DON’T PULL THE TRIGGER ON INSTALLING MACOS 10.12 SIERRA UNTIL YOU READ THIS:

                       Just say no... at least for a few days. 
                       Just say no… at least for a few days. 

macOS 10.12 Sierra comes out tomorrow; please don’t install it until you read this:

Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves (Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves Episode 187 for The Mac Observer)

Or, if you can’t read the whole thing (it’s only a few hundred words) for whatever reason, here’s the thrilling conclusion:

If you like to live dangerously, go ahead and install Sierra and iOS 10 the minute they come out. I will, but remember, I’m a trained professional. So, before you do something you might regret, I’d like to remind you one more time that it’s never as easy to downgrade as it was to upgrade and if you want to regress to a previous version after an upgrade you’ll have to erase the device, reinstall the previous version of the OS, and then restore your data from a backup. Not fun.

The bottom line is that when macOS Sierra 10.12.0 and iOS 10.0 finally arrive next month, wait for the first bug-fix update before you pull the trigger. My father used to tell me, “better safe than sorry,” and when it comes to point zero releases, I’m pretty sure he’s right.

Just say “no.”

This may be the best productivity advice I’ll give you all year—DON’T INSTALL SIERRA TOMORROW! While it’s not likely, do you have time for this if your upgrade goes bad???  

Like I said, it’s not likely… but it could happen.

One last thing: You might want to read my column on beta testing operating systems: Dr. Mac’s Guide to Apple Public Betas  (Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves Episode 183 for The Mac Observer). 

Why? Well, if you install tomorrow’s release, you’re basically installing a beta OS… So here’s the bottom line: Installing Sierra tomorrow will probably be fine for most users… but if it’s not fine, do you have time to deal with it tomorrow?

Ask yourself this: Do I absolutely, positively have to have Sierra tomorrow?  

I thought not.

So, wait until Saturday or for the inevitable 10.12.1 release. You won’t be sorry.

Author: Bob Levitus
Bob LeVitus, often referred to as “Dr. Mac,” is a well-known authority on all things Macintosh, OS X, and Apple devices including the iPad and iPhone. One of the Apple community’s most trusted advisors for almost thirty years, he’s known for his trademark humorous style and unerring ability to translate “techie” jargon into usable and fun advice for regular folks. He's written more than 80 books including macOS Sierra For Dummies, iPhone For Dummies, and iPad For Dummies. And, for the past 20 years, he's written the Dr. Mac column for the Houston Chronicle (which he still does). He's also been writing for The Mac Observer for almost as long (he still does that, too). Bob has been published in more than a dozen computer magazines over the past thirty years including: a three-year stint as Editor-in-Chief of the irreverent and unpredictable MACazine and four different columns in MacUser magazine: Beating the System, Personal Best, Game Room, and the Help Folder (with Andy Ihnatko, and later, Chris Breen). Though best known for writing, he’s also dabbled in broadcasting with a radio show (Inside Mac Radio, CNET Radio, 2001-2002) and hosted a popular television series (Mac Today, Syndicated, 1992–1993). Another of Bob’s loves is teaching, which he's been doing at University of Texas Informal Classes for over a decade, with well-loved courses including, iPhone for Smart People, Making Music with GarageBand, and soon, Working Smarter for Mac Users. Always in-demand as a speaker, Bob has presented more than 200 seminars, workshops, conferences, and training sessions in the U.S. and abroad, and given Macworld Expo keynotes in three countries, He's also done presentations at countless Apple Stores, and at least three world-famous Geek Cruises. Last but not least, Bob won the Macworld Expo MacJeopardy World Championship three times before retiring his crown. He did not, however, return the Rocket J. Squirrel Memorial Cup, which is still displayed prominently in his office. Prior to giving in to his obsessions with Apple technology and productivity, Bob worked in advertising, producing television commercials, radio spots, and print ads for Kresser & Robbins and SelecTV, in Los Angeles. Bob holds a B.S. in Marketing from California State University and lives in beautiful (and over-crowded) Austin, Texas with his beautiful wife, Lisa, and Zeke the Wonder Vizsla, with occasional visits from now-adult children Allison and Jacob.