It shares symptoms with its similarly-monikered cousin, but is caused by almost the exact opposite issue – a lack of stimulation or challenge from your job.
Which Mac operating system is the best is a topic of numerous debates among Apple fans.
Since the mission of this blog is to refute myths and legends around Macs, it's time for me to provide my 2 cents about the issue on hand. While everything below is just my opinion, as a long-time Mac user and veteran software engineer, I hope my opinion worth something.
The best Mac OS version is the one that your Mac is eligible to upgrade to. In 2021 it is macOS Big Sur. However, for users that need to run 32-bit apps on Mac, the best macOS is Mojave. Also, older Macs would benefit if upgraded at least to macOS Sierra for which Apple still releases security patches.
Mac 911 By Macworld Staff Jun 29, 2005 5:00 pm PDT. Purchase a single broadband connection at your place of residence and share it around using Mac OS X's built-in Internet sharing. The successor to Raspbian 95, Raspbian XP, and other themed Pi operating systems, Twister OS is based on Raspberry Pi OS and features the Xfce desktop environment. A selection of desktop themes, inspired by Windows and Mac operating systems, are preinstalled. So, you'll find Windows 95, XP, Vista, and 7 themes, along with the Mac-inspired. Wem zu langweilig ist, der wird krank! Das behaupten zwei Marketing erfahrene Unternehmensberater, die diese Krankheit das Boreout Syndrom nennen.
How to Tell Which macOS You Are Running
To find out which macOS is currently running on your Mac, follow these steps:
- Click on Apple logo in the top left corner of the menubar
- In the dropdown click on the first item: About This Mac
- The first line in the Overview tab is the name of the current OS.
What Version of OS Can My Mac Run?
Not all Macs can be upgraded to the latest OS version. For instance, old Macs powered by PowerPC CPUs cannot run OS intended for Intel-based computers. Also, some versions have hardware limitations.
For instance, Mojave cannot be installed on MacBook Pro earlier than Mid 2012 model.
Check below to know exactly what version of OS your Mac can run.
Which OS is Best for my Mac
Anytime someone asks me which OS is best for them I always suggested going with the latest. Things have changed recently, however.
Should I Upgrade to macOS Catalina or Big Sur?
While personally I like macOS Big Sur and have it installed on my MacBook Pro, it comes with serious breaking changes.
The first issue is compatibility.
Big Sur is a transition OS which is designed to help Apple to move from Intel processors to their own chips on ARM.
After I installed Big Sur on my MacBook Pro mid 2020 (pre-Silicon), most of my apps, including Microsoft Office, were working as expected.
However, my VMWare Fusion 11 does not start anymore, so I have to purchase a new license if I want to keep using it (or roll back to Catalina). Luckily, I took a full backup before the upgrade.
The second breaking issue is the lack of 32-bit app support.
macOS Catalina and Big Sur can only run 64-bit apps.
If you wondering whether you should upgrade to macOS Catalina or Big Sur, first verify that you don't have any 32-bit apps. But first, take a back up, so you can go back in case something breaks after the upgrade.
For instance, I had to remove uTorrent after upgrade. And I didn't know that uTorrent is 32-bit!
How to Know If App is 32-bit or 64-bit
To find out whether the app on your Mac is 32-bit or 64-bit follow these steps:
- Click on Apple logo in the top left corner of the Mac screen
- Click on About This Mac option
- Click on System Report button in Overview tab (first one)
- Scroll down to Software -> Applications
- Find the app and check Kind
Which macOS Should I Use
If you have an older Mac which is not eligible to upgrade with some latest software or hardware, I'd suggest upgrading at least to Sierra (or better High Sierra) for the following reasons:
- Sierra is still supported by Apple, and it gets security updates
- APFS file system is available
- It supports Siri
- Significant security improvements
The most important point when choosing the best OS is the ability to get security updates. While Apple generally does not announce the OS end of life dates, it is possible to know when they stop releasing security updates from this page.
For instance, according to the page, the last security update for OS X Yosemite was released on September 12, 2017. The last update for OS X El Capitan was in July 2018, and Carnegie Mellon University confirmed that El Capitan's end of life date was August 2018.
