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5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Install OS X Yosemite Today

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The OS X Yosemite downloads start sometime today, but if you are just finding out about the free update for your Mac, there are a few reasons to skip it for now.

We’ll take a look at five reasons you shouldn’t install OS X Yosemite today. There are no major issues that we know of, but with any major update you need to realize that installing it on day one brings some risks that aren’t as big after a few days or weeks.

Even though Apple spent the last several months testing OS X Yosemite there may still be bugs and installing on day one adds to the problem with the potential of slow downloads and more time spent waiting.

Apple announced the OS X Yosemite release date as today, October 16th, during an event where they also shared news of new iPads, a new iMac Retina and a new Mac mini. Apple did not announce a specific OS X Yosemite release time, and the download is not yet in the Mac App Store.

Read: OS X Yosemite Release Date Tips

When you install OS X Yosemite you’ll gain access to many new features and a new look for the Mac software. The change isn’t as startling as the iOS 7 update last year, but you’ll know you are using something new. There are plenty of reasons to be excited about the OS X Yosemite update, but if you aren’t prepared it is worth waiting. Here are a few reasons to wait before you install OS X Yosemite.

Don’t Want Bugs

Installing the of an update like Yosemite is bound to come with a few bugs. There is a good chance that these are small bugs that you can live with until the first OS X 10.10 update arrives, but there is always a chance that Apple missed something which could seriously impact your use.

It’s a good idea to wait a few days if possible to see if any bugs are found that you can’t live with. We should see the first OS X Yosemite problems and bugs appear on Apple forums soon after the downloads start.

Long Downloads Are Annoying

If you try to install the update on the OS X Yosemite release date you need to prepare for long updates. Every time Apple offers new software for the Mac or iPhone users line up to be the first to download and the company can’t keep up.

There are already some OS X Yosemite download problems.

There are already some OS X Yosemite download problems.

This turns a 30 minute download into one that can take several hours. You don’t need to sit and wait for the download to finish, but it means a longer wait to start the Yosemite installation.

You Own an Old Mac

If you use an old MacBook, old MacBook Air or any old Mac you should wait to install OS X Yosemite. Big updates like this never run as nice on old hardware. The OS X Yosemite compatibility list includes;

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

There are many very old Macs on this list. If you own a Mac within two years of the cutoff you should wait to see how the Yosemite update performs before installing it.

You use Mission Critical Apps

If you use any apps for work, managing your family or just for fun that you can’t live without for a few weeks, you need to wait. Many OS X Yosemite app updates are in the Mac App Store or available from developers, but you better make sure before clicking install.

Avoid installing on the OS X Yosemite release date if you aren't at home base.

Avoid installing on the OS X Yosemite release date if you aren’t prepared.

You Aren’t Prepared

There are many steps to take before you install OS X Yosemite. If you haven’t done any of these you should really consider waiting to start the OS X 10.10 installation. Some of the major steps to prepare for the OS X Yosemite release include;

  • Clean Up Your Mac
  • Make Sure Your Apps Work
  • Perform a Backup
  • Know your Apple ID and Password

If you don’t have time set aside and have these basic steps under control you are better off waiting a few days to start your OS X Yosemite installation.

22 Comments

22 Comments

  1. Ted

    10/16/2014 at 7:40 pm

    What about the usual non-apple peripheral compatibility issues, like printers? Mavericks rendered all non-apple printers incompatible. I could only save my trusty Fuji-Xerox laser printer by patiently scanning lots of blog posts. Finally I learned that a non-Fuji-Xerox driver (Samsung, I think) might work, and it did. Can we be lucky twice?

    • Tim

      10/18/2014 at 6:08 pm

      What’s an Apple printer?

  2. Martin

    10/17/2014 at 12:41 am

    I had an Issue installing Yosemite during the installation process – it simply stopped.

    Now I cant use my Mac Air for some time because of this. I just keep being stuck in the installation proces. I can keep doing the kill/force shutdown action, and it keeps being stuck in the startup installation (last minute remaining)

    That sucks!

    • Gary

      10/18/2014 at 7:33 pm

      That happened to me w Mavericks. Called Apple support, had to wipe my drive, reinstall old OS, then mavericks. Luckily, I had backed up before the install.

  3. Derek

    10/17/2014 at 3:38 am

    Tried to install Yosemite. Install doesn’t complete just hangs after 2nd restart. iMac will only open in safe mode. Hopefully Apple will fix this and I’ll be able to reinstall the OS soon!!!!!!

  4. Bastiaan

    10/17/2014 at 3:59 am

    Same here, stuck at “About 2 minutes remaining”. Now what.

