So consider this a guide, not step-by-step instructions. Obviously, your list of important applications will be different from mine. Check all the applications I cared about and upgrade those that needed it: 3 hours.Do a complete Time Machine backup of the system I’m upgrading: 1 hour.I made a point to do this upgrade before starting the update process. Nothing worse than updating your computer only to lose access to all your data. ( UPDATE: The Unimouse drivers went beta on March 29, 2021.) However, I also discovered that my OWC RAIDs also needed a driver upgrade to run on Big Sur. I knew, going in, that my mouse – a Contour Designs’ Unimouse – did not support Big Sur. NOTE: For those that need to run more than one OS, I added a section on creating dual-boot systems at the end.

But, after an afternoon spent testing all my software and upgrading what I needed, I’m back in full operation. It took time, cost money and required updating a lot of other software. But, when you feel the time is right, here’s what I learned. I also know other editors who want to take advantage of the latest in computer hardware and software. I know many professional editors earning a living using FCP 7 on 2010 Mac Pros running OS X 10.6. There is no requirement that you upgrade to Big Sur. Still, now that macOS 11.2 is out, I figured it was about time for me to upgrade. For me, keeping my system running smoothly is more important than running the absolutely latest version of macOS. People pay me to be productive, not discover bugs in software. When it comes to updating the operating system on my main production Mac, I’m a laggard.

Big sur update version