Snow Leopard Myth
I know that some users on forums believe that the best OS version for Macs was Snow Leopard. But that is a myth. And I know how such myths get created.
Once I worked in the company, which was selling a 20-year old product. And customers were still using and didn't want to switch to new versions, because the old one was rock solid.
I then talked to the engineer who worked on the project, and he revealed that the product was a total disaster when it was first deployed. Engineers had to work on-site for almost a year in order to fix all bugs.
After five or so years of polishing the product, it becomes virtually bug-free, and nobody now remembers how bad it was when it was first rolled out. A similar thing happened Snow Leopard, and it was recognized as best mac os version after some time.
How to Update to the Latest Version
There are two ways to update to the latest OS version on Mac:
- From the Software Update section in System Preferences
- Use a download link
Using Software Update
This is by far the best option, but it only available if you have Yosemite, or later OS installed already. If you enabled automatic updates, then Mac will inform you that the next macOS is available.
Just open System Preferences, go to Software Update and click on the Upgrade Now button.
Boreout Mac Os X
This method is also best if wondering how to check if you have the latest version of OS installed on your Mac. Only the version compatible with your hardware will appear here.
For instance, my the latest version for Mac Mini 2012 is Mojave, I can't install anything newer than that.
If you are having problems with updates or having issues post-upgrade check my post about troubleshooting macOS.
Using download links
For older systems or in case you need to downgrade, you have to download a standalone installer in DMG format. DMG stands for disk image, similar to ISO, just different formats.
After downloading the installer, just double click on it and follow instructions. Again, do not forget to take a backup before the upgrade.
Mac OS Comparisons: Requirements, Features, Compatibility, Download Links
Following is a high-level description of all Mac operating systems as early as Mountain Lion.
You can refer to those descriptions when deciding which operating system is best for your iMac, Mac Pro, Mac mini, or MacBook.
With each OS description, I included a list of Macs supported. However, you can use Mac OS compatibility checker for more detailed information.
macOS 11 Big Sur
macOS v11 (codename Big Sur) is the latest version of the operating system for Apple computers.
Release date: October 13, 2020
Hardware Requirements: RAM requirement 4GB. Big Sur is the first OS to support new Macs using ARM technology (in the future).
Features
- The biggest design refresh since macOS X.
- Support for new ARM processors.
- Safar improved performance and power consumption.
- Time Machine supports backup to APFS volumes.
- One-click translation for 7 languages.
- Redesigned maps
Software Compatibility Issues
Only 64-bit apps are allowed to run on Big Sur.
How to install
There are two ways to install Big Sur: enable automatic updates in System Preferences or download by using the following link.
Or check my post with tips on installing macOS on unsupported devices.
List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Big Sur
- MacBook (2015 and later)
- MacBook Air (2013 and later)
- MacBook Pro (2013 and later)
- Mac mini (2014 and later)
- iMac models (2014 and later)
- iMac Pro (2017 and later)
- Mac Pro (2013 and later)
macOS 10.15 Catalina
Release date: October 7, 2019
Hardware Requirements: RAM requirement increased from 2GB to 4GB.
Features
- Introduced Sidecar, which allows for Macs to use an iPad as an external display.
- iTunes was replaced by separate apps: Music, Podcasts, and TV.
- Find My Mac and Find My Friends have merged into one app.
Software Compatibility Issues
macOS Catalina is the first Mac operating system that does not support 32-bit applications. Only 64-bit apps are allowed to run on Catalina.
How to install
There are two ways to install Catalina: enable automatic updates in System Preferences or download by using the following link.
List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Catalina
- MacBook (Early 2015 or later)
- MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or later)
- MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or later)
- Mac mini (Late 2012 or later)
- iMac models (Late 2012 or later)
- iMac Pro (All models)
- Mac Pro (Late 2013)
macOS 10.14 Mojave
Release date: September 24, 2018
Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 18.5GB free space on disk
Features
- The main feature of Mojave is 'Dark Mode'
- FaceTime adds group feature which allows chatting with up to 32 people
- News, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Home apps were ported from iOS to Mac.
How to install
Boreout Mac Os Download
If your Mac is eligible to update to Mojave, then the easiest way to install it is by enabling automatic updates. Downloading a standalone Mojave installer could be a little tricky.
