Software Updates Status
I know, I know. That little red circle telling you there is an update to your software is SCREAMING at you. You have to press the button and update. Trust me, I get it.
However, if you are a photographer who 100% relies upon your computer and your software for your business to function - a photographer who simply can't have any bumps in the road - resist that urge. Let us "settlers" who will push that button as soon as Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft provide updates take those arrows (if there are any) .
I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that you have updated your software as soon as updates are available and have NEVER had a problem. You are lucky and you didn't even know it. Software is so complicated these days and the testing the software companies is doing frequently ends up not being enough.
I hear from photographers almost every single day who tell me that they have heard me share this advice and thought it wouldn't happen to them and then share very sad stories about how an update killed their productivity and made them miss expectations with clients.
I don't want that to be you. Below is information where I maintain my recommendation on when photographers should update their software. My educated opinion comes from my own testing, testing from other "settlers", and watching the support forums. When an update seems to be having very few issues and is ready for general use it gets my Photo Taco "🌮Seal of Approval🌮".
Legend
Status
Definition
Skip
Don't install this release, install the newer update that fixes the issues of this one.
Wait
Based on my own testing, the testing of others I follow, and/or what I am seeing the support forums the release is not ready for general use and photographers would be wise to hold out. EVERY new update gets this status for at least 2 weeks following a release.
Caution
Looks pretty clear in general but photographers who simply CANNOT AFFORD any downtime should hold off.
🌮Seal of Approval🌮
Good to go! Doesn't mean you are guaranteed to not have problems, that simply can never happen, but it should be pretty safe for every photography to update.
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Last Updated: 08/29/2020
Version
Release Date
Status
Seal of Approval*The catalog is upgraded with this version so you can't go back to the previous version unless you want to restore your catalog and lose any work done under the new version
Adobe Photoshop
Last Updated: 08/29/2020
Version
Release Date
Status
2020 (21.0.3)
January 2020
🌮Seal of Approval🌮
2020 (21.0.2)
December 2019
Caution
2020 (21.0.1)
November 2019
Skip
CC 2019 (20.0.7)
October 2018
🌮Seal of Approval🌮
*21.2.2 is very close to earning the Seal of Approval, just watching a few more bugs in the Adobe forums
Apple macOS
Last Updated: 08/29/2020
Version
Release Date
Status
Catalina (10.15.2)
December 2019
SKIP
Catalina (10.15.1)
October 2019
SKIP
Mojave (10.14.6)
September 2019
🌮Seal of Approval🌮
*You will want to check all of the creative software and drivers for your peripherals to make sure the manufacturer has provided Catalina supported updates. If you use Time Machine you do not want to install Catalina yet as there are wide spread reports of problems with Time Machine and Catalina. Also be cautious on this update if you shoot tethered. Most have said 10.15.3 has fixed the tethering for them but this has been a big issue with Catalina. 10.15.4 has had numerous reports of issues with external drives and crashing and there is no mention of a fix addressing this problem in 10.15.5 or 10.15.6.
