Can my old Mac support new system updates?

Hello good people,

I was gifted a nice Macbook Pro, aged 2012. The SSD is replaced new and the IT guy installed Os X.

It is currently running on Mojave v.10.14.6.

The issue is - I keep receiving prompts to update software. IT guy said it's better that my Mac runs on Mojave as it's more stable and works faster. The fast part I agree and love it. But this old version seem to make MS Office (v.2019) to not run correctly at times, or sometimes just freeze. The sound quality is also quite bad and distorted, which I'm guessing is due to an older OS.

Will it be okay for me to proceed with a software upgrade to ensure MS Office and sound quality gets fixed or should I heed IT guy's advice and keep it on Mojave? Mojave feels old :(

Appreciate your advice! Thank you very much!

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Sep 14, 2022 4:30 AM

Top-ranking reply

David McKinlay

Level 7

23,618 points

Posted on Sep 14, 2022 5:09 AM

Your MB Pro can be upgraded one more step to Catalina, but there are considerations before you do that. It is already at the last update point for Mojave.

Read A Brody's user tip Catalina - an upgrade guide to make an informed choice about upgrading or staying at Mojave.

Referring to Office, if you have Catalina you can install the current version of Office but once the new macOS Ventura is released the requirement for Office 365 will move up to macOS 11 Big Sur. This includes updates to Office 365 and not only the installer.

The difficulty you mention regarding audio is more likely to be a hardware problem and unlikely to be solved by a software remedy.

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Can my old Mac support new system updates?

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