List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Mojave
- MacBook (Early 2015 or later)
- MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or later)
- MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or later)
- Mac mini (Late 2012 or later)
- iMac (Late 2012 or later)
- iMac Pro (All models)
- Mac Pro (Late 2013 and 2010-2012 models with upgraded GPU)
macOS 10.13 High Sierra
Release date: September 25, 2017
Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 14.3GB free space on disk
Features
- APFS (Apple File System) becomes the default file system in High Sierra. It's a significant upgrade from the older HFS+ in terms of speed, size, and security
- iCloud support of Messages which allows sync messages of the account across multiple devices
- Mail app uses 35% less storage space due to optimizations
List of Apple computers compatible with macOS High Sierra
- MacBook (Late 2009 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
- MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
- Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
- iMac (Late 2009 or newer)
- Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
How to install
Here is a High Sierra download link.
macOS 10.12 Sierra
This is the first macOS version. Previous OS versions for Macs were called OS X (X stands for 10).
Release date: September 20, 2016
Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk
Features
- Siri was introduced to Macs
- Optimized storage with iCloud sync
- Auto-lock feature allows unlocking MacBook with paired Apple Watch
- APFS preview available
- Disk Utility can manage RAID sets again
- Significant security improvements
How to install
Here is a Sierra download link.
List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Sierra
- MacBook (Late 2009 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
- MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
- Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
- iMac (Late 2009 or newer)
- Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
OS X 10.11 El Capitan
Last OS X version.
Release date: September 30, 2015
Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk
Features
- System Integrity Protection – a security feature that protects even when the root user executes the process
- Performance improvements: open PDF files four times faster, Mail is twice faster, launching apps 40% faster
- Notes app similar to the app in iOS
Macs compatible with OS X El Capitan
same as OS Mountain Lion.
How to install
Here is El Capitan download link.
OS X 10.10 Yosemite
Release date: October 16, 2014
Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk
Macs compatible with OS X Yosemite
Same as OS Mountain Lion.
Features
- Major user design overhaul
- Introduction of Handoff and Continuity features
- Photos app replaced iPhoto and Aperture
How to install
Here is Yosemite download link.
OS X 10.9 Mavericks
First free Mac OS. Previous OS versions vary from $19.99 to $129.
Release date: October 22, 2013
Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk
Features
- Compressed Memory feature automatically compresses inactive apps when approaching maximum memory capacity
- Timer coalescing is a feature that reduces CPU usage by up to 72 percent
- App Nap puts apps that are not currently visible to sleep
Macs compatible with OS X Mavericks
Same as OS Mountain Lion.
How to install
OS X Mavericks installer is not available on Apple Site. Follow instructions here to install Mavericks.
OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
Must be purchased. Fixed many bugs introduced in OS X Lion.
Release date: July 25, 2012
System Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk
Features
- New apps: Notification Center, Notes, Messages, Game Center
- AirPlay mirroring allowed to mirror Mac screen to Apple TV
- Application updates automatically install from the App Store
List of Apple computers compatible with OS X Mountain Lion
- iMac (Mid-2007 or newer)
- MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
- MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
- Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
- Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
- Xserve (Early 2009)
How to install
Mountain Lion installer is not available on Apple Site. Follow instructions here to install OS X Mountain Lion.
