Ventura or Sonoma?

[Lufbrarunner]

My 2015, 27 inch iMac is getting a bit dated. No more OS updates, so stuck at Monterey, but t still does 75% of what I need.
I have just ordered an M2 Mac Mini (16gb RAM, 1tb SSD), hopefully this will see me right for a few more years. I see that it ships with Ventura, so just wondering if I should stick with that or move up to Sonoma. Any feedback on the pros and cons on this would be much appreciated. Hoping for it to be delivered on Monday.

 

[Gord Webster]

Don't send your iMac to the trash just yet! There is another option!

I also have a 2015 iMac27" (17,1) that with the help of a program called Open Core Legacy Project, is running the latest version of Sonoma. In fact, I just updated it to Sonoma 14.5! I run the latest version of Lightroom Classic and Photoshop and, while may not be the fastest, it runs those programs without errors. Plus, I love the 27" 5K screen, that is not offered in newer iMacs!

OCLP takes advantage of the fact that there are still some Intel Mac models supported by Apple.

Have a look...

OpenCore Legacy Patcher

Experience macOS just like before

dortania.github.io

 

[alexanderlindo]

Ventura is much more stable with less bugs than Sonoma. I upgraded my M1 MacBook Air to Sonoma when it was released and while the new features are welcome, there is one show-stopping bug that has been very upsetting and that is the crashing of macOS when attempting to play a video in QuickTime while connected to an external monitor in mirrored mode. When this happens the user has to hold down the power button until the computer turns off. This bug is reproducible every time and is still present in the latest update 14.5.

 

[Lufbrarunner]

Don't send your iMac to the trash just yet! There is another option!

I also have a 2015 iMac27" (17,1) that with the help of a program called Open Core Legacy Project, is running the latest version of Sonoma. In fact, I just updated it to Sonoma 14.5! I run the latest version of Lightroom Classic and Photoshop and, while may not be the fastest, it runs those programs without errors. Plus, I love the 27" 5K screen, that is not offered in newer iMacs!

OCLP takes advantage of the fact that there are still some Intel Mac models supported by Apple.

Have a look...

OpenCore Legacy Patcher

Experience macOS just like before

dortania.github.io

Thanks, I am planning to keep the iMac, I will have a look at OCLP

 

[Lufbrarunner]

No problem in the end as it shipped with Sonoma 14.4 loaded.

 

[Rodananne]

Ha, thought so. Ventura is almost two years old now with macOS 15 due to be unveiled on June 10 so the description of "shipped with" is probably a little outdated.
In any case Sonoma 14.5 is pretty stable now so I would suggest updating when you have a chance.

 

[Lufbrarunner]

Thanks, just done the 14.5 update

 

[John Morton]

Experience with OpenCore: (general comment)

I tried for over a week to instal OCLP and failed. I proceeded step by step with faithful attention to every detail of the process.

At the point where I option/booted, I didn't see the four icons predicted, only two, and this dropped to one. Eventually, at the option/boot, the computer simply carried on into a normal startup. OCLP dropped my internet connection every time and all usual remedies failed. I found that, if I clicked the minus sign in network preferences/advanced, and clicked 'apply' I could get the connection back. I had to move my computer temporarily to the foot of the stairs where I could connect directly via Ethernet.

Added to this, my trash icon has disappeared from the desktop. I have decided that I can't risk installing such a flakey patch onto my primary computer, my only computer.

'If something seems too good to be true, it generally is'.