I’m about to make a leap from Sierra (Mac) to either Mojave or Catalina. This means updating various other components and also the MacPro 5,1 video card.
My question is, is there a clear preference in respect of performance for Dorico – any known issues with either OS?
Thanks for any reassurance.
I would recommend updating to Catalina if possible. Future versions of Dorico may well require macOS 10.15 Catalina or later, as the Qt framework upon which Dorico depends is itself moving to requiring macOS 10.15 Catalina as its minimum version in its next major version. Dorico 3.5 will run just as well on both Mojave and Catalina, but for future versions of Dorico, you will very likely need to be running Catalina or the forthcoming macOS 11 Big Sur.
You can only go up to Mojave on a Mac Pro 5,1 unless if you want to use OpenCore. I have a 6-core and replaced the video card and went to Mojave. I can’t go to Catalina without messing up my system. I also am using older audio hardware in my recording studio that uses 32 bit drivers with no chance of an update. So it’s the end of the road though the machine is working brilliantly. Daniel, any chance of keeping Mojave in the Dorico update path? Otherwise, it’s a problem. Especially with Apple moving to silicon Macs. I really don’t want to drop 6-8K on a new Intel Mac Pro system right now!!!
Dorico is based on Qt but dos not own it; so you’ll probably find Dorico’s hands are tied on this one.
A 2018 Mac Mini has more processing power than an old cheesegrater Mac Pro, except the 12-cores. The new Mac Pros are really only for TV studios and very hardcore work, and all that power you’ve paid for won’t get used doing audio work.
Though you’d be better off waiting for the new Silicon Macs, rather than buying a new Intel one now.
Owning a computer is like gardening: it’s never finished, needs constant maintenance, and you get to enjoy everything for one week in the summer. 
Sadly its Apple’s policy with Mac Pro’s that is forcing me off the platform, the only workflow I still use it for is music on a 2013 cylinder, and in the near future I’ll go PC as I’m making the transition to Cubase now. Derrek I feel for you, I have two 2012 pro’s that are just for incidental work, I’ve given up on them after 25+ years.
A 2018 Mac Mini has more processing power than an old cheesegrater Mac Pro, except the 12-cores. The new Mac Pros are really only for TV studios and very hardcore work, and that power just isn’t needed for audio work.
There’s a lot more to it than just CPU. All the macs except a few top end ones (that cost $4k-6k just to look at) use laptop grade memory, busses, GPU’s and so forth. They refuse to use NVIDIA so all of our art work has to be PC. For audio you need lots of storage options, and due to a variety of factors a mini is not equivalent to even an old pro.
Unless you live within the narrow use case Apple defines you’re out of luck.
There is an Apple announcement scheduled for tomorrow (11/10) which some expect to have info on the new Mac(s).
@redtidemusic, I work on a new Alienware PC. The comment about Qt was a response to hammerman’s concern.
New Macs = ARM, bah … my day job is on ARM for an embedded platform so I know the proc intimately, if nothing else this is the nail in the coffin for leaving Apple.
@derrek - I know, didn’t think I was responding to you 
I run a recording studio and have a very complicarted system with lots of PCI cards and I do video work as well. A Mac mini will not cut it at all. I know what my needs are and I’m waiting for the Apple Silicon Mac Pros. It may be a year or two. Supposedly they are working on a smaller version of the Pro. Hopefully it will be expandable. It never ends LOL!
Which will be the perspectives for Dorico in the schools, if D4 only runs starting from Catalina? Wouldn’t this cut out a lot of (still valid) computers in the schools?
Paolo
AFAIK all Mojave capable macs are also able to run Catalina. On the other hand, not all Catalina-capable macs are able to run Big Sur.
However, if those computers need to run Mojave, for instance, for compatibility with legacy 32-bit software, that’s another story.
EDIT: Except for old Mac Pros. I didn’t know, sorry!
Most Macs going back to 2012 can run Catalina. (Excluding all ‘cheesegrater’ Mac Pros.)
For what it’s worth, I’m running an early 2009 Mac Pro here with Catalina – seems quite happy. However, I did have to change the video card to a Radeon RX580 and make a tweak to the EFI partition.
With the announcement of Dorico 4, maybe there is a definitive answer about the minimum OS requirement on the Mac?
You know, I have to know if I have to have a happy or depressing evening…
Paolo
I really dislike Catalina, which I had on a laptop. As a result my wife’s iMac, which I also use, is staying on Mojave. If you want to read what people think do a search for “is catalina as bad as vista”. If it wasn’t for the fact that my wife really likes Macs and I have so much Mac specific software I would have gone over to a PC years ago. Big Sur is good, except Catalina is the latest OS our late 2013 iMac can run.
If past is a good predictor, each release of Dorico has traditionally claimed to support only the current OS at the time, although it frequently works okay on slightly earlier OS versions. That, at least, is my recollection.
It very much appears that the minimum version of macOS on which Dorico 4 will run will be macOS 10.14 Mojave.
Big Sur or Monterey instead. They have almost the same level of software compatibility requirements comparing to Catalina.
Catalina is incomplete, especially if you are using your intel Mac with eGPU.
If this can be confirmed, it is really great news. This would save people still relying on some 32-bit software for still some time.
Thank you very much for your effort even on this matter!
Paolo
Really good news! My Mac can run Catalina, but I really prefer (for the moment) keep using Mojave. Thanks Daniel for the info.