List of older Mac OS Versions
Following Mac OS versions are still running on older Macs, but Apple does not support them anymore, and there is no point to upgrade (or downgrade) to them:
- OS X 10.7 Lion
- OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
- Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
- Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
- Mac OS X 10.3 Panther
- Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar
- Mac OS X 10.1 Puma
- Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah
Boredom boreout syndrome is a psychological disorder that causes physical illness, mainly caused by mental underload at the workplace due to lack of either adequate quantitative or qualitative workload. One reason for bore-out could be that the initial job description does not match the actual work.[1]
This theory was first expounded in 2007 in Diagnose Boreout, a book by Peter Werder and Philippe Rothlin, two Swiss business consultants.[2]
Symptoms and consequences[edit]
Symptoms of the bore-out syndrome are described by the Frankfurt psychotherapist Wolfgang Merkle as similar to the burnout syndrome. These include depression, drive and insomnia, but also tinnitus, susceptibility to infection, stomach upset, headache and dizziness.[1][3][4]
The consequences of boreout for employees are numerous both psychologically and physically and more or less serious. On the psychological level, boredom, dissatisfaction, and permanent frustration gradually lead the victim of a boreout into a vicious circle. They gradually lose the will to act at the professional level and at the personal level. To the loss of self-esteem is added the constant anxiety of being discovered. The boreout victim lives with the constant fear that their supervisor, colleagues, or friends will discover their inactivity and duplicity. The confrontation with and enduring the unsatisfactory situation leads to further stress that paralyzes and strains.[5] Being constantly confronted with the emptiness of their professional life and their uselessness in society, the employee is in great pain. The suffering all the more accentuated because it cannot be shared and if it is, is not understood. This is also the reason that this syndrome is relatively unknown:
This has to do with the fact that everyone prefers to have disorders that are socially considered. Someone who says, 'I have so much to do, my God, the job is banging up at work', is much more respected than someone who says he's bored, has no responsibilities, and that's what gets him done. Everyone says: 'I want to trade with you, that's great!
– Interview: Wolfgang Merkle Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung, 2010 [6]
This can lead to serious mental disorders such as personality destruction or even depression or suicide. Boreout is also a trigger for physical diseases such as certain types of epilepsy caused by stress or exhaustion, severe sleep disorders, hand and voice tremors, shingles, and ulcers.
On the physical side, according to the British 'Bored to death' study, employees who are bored at work are two to three times more likely to be victims of cardiovascular events than those whose employment is stimulating. The permanent anxiety in which the employee lives exhausts him physically. Fatigue is constant despite physical inactivity. Boreout can lead to eating disorders such as untimely nibbling or loss of appetite. Some people may use alcohol or drugs to overcome their discomfort and thus develop a harmful addiction.
In 2018, the internation company Interparfums was ordered to pay the sum of 50,000 euros to Frederic DESNARD (France) to the labor court for 'no dismissal' resulting from 'the existence of moral harassment' with a 'practice of sidelining'
Elements[edit]
According to Peter Werder and Philippe Rothlin,[7] the absence of meaningful tasks, rather than the presence of stress, is many workers' chief problem. Boreout consists of three elements: boredom, lack of challenge, and lack of interest. These authors disagree with the common perceptions that a demotivated employee is lazy; instead, they claim that the employee has lost interest in work tasks. Those suffering from boreout are 'dissatisfied with their professional situation' in that they are frustrated at being prevented, by institutional mechanisms or obstacles as opposed to by their own lack of aptitude, from fulfilling their potential (as by using their skills, knowledge, and abilities to contribute to their company's development) and/or from receiving official recognition for their efforts.
The authors suggest that the reason for researchers' and employers' overlooking the magnitude of boreout-related problems is that they are underreported because revealing them exposes a worker to the risk of social stigma and adverse economic effects. (By the same token, many managers and co-workers consider an employee's level of workplace stress to be indicative of that employee's status in the workplace.)
There are several reasons boreout might occur. The authors note that boreout is unlikely to occur in many non-office jobs where the employee must focus on finishing a specific task (e.g., a surgeon) or helping people in need (e.g., a childcare worker or nanny). In terms of group processes, it may well be that the boss or certain forceful or ambitious individuals with the team take all the interesting work leaving only a little of the most boring tasks for the others. Alternatively, the structure of the organization may simply promote this inefficiency. Of course, few if any employees (even among those who would prefer to leave) want to be fired or laid off, so the vast majority are unwilling and unlikely to call attention to the dispensable nature of their role.
As such, even if an employee has very little work to do or would only expect to be given qualitative inadequate work, they give the appearance of 'looking busy' (e.g., ensuring that a work-related document is open on one's computer, covering one's desk with file folders, and carrying briefcases (whether empty or loaded) from work to one's home and vice versa).
