iPad Mini 3 + iOS 10 + iTunes 11.4 - compatible?

Question

iPad Mini 3 + iOS 10 + iTunes 11.4 - compatible?

Hi. I'm considering updating my iPad Mini 3 to iOS 10. Before doing so, I wanted to ensure I would not immediately run into compatibility issues with other hardware/software. Here's what's in the mix:

1. iPad Mini 3 (model MH3L2LL/A), currently running iOS 8.3. I just backed up the Mini via iTunes to my old desktop Mac, which is...

2. an old Mac Pro (MacPro4,1) which is running Mac OS X 10.6.8. Yes, it's an old Mac with an old OS (which runs great...I've been waiting for the new replacement to the current Mac Pro "cylinder" model...I'll probably die before Tim releases that, but I digress). For the iPad Mini backups, syncing, etc., I use...

3. iTunes on the Mac 11.4 (18)

My concern: I'm looking to avoid triggering a cascade of required updates (of iTunes and Mac OS) which would dead-end with me being unable to sync the iPad (which would be running iOS 10) because it would require a newer version of iTunes, and/or a newer version of Mac OS.

Checking for updates in iTunes 11.4, it says "This version of iTunes (11.4) is the current version." Presumably that's a half-truth, and it's really just the latest version that will run on Mac OS X 10.6.8 (I'm sure there's a newer version of iTunes). I am not going to update the version of Mac OS X running on the old Mac Pro (I will replace the machine eventually, but not right now).

So, my compatibility question:

Using my existing Mac running Mac OS X (10.6.8) and iTunes (11.4), if I update my iPad Mini 3 to iOS 10, will I still be able to sync, backup, etc. the iPad Mini 3 to my Mac via iTunes?

Hope the above all makes sense.

Thanks for your help.

(wasn't sure which community to put this in - I chose iPad, but could obviously also go in multiple others)

Posted on Sep 14, 2016 6:05 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Skydiver119

Level 9

53,399 points

Sep 14, 2016 6:33 PM in response to longtimemacuser666

You're going to have issues. iOS 10 needs 12.5.1. Updating your iTUnes is mandatory to installing iOS10 (if you install via iTunes)

You could still update, but you won't be able to sync with your mac.

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Answer 2

Sep 14, 2016 6:33 PM in response to Skydiver119

That's what I was afraid of. 😟

So...

iOS 10 requires iTunes 12.5.1
iTunes 12.5.1 requires Mac OS X 10.9.5

(And I assume these are hard requirements, no way around 'em)

all correct?

Running an iPad without any means to sync/backup is a non-starter. Looks like no iOS 10 for me. 😠

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Answer 3

Skydiver119

Level 9

53,399 points

Sep 14, 2016 6:56 PM in response to longtimemacuser666

I don't have a mac but I don't think there's a way around it.

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Answer 4

MichelPM

Level 10

80,958 points

Sep 15, 2016 8:47 AM in response to longtimemacuser666

Your Mac Pro 4,1 CAN upgrade to the free OS X 10.11.6 El Capitán.

You could do what I do and install El Capitán onto a fast FW800 connected external hard drive.

Boot up to the external drive containing El Capitán.

Update iTunes, copy your current iTunes library to this new external drive, hold the option key as you launch iTunes to select the new location of your iTunes library, then you can connect your iPad Mini 3 to your computer and backup and update your iPad Mini to the latest iOS 10.

You can boot back to your OS X Snow Leopard drive afterward back to your regular, normal workflow.

With an external hard drive, you should partition it and create more than one partition so you can backup your entire Snow Leopard system and create a bootable backup of your Snow Leopard system using data cloning software like Bombich Software's CarbonCopyCloner OR Shirt Pocket's SuperDuper.

You now have both a bootable Snow Leopard backup and a bootable version of OS X El Capitán to use to sync, backup and update your more recent iPad Mini 3.

I have 4 external FireWire 800 hard drives with multiple bootable versions of OS X 10.6.8, 10.8.5, 10.9.5 and 10.10.11.5 with updated iTunes versions with copies of my iTunes libraries to be able to sync and backup my iDevices to latest iTunes and to do iOS updates.

My regular working OS X versions are 10.6.8 Snow Leopard and, since this past January, OS X 10.8.5 Mountain Lion.

Good Luck!

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Answer 5

Sep 15, 2016 9:09 AM in response to MichelPM

Yeah, I know. I actually have plenty of internal and external FW drives (man, this old Mac Pro Cheese Grater was the best computer Apple ever designed, so easy to customize and work with...sigh 😢). My primary boot system is 10.6.8 Snow Leopard running on one of 4 internal 1 TB drives. I do have 10.10.3 Yosemite on another internal 1 TB drive (plus at least 4 external FW 2-4 TB drives, too). I installed Yosemite on one of the internal drives about a year and a half ago, immediately hated the UX so much, I fought with it for a couple days but found it so annoying I just wanted to go back to 10.6.8, so I tried to simply switch back to boot off that drive...I recall it was then a huge struggle to get it to recognize the 10.6.8 Snow Leopard boot drive (as I recall, vaguely, using the old standard "Startup Disk" panel was no longer an option, and I had to go find the original Mac OS CD that came with the computer 6 years ago and boot off that...). After much hassle, I was eventually able to get it to boot off the Snow Leopard drive again, and have left it there since. Since my last visit to the "Startup Disk" Prefs panel and pointing it to boot off Yosemite was so traumatic that I almost went out and bought a Windows box, I'm pretty leery of asking the machine to reboot off that 10.10.3 Yosemite drive again. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but the last experience on this machine with Yosemite was miserable.

I'm really not looking for a major project to soak up the next few days, I was just thinking about updating my iPad Mini to iOS 10. Maybe when I have a weekend to throw away. I'll need to first figure out how to reasonably switch between startup disks...last time that was painful.

But thanks for the suggestions. Good luck with your Mac Pro - these machines are awesome and should run for a hundred years (which is why I'm sure Apple will never release another computer like it - more profit in selling watch bands...).

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Answer 6

MichelPM

Level 10

80,958 points

Sep 15, 2016 9:21 AM in response to longtimemacuser666

I use a late, 27 inch screen iMac, not a Mac Pro.

You shouldn't be having any issues booting between different OS X versions.

I do it seemlessly with no issues once or twice a day.

Did you ever run the firmware update that available at some point for your Mac Pro?

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL989?viewlocale=en_US

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Answer 7

Sep 15, 2016 12:34 PM in response to MichelPM

Seamless is definitely what I'm looking for. Last time I went down this path, it was anything but seamless.

If I can easily, reliably, and safely switch and boot into multiple systems on separate drives (this is what I've always been used to, for many years, before my last encounter with Yosemite) while preserving my trusty old Snow Leopard boot drive as an undamaged and available option, then I'd be OK (maybe even happy) with running El Capitán on one of them, if only to maintain reasonable connectivity/backups with my iPad. I've certainly got the drives and space available to do all of this.

I don't recall if I ever did the firmware update - I will take a look on a day when I can afford to fiddle with things.

Thanks for your help - it's appreciated!

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