Upgrading to Sierra?

[Dave2002]

Quite by chance I have just watched a Vimeo clip - https://vimeo.com/blog/post/video-101-editing-basics - running on El Capitan on a MacBook Pro - which I updated from Mountain Lion a month or two back.

I still use Snow Leopard on one of my machines, but I have noticed with some machines that the "wheels start to drop off" if some applications are used on old versions of OS X. I would suggest that it might be worth doing an upgrade. What might help you is to have a spare hard drive on which to download or install new versions. You don't actually have to carry out the upgrade on your machine if you decide not to, but at least by doing the download each OS version will appear in your Purchases list, so you can get back to them if you decide you want to/need to.

If you haven't done this, you will only be able to go straight to Sierra - though I have tried that and I didn't spot any really major problems, but i've just not completed the installation of that system on the machines which currently run El C.

I suspect if you do the upgrade to Sierra, which might take an hour or so, that your Vimeo problems will go away. If you don't actually need any specific software which runs on your current OS versions you might just as well do that - though you should backup (maybe Carbon Copy Cloner) and take as many sensible precautions as are generally recommended.

[hmvman]

Thanks very much for your help, Dave. I checked with a colleague who is running Yosemite and he could see and play the Vimeo videos ok. He then checked on an old computer running Snow Leopard and that had the same problems as mine so I'm sure you're right that an upgrade is going to have to be done.

I haven't installed any newer versions on a spare drive so I guess it will have to be Sierra but I haven't heard any reports of major problems. What I'm thinking of doing is just updating the MBP where Photoshop is less important, and keeping Mountain Lion on the iMac for the time being. I just need to check compatibility with Final Cut Pro 7 and some other photo editing software before I go ahead!

[french frank]

Is it a question of browser settings rather than OS? That said, I can view (and hear!) http://allofbach.com/en/bwv/bwv-565/ on both Safari and Firefox, OS is Sierra.

I've just found this thread having been about to post a question about videos on Safari.

I now can't see or play Vimeo videos on either of my computers.

Superseded!

[hmvman]

Thanks, ff. I'd already tried checking settings, emptying the cache, updating Flash Player, restarts et al.

It looks like if I don't do this update I shall be Bachless on Friday!

[hmvman]

Now here's a funny thing. I've just checked back on the AoB site and the videos are playing ok now, as are the other Vimeo videos on other sites, and on both my computers.

Ah well, at least I won't, hopefully, be Bachless on Friday after all!

[Anastasius]

And I thought they told us that computers would save us time!

Why the Hell do all these damn software providers just simply STOP! Same goes for bloody web-redesigners who tinker round the edges, come up with some 'We're sure you are going to LURV this new website'....um,no, we won't. We were perfectly happy with the old website and now you are making us waste our time learning the ways around your pointless 'new and improved ...pause for hollow laugh' website.

Same goes for Microsoft and Apple...just stop. Enough with the bringing out new OS's ...what we have works. So stop fiddling. How much time is wasted by us all each time a new version comes out ?

It's in other stuff as well. Happened to buy a Humax Youview PVR a while back. The Youview aspect wasn't really wanted..just happened that the price was good. We tried Netflix only to find out that their film listings cater for the intellectually-challenged. Rarely use iPlayer as we're organised. We go through the Radio Times each morning and flag up things we want to record. Job done. Then two days ago found that one of the recorded programmes had some bad artefacts due to the local tx playing up and so went to watch it on iPlayer. Realised the PVR hadn't been plugged into the internet for some time. No need. Watched our programme. All good.

Um...no. Last night, fire up the Humax "We've updated your software". YouView have re-designed (I'm sorry....I keep using the wrong words....I meant 'trashed') the user interface and the clean and easy to use interface has been replaced by pretty pictures aimed at two-year olds. It is ghastly. Many people also think the same. You can't roll back. For those of you who complain about Apple and their 'take it or leave it' approach, YouView leaves them standing. It is a COS. The good news is that I have an unadulterated Humax which will now be pressed back into service. I will take the Youview piece of rubbish and wield my sledge-hammer. Maybe I should video it and send it to them.

But they won't. They will keep shoving 'improvements' down our necks.

