I can't wait to get rid of Catalina, its the worst (2024)

This has been the absolute worst OS I've run on an Apple machine in a long time. Mojave worked so well for me and I rarely had issues and because of a work situation I was forced to update my iMac and I absolutely hate it. The list of problems are seemingly endless.

Examples:

Purchased movies no longer have artwork. I can't add artwork to them and if I delete then redownload the movie, still no artwork. Apple these are movies I bought from you you morons, how could you screw up something so simple as the artwork?

Homesharing constantly disconnects on my Apple TV. This never happened once on Mojave but now every single time we are watching something from my iMac Library out of no where it will disconnect and say "No iTunes Library found." I have to quit, go back, open the movie back up. Ridiculous.

Messages sucks. It worked seemlessly with Mojave and it blows on Catalina. I'll open messages and there will be several missing. I have to quit, reopen, and then they appear. This happens constantly and its awful. I've signed out, signed back in, and nothing fixes it. Its not an issue with my iMac because my wife has a MacBook Pro that I started fresh on Catalina and it has the exact same issues.

I find the overall user experience extremely poor here. There are many other examples that I hate about this OS and the above are just a few examples.

AustinIllini said:

I'm strongly considering the Big Sur public beta on my iMac because Catalina is so terrible

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I know, I've considered it to. I don't like the thought of using a beta on machine I depend on for work or I'd do it in a second.

Donnation said:

I know, I've considered it to. I don't like the thought of using a beta on machine I depend on for work or I'd do it in a second.

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Yeah, my iMac is not really my primary Mac. My MacBook Pro is my primary.

Donnation said:

I know, I've considered it to. I don't like the thought of using a beta on machine I depend on for work or I'd do it in a second.

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well you're already on macOS Vista Beta so going to another beta will at the very least be the same.

deuk1219 said:

I placed an order last week for a 7,1 and forgot to add a Magic Trackpad to the configuration... I tried messaging Apple through iMessage business chat and they basically told me I can cancel the order and place a new one with the Magic Trackpad but that means I would get the order delivered to me a week after than originally anticipated...

Has anyone tried contacting Apple for replacement/special orders of the Mac Pro-exclusive accessories? It's been half a year since release and it doesn't look like they'll be adding the new color options to the Apple Store anytime soon, especially with COVID-19 still looming around...

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macnicol said:

It has become painfully obvious that the Apple Mac OS software development staff is undisciplined and does not have any experienced software engineering management oversight. Updates are released that have not be thoroughly regression tested with updates breaking current functionality. There seems to be no Requirements and Configuration Control processes. New features added that drastically deviate from the GUI and common sense useability of past OS functions. Fundamental features are changed or dropped without any apparent regard for the impact on the user community who have invested MILLIONS of man-hours learning and how to use these capabilities. This is not the way a $2 BILLION company should manage its fundamental product.

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Apple hasn't been a $2 billion company in a while!!

TrevorR90 said:

Apple hasn't been a $2 billion company in a while!!

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lol yeah - didn't it just hit $2 trillion today?

Donnation said:

This has been the absolute worst OS I've run on an Apple machine in a long time....The list of problems are seemingly endless....I find the overall user experience extremely poor here.

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I strongly agree with you.
Windows ain’t any better these days, and Mojave also had its share of annoying and persistent bugs and flaws.
But no Apple OS I ever used was in such a sorrowful state as Catalina, in my opinion it never ever left beta status and just shouldn’t be used in a productive environment, as it generates many more problems than it helps to solve.

Seeing the insane number of new features that were announced for Big Sur, and combining that with the fact that a lot of effort will have to be spent on the welcome but also demanding shift towards Apple Silicon, I do not see any realistic chance for Big Sur to become any better at all.
I’m afraid we will just see Bugalina being succeeded by Bug Sur...without any chance for stability and reliability for years. Seriously considering leaving the comfortable ecosystem and switching to a rock-solid Linux Notebook...maybe Ubuntu...

TheGeneralist said:

I strongly agree with you.
Windows ain’t any better these days, and Mojave also had its share of annoying and persistent bugs and flaws.
But no Apple OS I ever used was in such a sorrowful state as Catalina, in my opinion it never ever left beta status and just shouldn’t be used in a productive environment, as it generates many more problems than it helps to solve.

Seeing the insane number of new features that were announced for Big Sur, and combining that with the fact that a lot of effort will have to be spent on the welcome but also demanding shift towards Apple Silicon, I do not see any realistic chance for Big Sur to become any better at all.
I’m afraid we will just see Bugalina being succeeded by Bug Sur...without any chance for stability and reliability for years. Seriously considering leaving the comfortable ecosystem and switching to a rock-solid Linux Notebook...maybe Ubuntu...

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I myself never had an issue with Mojave. Catalina, High Sierra, and Mavericks were all bad. Mojave, Yosemite, and Mountain Lion were rock solid in my experience.

