After using macOS Catalina for a week, Erik Eckel shares the problems he encountered with the version.
Image: Apple Inc.
Some versions of OS are better than others. macOS Catalina? I don’t think the introduction of the operating system is Apple’s best time. Let me explain why.
In fact, I started to have problems even before the release of Catalina, version 10.15 of macOS, on October 7, 2019. Apple first prepared iOS 13, which I conscientiously loaded when it was released on 24 September 2019. Subsequently, for two weeks, I was presented with recurring errors in which critical notes and reminders, updated on various iPads and iPhones, could not synchronize with my main Mac. The confusion and frustration resulted, impacting and interrupting daily production, as no practical solution was available until macOS Catalina hit the streets. If I had known that the problem would arise, I would have waited to update my iPhones and iPad.
SEE: Top 20 Apple keyboard shortcuts for business users (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
Problems with installing macOS Catalina
Even installing macOS Catalina has proven problematic. Sufficiently experienced to recognize that you should never interrupt an operating system installation or a macOS update in progress, or reset a Mac by installing a new version, I had to do just that.
After looking at the Configure your Mac screen and looking at the corresponding configuration cursor image for hours, I was forced to research the experiences of others with the same problem. I immediately discovered that I was not alone. Many users complained online of the same problem, the only easily identifiable way being to interrupt the installation by pressing and holding the Mac’s power button. Fortunately, macOS installation continued after that, but there were anxious moments wondering if I was going to have to recover all of my data from a local Time Machine backup.
Once macOS Catalina was installed, I assumed that the problems with the new operating system were over. I was wrong.
Problems after installing macOS Catalina
If my Mac was the dashboard of a car, the equivalent of several warning and engine check alarms displayed at startup. The Apple ID, iCloud and associated features have generated alerts. Previously validated services, such as a remote desktop connectivity application, have aggressively and repeatedly generated popups of failure. I had to spend time going through the security settings in System Preferences and reactivating the behavior of these applications, even if these applications had already been configured before.
Then I turned my attention to Mac and Apple passwords. The Apple ID window appeared several times, requiring a new connection, which, when finished, kept reappearing. Frustrating. I expect better from Apple. These problems were reminiscent of similar experiences so often associated with Windows, the very same ones that prompted me, years ago, to switch to using a Mac as a daily production platform.
In the end, I traced the Apple ID, iCloud and local computer connection errors to the need to replace my already complex passwords with new entries. Changing all passwords, both local and cloud-based, was the only solution I found to work.
SEE: macOS Catalina: avoid my mistake and wait before upgrading (ZDNet)
Once these problems were resolved, I encountered more problems. The photos no longer synchronized and, as a result, new images were missing. After a lot of testing and troubleshooting, the only solution I found worked was to log out of iCloud completely and log in again, a process that literally took days for photo and file downloads to complete. finish.
I also found that Apple Pay and associated credit cards no longer work on my Mac. After several attempts, in which I only received a harmless error message that the action failed because the security configuration of the Mac changed, I discovered that the solution was simply to open the cover of my Mac while reactivating the functionality. Please note, the cover did not need to be opened for facial identification or fingerprint authorization; the cover just had to be opened.
Meanwhile, on the deadline to complete a Windows-specific task, I found that my VMware Fusion 11 virtual machine was no longer working. It is a frustrating discovery to make at midnight in the evening before leaving the city. Although it was not Apple’s fault, the problem was due to incompatibility of macOS Catalina with previously installed software that worked perfectly before installing the macOS upgrade. After a free upgrade from VMware to Fusion version 11.5, I was back in business, but the overall process was anything but smooth.
The essential
Apple has a long history of elegant operating system upgrades. But as these problems indicate – most of which have all been confirmed to be widespread – macOS Catalina did not quite live up to these typical standards. Hopefully future versions will be more refined.
