I don't really like the new design
I'd recommand it, I ran Mojave before because I needed 32bit support for VirtualDJ 7, but now I've switched to Serato, I've upgraded to Catalina (quite frankly the only thing I really wanted Catalina for is the automatic switching between light mode and dark mode)

 

[MacInTO]

I think Mohave is the correct choice. However, I haven't bothered and am still running High Sierra. I have a 2012 15" and a 13" - both on High Sierra. I love these machines and I don't think I will ever part with them.

 

[MacInTO]

You can get a anti-glare screen for the 15" 2012. I bought one and replaced mine several years ago.

Nice. I have a mid 2012 15" with the original matte display. I bought it used in 2014 or so. It's a 2.3MHz machine. I wanted a 2.7MHz model but they are considerably more rare with a matte display.

Matte is the original MacBook display starting from the PowerBook G4 Titanium. Maybe earlier! Vintage.

 

[MacInTO]

I regressed my 2012 MBP from Mojave to High Sierra and don't regret one minute. Some of my older apps like CS6 and Office 2011 just simply run better on High Sierra in my experience. YMMV as always.

This may be the reason why I am still on HS. I had a report from a friend that switched to Mohave or Catalina and their MS Office stopped working. I use Photoshop, but I'm not sure what version I'm using. It's probably CS6.

 

[wys]

my 2012 Mac Mini is running Catalina because I dont care about 32-bit apps

my 2015 MB is running Mojave because I wanted it to be able to support 32-bit apps (irrelevant now that the few apps I was using are all since updated for 64-bit)

both devices run just fine. No real issues

 

[MrAverigeUser]

Hello,

it is me again….

just to give you my last decisions…

First:
I will indeed put the antiglare-screen of my 2011 MBP in my 15“ 2012 MBP. The 2012 is still in perfect condition and 2 weeks ago I put the DVD part out (in an external housing) and a second SATA III bay at its place. So - this will be my perfect Office- MBP with up to 6 TB of data… in fact this will be a sort of backup-machine for all important data on SATA SSDs.
I still didn't Make my final decision about the best OS for this machine… if I stay with Sierra or High Sierra or Monterey, I will have all options… maybe I will have one SATA drive with HS and one with Catalina or Mojave?

second:
I had the chance to purchase another iconic MBP (besides the 2012) for a damn good price… a 15“ 2015 MBP 16GB from 2017…. I confess: Being an Amateur Photographer I am VERY impressed by its Retina Screen!
the 2015 MBP is In perfect Condition, like new, and already running under Monterey. Purchased today a Samsung 970 EVO plus 2TB to replace the ridiculous small original 256GB SSD And tomorrow my Sintech adapter will arrive For installing the fast 2TB SSD… This will be my MBP for photography (postproduction) and for viewing Films etc.

Third:
just before paying the SSD I took the chance to play a little bit with the NEW MBP 14“ at the store of the dealer…. Well…. The keyboard of the MBP 14“ had not a precise „click“ at all ! Just nothing like that.
I turned around and played with the MBA M1 (2020) - and its keyboard had a good click - in fact it was much better than that of the 14“…very astonishing…

Forth:
I think I did the right decision: staying with my 2012 with anti-glare screen, a 2015 MBP that is performance-wise on par with the 2019 15“ MBP (sic!) and (finally) I will update my 2008 8core MacPro 4,1 to a wonderful 12 core 5,1 with a fat Graphic Card, M.2 SSDs PCI and so on… to keep all my photos on it ( 3x 8TB HDD)…

And I am writing this on my still working second-Hand 2016 iPad Pro 9,7“ (256 GB) while my 2020 iPhone SE (256 GB) will NOT be replaced by the soon upcoming new SE … (really… who needs 5G ?)

So - I will still have ALL options: 32bit, 64 bit, SATA SSD, fast M.2 SSD, and a well performanent 12 core tower which serves also as a data-backup…

and all this for near to nothing…..

cheers