MAC OS

Eric_Ivers wrote:

What MAC OS should I be running on a MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)?

Should...(?)

I can say it never pays to get too far behind.

The latest macOS your 2012 can run:

Catalina macOS 10.15.7

https://www.apple.com/macos/catalina/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/macos-catalina/id1466841314?mt=12&l=en-us

Verify your tech specs macOS Catalina - Technical Specifications - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/kb/SP803?locale=en_US

System requirements macOS 10.15 Catalina

macOS Catalina will run on all Macintosh computers that supported Mojave:

MacBook: Early 2015 or newer

MacBook Air: Mid 2012 or newer

MacBook Pro: Mid 2012 or newer

Mac Mini: Late 2012 or newer

iMac: Late 2012 or newer

iMac Pro

Mac Pro: Late 2013 or newer; Mid 2010 or Mid 2012 if upgraded with a recommended Metal-capable GPU

Old app compatibility maybe one reason to hold back— you have to do your own homework here: https://roaringapps.com/apps

32-bit app compatibility with macOS ... - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208436

Older apps like Office 2011 or older, or older versions of Adobe Creative Suite will not run under Catalina. If you have a number of old apps, consider OS 10.14 Mojave instead. It does not have that limitation and is a currently supported OS version. If you would rather do Mojave, you can get it here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/macos-mojave/id1398502828?ls=1&mt=12

My 2012 MBP with 8GB RAM is quite happy with Mojave.

Whichever one you choose from those it is able to run. For the latter, look here --> Identify your MacBook Pro model - Apple Support