  5. Scott

    10/17/2014 at 5:13 am

    I did the Cmd-L and it was stuck on 2 Mac Books. and the restore isn’t working on them now either so I will have to format and start from scratch

  6. Jonathan

    10/17/2014 at 9:37 am

    Is there anyway to make it so the computer does not try to boot using the install file?

  7. tom

    10/17/2014 at 8:50 pm

    I can receive e-mail but can not send

  8. waltermoore

    10/18/2014 at 2:18 pm

    I wish I had seen this before I tried to install it. It locked up at “less than a minute remaining.”

  9. Junior72

    10/19/2014 at 8:01 am

    I love Mac, but with any updates…I didn’t listen to my own darn advice (and the advice here) – Good advice, wait..perhaps until 10.10.1 comes out, hopefully very soon. I have a mid 2011 iMac and yeah..it’s buggy. Now have serious RAM drain, bootup time is pushing 2 minutes (used to be 20-25 seconds!) The volume “clip/pop” sound on my keyboard somehow went away last night – it was working. Had a WiFi connection problem but I fixed that within 20 min. Other tiny issues, annoyances. I’ve adjusted some settings, Disabling the OS “Transparency” feature actually did a slight improvement.

    If anyone is looking forward to the “Handoff” feature, well make sure you have a system with the compatible Bluetooth. My 2011 BT is apparently “old” and Handoff will not work. Not a HUGE deal, not really sure if I was going to use it that much. The Phone Calls on the new OS works thankfully…cool feature. That uses WiFi.

    Many on the forums are mention bugs as well, but not everyone. Some claim it’s working perfectly. I guess the choice is up to you. I’m considering downgrading back to Mavericks until bugs are wiped out. Do I love the look, the notification center. the smooth fonts. Yeah that I do like a lot. But cosmetics mean squat if the computer is not performing up to par.

  10. Mike W

    10/20/2014 at 3:40 am

    It staggers me how many Mac users tolerate software updates that may be buggy, or have compatibility issues. Why can Apple just get the existing issues sorted out before offering (free) upgrades. For Apple FREE is a relative term – usually means a huge amount of time sorting out problems.

    I’ll be staying well clear. My iMac (2.5 years old) has been a constant source of problems and, an expensive one, since switching from Windows. But, hey, it’s shiney, shiney – so that’s alright.

    • Mike W's Brother

      10/20/2014 at 8:54 am

      mikeW – if you discovered ‘the constant source of problems’ were caused by your ignorance would you do anything about it? if you switched from windoze you know what really whacked software is all about. stop complaining and move out of Mom’s!

      • Susan Geoffries

        10/20/2014 at 8:58 am

        I agree with Mike W’s brother. MikeW is a troll attempting to get a rise. Apple’s software and updates are reliable and truly improvements. MikeW’s lack of details reveals his fraud. He’ll eventually slink away.

        • Mike W

          10/20/2014 at 10:15 am

          Wow – there’s a typical, abusive response. I’m a troll and ignorant because I don’t bow down to the altar of Apple. You need to grow up somewhat.

  11. William Bergmann

    10/21/2014 at 3:47 pm

    Too late for me. I installed Yosemite 2 days ago and now cannot use iPhoto or iMovie. The new look is mostly cool but ome annoying features.

  12. Gary Junk

    10/22/2014 at 8:46 pm

    I upgraded to Yosemite. One bug I have noticed: You cannot create custom icons of ALIASES at all. You can do it for folders, but not for aliases of folders. You used to be able to do it for aliases using the Get Info Window and copying and pasting new icons, but not currently in Yosemite. I like to create various theme looks on my desktop using custom icons of the aliases of my folders – never actually moving the folders themselves to my desktop for safety reasons. Come on Apple, a Mac is just as much about the look and customization as the powerful computing program. Get your act together and fix this issue.

  13. westernworld

    10/23/2014 at 6:46 am

    apple stopped making printers many years ago what the gentleman refers to are in all likelihood printers that apple under os x supports out oft the box ,the number of which has greatly shrunk in recent years.

  14. AAlex

    10/27/2014 at 12:08 pm

    I should have checked to make sure printer/scanner drivers were available before upgrading. Brother still hasn’t published Yosemite drivers for the Brother MFC (multifunction) series. Can’t scan from my main machine now but luckily I still have a “retired” Mac too old for Yosemite but I can still print/scan from it.

  15. Wayne

    11/03/2014 at 5:53 pm

    Biggest piece of Kaka in a long time !!!!!!!!!

  16. (V)aniac

    11/05/2014 at 2:59 am

    If you are running VMware fusion…don’t do it! Fusion 6 is incompatible with Yosemite update and will not work. Hope they remedy the compatibility issue soon.

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