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My daughter-in-law said she is updating to Big Sur because it's not just in beta anymore. Is this true? If so, why didn't it automatically update on my Mac? I looked at the App store, and the only updates mentioned are apps I already have but not the OS version itself. How does that work? Thanks.

Big Sur is presumably ready for release to the public, but it hasn't been released yet, Rita.

The beta testers are running it at this point, but nobody else yet.

Update: It's been released. You may awaken to it's having already been installed.

Big Sur appeared in my Software Update last night, along with a Security Update for Mojave (my current OS). It's a 12.18 Gb download!

It just turned up in mine. It wasn't there when I responded to Rita 3 hours ago. (I've also got a Safari 14.0.1 update.)

I was a bit surprised that I am no longer offered an update to Catalina.

Same here...only an update to Big Sur in the top part of the Software Update panel.

I haven't been behind the OS in a while, but doesn't Apple traditionally want us to be up to date, i.e. offer only the latest version in Software Update while leaving earlier versions still available from the App Store?

Yep, it hasn't been installed but it asked if I wanted to install updates. I assumed it was my other app as usual so I said install later. Then I checked updates under About this Mac and it was there. It doesn't usually ask I don't think, but maybe it does. It certainly didn't do it automatically.

I had to go looking for it, but it was there this a.m. I expected it to be more automatic.

Since I'm new at automatic updating, I thought it automatically did it. I think it did with the last Catalina update if memory serves (which is doesn't always.) 😔

I think you're right. So, a whole OS and seven updates passed me by. I suppose this one will pass me by, as well, unless I suddenly need a new M1 Mac.

I'll guess that auto-upDATE doesn't extend to new versions of macOS, which are upGRADES.

It's not a given that users who want to be up to date within one OS version also want to go on to the next version immediately.

Well, I guess that's a good thing. Do you have Big Sur? Do you like it? Any big glitches?

My last two issue with Big Sur were fixed in the MacOS 11.0.1 release candidate 2. Now I am just waiting for my new Mac mini with Apple's M1 SoC inside to try it in its native environment.

Do you think I should wait a little while? I'm not in the mood for glitches. My Message app is already acting up with people's text responses above my questions!

I'm not upgrading just yet, because Audio Hijack, which is one of my critical apps, has got only initial Big Sur compatibility.

On the bright side, though, I was pleased as punch to learn that Canon, which I've never considered to be terribly Mac friendly, has issued a Big Sur compatible driver for my imageCLASS LBP6000 printer (which shows as "Out Of Stock" on their website, but which, according to Amazon, was discontinued several months ago).

I never upgrade to a new OS until it has had at least one, and preferably two, updates. I always check to see that my critical apps will work before upgrading.

Given that I don't tend to hold onto old apps or old versions of apps, other than expected utilities such as TechTool Pro, OnyX, and SoftRAID, the vast majority of my 199 apps were compatible with Big Sur from the Get Go and the rest have been updated to be Big Sur (and Apple CoS) compatible already. (I did find a few I didn't remember or know what then do/did and therefore deleted, but unsurprisingly those have not been missed.) I The choice of when to take the step is, of course, entirely up to you but assuming your apps are up-to-date I would anticipate no issues. If you have elderly versions of Microsoft Office or Adobe suite you have been coddling along for years then all bets are off on whether or not they will run.

OK. Hope it works with my Brother laser printer. I didn't even think about that.

OK, good idea. The more bugs worked out the better.

Thanks. Being the chicken that I am, I will take Jon's advice and wait for a couple of updates so that some of the kinks can be worked out. I wonder if I will be notified of the updates since I wasn't notified that Big Sur was ready to go. How would I keep track in a timely fashion?

https://roaringapps.com is updated regularly, so you should check occasionally if a favorite app is not listed or the data are incomplete.

My Brother MFC-J4710JW multifunction inkjet drivers work fine, but I would be sure you have the latest driver versions from here.

OK

OK. I'm not having problems with Catalina and my printer, but I will do this is Big Sur causes me a problem. Thanks.