Coping strategies[edit]
The symptoms of boreout lead employees to adopt coping or work-avoidance strategies that create the appearance that they are already under stress, suggesting to management both that they are heavily 'in demand' as workers and that they should not be given additional work: 'The boreout sufferer's aim is to look busy, to not be given any new work by the boss and, certainly, not to lose the job.'[7]
Boreout strategies include:
- Stretching work strategy: This involves drawing out tasks so they take much longer than necessary. For example, if an employee's sole assignment during a work week is a report that takes three work days, the employee will 'stretch' this three days of work over the entire work week. Stretching strategies vary from employee to employee. Some employees may do the entire report in the first three days, and then spend the remaining days surfing the Internet, planning their holiday, browsing online shopping websites, sending personal e-mails, and so on (all the while ensuring that their workstation is filled with the evidence of 'hard work', by having work documents ready to be switched-to on the screen). Alternatively, some employees may 'stretch' the work over the entire work week by breaking up the process with a number of pauses to send personal e-mails, go outside for a cigarette, get a coffee, chat with friends in other parts of the company, or even go to the washroom for a 10-minute nap.
- Pseudo-commitment strategy: The pretence of commitment to the job by attending work and sitting at the desk, sometimes after work hours. As well, demotivated employees may stay at their desks to eat their lunch to give the impression that they are working through the lunch hour; in fact, they may be sending personal e-mails or reading online articles unrelated to work. An employee who spends the afternoon on personal phone calls may learn how to mask this by sounding serious and professional during their responses, to give the impression that it is a work-related call. For example, if a bureaucrat is chatting with a friend to set up a dinner date, when the friend suggests a time, the bureaucrat can respond that 'we can probably fit that meeting time in.'
Consequences for Employee[edit]
Consequences of boreout for employees include dissatisfaction, fatigue as well as ennui and low self-esteem. The paradox of boreout is that despite hating the situation, employees feel unable to ask for more challenging tasks, to raise the situation with superiors or even look for a new job. The authors do, however, propose a solution: first, one must analyse one's personal job situation, then look for a solution within the company and finally if that does not help, look for a new job. If all else fails, turning to friends, family, or other co-workers for support can be extremely beneficial until any of the previously listed options become viable.
Consequences for Business[edit]
According to Prammer, boreout can also have a variety of effects on businesses:[8]
- Whereabouts of dissatisfied employees, who do not work because they have internally terminated, cost the company money.
- If employees actively quit internally, they can damage the operation by demonstrating their ability to mentally restore the employment contract.
- The qualification of the employee is not recognized (the company can not use its potential).
- The qualified employee changes jobs (and takes his experience), which can endanger entire business locations.
- As long as a recession continues, the affected employee remains in the company and leaves the company at the appropriate opportunity. In-house, a problem of distribution of work orders arises.
- Tabooing causes real problems to go undetected.
- Whole generations of employees are lost (because they have no opportunity to fully realize their potential).
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abUchtmann. 'Wenn der Job langweilt, bis der Arzt kommt'. welt.de. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^Prammer, Elisabeth (2013). Boreout - Biografien der Unterforderung und Langeweile : eine soziologische Analyse. Springer Fachmedien. p. 137. ISBN978-3-658-00502-3.
- ^'Boreout-Syndrom Wenn Unterforderung im Job krank macht'. ksta.de. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^'Bore-Out : Krank vor Langeweile'. zeit.de. dpa. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^Prammer, Elisabeth (2013). Boreout - Biografien der Unterforderung und Langeweile : eine soziologische Analyse. Springer Fachmedien. p. 120. ISBN978-3-658-00502-3.
- ^Fritzen, Florentine. 'Bore-Out-Syndrom – 'Langeweile ist kein schickes Leiden''. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
- ^ abA new phenomenon at work: Boreout!
- ^Prammer, Elisabeth (2013). Boreout - Biografien der Unterforderung und Langeweile : eine soziologische Analyse. Springer Fachmedien. p. 10. ISBN978-3-658-00502-3.
Further reading[edit]
- Boreout! Overcoming workplace demotivation. Peter Werder and Philippe Rothlin, (English edition) Kogan Page, October 2008.
- The Living Dead: Switched Off, Zoned Out – The Shocking Truth About Office Life. David Bolchover, Capstone, September 2005.
- City Slackers: Workers of the world you are wasting your time. Steve McKevitt, Cyan Books, April 2006.
- Bullshit Jobs: A Theory. David Graeber, May 2018
External links[edit]
- Wasted Time At Work Costing Companies Billions Salary.com
- No-Nonsense Answers and Advice 75 things you can do when you are bored.
