It is Important to Keep Your Mac OS Up to Date

How to keep your Mac OS Up to Date

It's always a good idea to keep your refurbished Mac's operating system up to date. When you purchase a refurbished Mac laptop or desktop from GainSaver, you save money by getting an older Mac instead of a brand new one. But you can still get the latest operating system software, depending on when your refurbished Mac was introduced.

And it's the software that provides so many of the great features that Mac owners love. So when you get a Mac OS update or upgrade, it's almost like getting new computer!

What's the OS?

The operating system is the software that provides all the essential features of your refurbished Mac. Everything your Mac does before you install any additional software applications is performed by the operating system.

What's an update?

When you get a new version of the current operating system you already have installed, that's called an update. When you get a brand new operating system, that's called an upgrade.

Updates to the Mac OS vary from one update to the next, but they usually include some minor bug fixes and occasionally some additional features. When you upgrade to a new OS version, such as from OSX 10.10 (named "Yosemite") to OSX 10.11 (named "El Capitan"), you get even more. Upgrades include updated versions of many of the software applications that are included with the operating system, like the Safari browser application, Calendar, FaceTime, iTunes, Notes and much more.

Mac OS updates and upgrades are free

Just one more reason to keep your Mac laptop and desktop operating system up to date is that it is free. Apple doesn't charge you to upgrade the operating system when new ones are released.

This is not always the case with Windows upgrades. Microsoft sometimes charges for upgrades, depending on the current version of Windows you have. Upgrades to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or later are currently free. However, starting July 30, 2016, Microsoft will begin charging $119 for Windows 10 upgrades on existing PCs.

Custom Mac OS Configuration at GainSaver

Some GainSaver customers have software applications that require a specific version of the Mac OS. They don't want the latest OS version. These customers select to have their refurbished Mac laptop or desktop installed with a previous Mac OS version of their choice.

If you don't have specific software requirements, then always stay with the default selection for Mac Operating System when you check out. This way, you'll get the latest available version.

Upgrading to El Capitan

Right now, the latest version of the Mac operating system is El Capitan. To run El Capitan, you need one of these refurbished Mac laptops or desktops:

• MacBook Pro (Mid 2007 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
• iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
• MacBook (Late 2008 or newer)
• Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
• Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
• Xserve (Early 2009)

Refurbished Macs older than the ones listed above are not be supported by El Capitan.

The easiest way to stay up to date

Keeping your Mac OS and other software up to date is super easy. Just turn on Automatic Updates and your refurbished Mac laptop or desktop with automatically download and install new updates and upgrades when they become available.

• Click the Apple menu icon
• Choose System Preferences in the menu
• Click the App Store icon
• Configure the settings

After you do this, your operating system updates and upgrades will be managed for you. You'll never need to check and see if any updates are available.

Coming soon: macOS Sierra

The next schedule Mac OS upgrade is named macOS Sierra. The Sierra upgrade will no longer be part of the OS X family. It will be renamed "macOS", to match the operating systems on other Apple devices, like "iOS" for iPhones and iPads, and "watchOS" for the Apple watch operating system.

So be ready! The release of macOS Sierra is planned for Fall of 2016. You'll get it as soon as it is available. Just keep your App Store Preferences set for Automatic Updates.