Catalina has been a hot mess. Firing up the Big Sur beta on my MBP has been good so far, a bit slow but my MBP is from 2015 and showing its age. I have a good feeling Big Sur will not disappoint. None of the even-numbered macOS releases has.

but...but... Macs supposed to "it just works"!

Wasn't this was supposed to be the year where they concentrate on debugging software instead if adding features? Its even worse that Apple nags you to update and won't support any OS older than 3 years.

This is the exact reason Apple enthusiasits hate in Tim Cook. People guage his success with money brought in, but Mac fans want their "working" and "simple" to use computers and software. Apple used to have 1 button mice just so not to confuse the user. That was reflected with the single home button on iphone in the opposite of multi keys on other phones.

TheGeneralist said:

I strongly agree with you.
Windows ain’t any better these days, and Mojave also had its share of annoying and persistent bugs and flaws.
But no Apple OS I ever used was in such a sorrowful state as Catalina, in my opinion it never ever left beta status and just shouldn’t be used in a productive environment, as it generates many more problems than it helps to solve.

Seeing the insane number of new features that were announced for Big Sur, and combining that with the fact that a lot of effort will have to be spent on the welcome but also demanding shift towards Apple Silicon, I do not see any realistic chance for Big Sur to become any better at all.
I’m afraid we will just see Bugalina being succeeded by Bug Sur...without any chance for stability and reliability for years. Seriously considering leaving the comfortable ecosystem and switching to a rock-solid Linux Notebook...maybe Ubuntu...

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While I agree with you, Linux is made by programmers for programmers. If you want to use it as a "chrome os" just browser and few apps its fine but when you get down to the nitty and gritty you start seeing stuff like sda1 and hieroglyphic commands. Linux community are hostile, they have no problem to tell you to write your own driver if an accessory doesn't work and they are waiting for you to ask a question to reply "RTFL!!!!!!"

Also the lack of apps...my god...
I used Gimp once, I still suffer from PTSD

KoolAid-Drink said:

I myself never had an issue with Mojave. Catalina, High Sierra, and Mavericks were all bad. Mojave, Yosemite, and Mountain Lion were rock solid in my experience.

Catalina has been a hot mess. Firing up the Big Sur beta on my MBP has been good so far, a bit slow but my MBP is from 2015 and showing its age. I have a good feeling Big Sur will not disappoint. None of the even-numbered macOS releases has.

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whats wrong with high sierra?

macdos said:

As if Big Sour will be any better… it is just an incremental version of Catalina, so the spiral downwards will continue.

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Totally agree. It’s actually worse in terms of usability and UX.

I have tried so many times installing and reinstalling with Catalina. Has some ok things, but...it has been a complete disappointment. It is too buggy for any professional work if you rely on it for your income.

Mojave was stable, but from the last security update caused instability. Why? We need a stable OS that still loads on pre-2019-2020 systems.

or...are you making people have to buy into your silicone Macs...if so...

loby said:

I have tried so many times installing and reinstalling with Catalina. Has some ok things, but...it has been a complete disappointment. It is too buggy for any professional work if you rely on it for your income.

Mojave was stable, but from the last security update caused instability. Why? We need a stable OS that still loads on pre-2019-2020 systems.

or...are you making people have to buy into your silicone Macs...if so...

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Its interesting that we dont have any of these issues with ipad os. Very stable and quick.
My 2019 MBP 16” on the other hand is a fireball of heat after 5 minutes of use, is loud and no way as fast at it should be. Is intel all to blame or is it a nice tactic by apple to show us all the amazing merits of AS and how good it is, by gimping MacOS Catalina and the Hardware.

shadyman said:

I extremely regret updating to 10.15.7! My MB is permanently running "hot", annoying lags. I utterly hate my MB lately ?

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that’s what mine is like too and I hate mine. Over it.

richinaus said:

Its interesting that we dont have any of these issues with ipad os. Very stable and quick.
My 2019 MBP 16” on the other hand is a fireball of heat after 5 minutes of use, is loud and no way as fast at it should be. Is intel all to blame or is it a nice tactic by apple to show us all the amazing merits of AS and how good it is, by gimping MacOS Catalina and the Hardware.

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What's "interesting" about that is that the Mac has been getting sloppy seconds from iOS for years now, on both the hardware and software side. It's infuriating. The blame can't be laid all at the feet of Intel either.

tommiy said:

I've put off getting a new MAC and looking for a solid windows replacement. While windows definitely has issues and bugs they generally do not continue for over a year without being addressed. Feedback forms, tickets etc just seemingly achieve no response these days and its just ignored. Needing to replace my MAC but unfortunetly for the first time in memory it will not be a MAC. At one point I was going to trade in but its simply not worth the issues that you inherit when you want a machine that just works.

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Yep - just about to order a HP laptop for the first time in about 15 years. I dipped my toe with a PC build recently and the reality is it has been super fast, never crashed and has made me more productive.