[/rant over...must go and lie down in a quiet dark room]

[Dave2002]

Thanks very much for your help, Dave. I checked with a colleague who is running Yosemite and he could see and play the Vimeo videos ok. He then checked on an old computer running Snow Leopard and that had the same problems as mine so I'm sure you're right that an upgrade is going to have to be done.

I haven't installed any newer versions on a spare drive so I guess it will have to be Sierra but I haven't heard any reports of major problems. What I'm thinking of doing is just updating the MBP where Photoshop is less important, and keeping Mountain Lion on the iMac for the time being. I just need to check compatibility with Final Cut Pro 7 and some other photo editing software before I go ahead!

I do recommend making a bootable drive copy if you have software which works, and you are not sure that it'll work with a new system. I can't say about FCP 7, but FCP X works under El C and almost certainly Sierra. You may want to keep FCP 7 and the licensing might not permit you to upgrade to FCP X free of charge. If not sure I'd definitely suggest one or two spare drives (probably about £50) to clone your systems onto, and also to install Sierra on. If you have enough space on your machine you can set it up to boot from different OS versions. Just take your time getting things done.

[hmvman]

Thanks again for your advice, Dave. With Vimeo back working again I'm probably going to put off the update for the moment but I realise I can't go on forever like that and will have to update sooner or later. When I do I'll certainly take on board your suggestion of running a spare bootable drive.

[Dave2002]

Curious that the problem disappeared. One machine (not mine, not even in same house or family) started to run hot (very...) under Snow Leopard. Initially was serviced, cleaned and fan controls installed/checked. Still got hot. I put more memory in, which helped a bit, but there were still residual problems. After biting the bullet, updating all the critical softwars, and taking backups, then updating to El Capitan, most of the problems disappeared. We also checked it with Sierra from an external bootable drive. It's been a few weeks now, and things appear to have settled down. Looked as though running with Snow Leopard eventually resulted in too many incompatibilities, so shifting to a newer OS version was in the end the only thing to do.

[Dave2002]

I'm now revisiting this, as most of my machines are now running El C, though I can boot Sierra if I wish from an external drive. I might have a short window of opportunity to clear enough space from my MBP to make an upgrade to Sierra possible - though for me the only thing which might give a limited benefit is the Picture in Picture feature for some websites. I noticed a colleague running Sierra a few days ago, so I'm thinking that perhaps it's benign enough now to give it a tryout.

One thing which I really do want to avoid is Apple forcing me to connect to its wretched iCloud - even though sometimes this has turned out to be helpful. If I'm going to use cloud storage I want to be in control, and not have things switched on simply because I didn't notice. I think Apple tries to set defaults to make iCloud active - for example all the files on my desktop, which could be a real pain.

A fairly recent update to El Capitan (is the latest 10.11.6?) took ages, and almost felt like a complete upgrade anyway. The update process seemed to have some behaviours in common with upgrades and shut me off the machine for quite a long while.

[Anastasius]

I certainly think that logging in to iCloud slows down the process. At the moment, we are both sharing the same iMac but with different logins/accounts. Startup logins for any programs are the same for both of us apart from the fact that I will connect to iCloud whenever I log in. My log in takes significantly longer.

[Dave2002]

I certainly think that logging in to iCloud slows down the process. At the moment, we are both sharing the same iMac but with different logins/accounts. Startup logins for any programs are the same for both of us apart from the fact that I will connect to iCloud whenever I log in. My log in takes significantly longer.

Thanks for the feedback.

This is worrying, and making me hesitate for a little while. Have you got the settings for iCloud set up to take copies of desktop things etc., or have you turned most of the features off?

I sometimes have files which are large on my dekstop, and I really would not want them to be backed off - up and down over my BT link - as even though there's no marginal cost to me, it would probably slow things down, and should really not be necessary. That's apart from other issues of privacy etc. I don't see why we should trust Apple with our data any more than anyone else who gains access - possibly without asking permission. If a thief accesses my data, copies it, and then announces "No problem - nobody else can see it or access it ...." then that's gotta be OK, hasn't it!!!!????

I can see benefits in having some of my data shared over networks - even if only with myself - but there is other data which I don't particularly want to go that way. Without good control, and with trusted partners in this, I'd still prefer not to bother.

[Anastasius]

No...no files set up to share via the cloud. Just mail, safari bookmarks etc, contacts.