Is it worth upgrading to ventura?

Decide for yourself: Upgrade to macOS Monterey - Official Apple Support.

If you don't like it you can easily change your mind. How to back up your Mac - Official Apple Support is a fundamental first step.

Restore your Mac from a backup - Apple Support

Or just do what I do and install it on an external drive. Don't like it? Disconnect the drive.

MoronX wrote:

I understand the question type was confusing and definitely not the most helpful or (cerebral)

I was hoping for people who tried it (using the public beta for developers)

Not allowed to:

"Is the public beta software confidential?

Yes, the public beta software is Apple confidential information. Don’t install the public beta software on any systems you don’t directly control or that you share with others. Don’t blog, post screenshots, tweet, or publicly post information about the public beta software, and don’t discuss the public beta software with or demonstrate it to others who are not in the Apple Beta Software Program. If Apple has publicly disclosed technical information about the public beta software, it is no longer considered confidential."

Read our Terms for full details

https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/faq

I've been running Ventura for a few months now and the only issue I have with it is the System Preference (now called Settings) app. It's nothing like it used to be. If you're a big iPhone or iPad user you'll find it easier to use than many of us. Peruse this forum/community as some users are reporting other issues, like WiFi dropping, etc.

If you have any "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus or VPN apps on your uninstall them according to the developer's instructions before upgrading.

On the plus side, I'm finding that my 2017 27" iMac with 16 GB RAM and an SSD boot drive is noticeably faster and very stable.

MoronX wrote:

No features, just the smallest stuff.

That has been the case for the past few versions.

So again, is it worth upgrading/ am i losing features?

I don't know of any reduction in features. You don't have to upgrade. Eventually, when you buy a new computer, you'll have to upgrade then.

Totally agree! Quite happy with Monterrey right now. I see there are some mail issues, frozen pinwheels, etc., from reviews I've read. I'm just not interested in jumping into a new OS that would detract from the performance of my relatively new MacBook. Perhaps I might upgrade after a few updates, patches, and good reviews come out.

Biggest feature for me is that searching email (in Apple Mail) now works really well. I've seen no mention of this in any of the reviews, but it's a game-changer for me. I switched from Google Mail to Apple Mail early this year and have really missed having an effective email search mechanism (I have a lot of email), until now.

Another under-reported feature is a greatly improved print dialog.

Downsides to upgrading? None that I've encountered so far. (I'm on a M1 Air and M1 Mini, both 8GB). I'm using the final release version of Ventura - I've not been involved in the Beta program.

So if you don't or as in my case can't update to Ventura, then you will loose access to Home App and controlling HomeKit devices from your Mac once you've updated Home to 16.2.

Have to say I'm frustrated that my Mac is no longer compatible with HomeKit, because I can't updated to Ventura (2016 pro not supported)

Why not ask when its released and we have more experience with it. Photos is getting some improvements.

We'll let you know when its released and we have a chance to use it.

👍

That's what I do, and having done it, I can't think of any overwhelmingly compelling reasons to upgrade the moment a macOS version becomes available.