Keep your Mac up to date, even when official support stops

One of the most important things you can do with your Mac is keep it up to date, and for current versions of macOS and Mac apps that’s usually straightforward: just ensure automatic software updates are available for both your operating system and your apps, and you’re good to go. But things become more complex with older software, such as operating systems that Apple no longer supports or apps that the developer doesn’t. In some cases, you can find an alternative to now–defunct apps, but what if you need to access files made in an app that Apple no longer lets you run?

Apple locked out 32–bit apps in macOS 10.15 (Catalina), but you can still run them in emulators such as Parallels, VirtualBox or Retroactive (https://bit.ly/3qX125S). That last one’s particularly great for creative types who need to open files from apps such as Logic Pro 9, iPhoto, or Aperture on modern Macs.

If you really want to kick it old school, you can emulate old Macs on modern ones via Mini vMac (www.gryphel.com), which emulates a Mac Plus, or emulate other PowerPC Macs in SheepShaver (https:// sheepshaver.cebix.net) or QEMU (www. qemu.org). As for the old apps, you can get them from the Macintosh Repository (https://macintoshrepository.org).