Rice University Office of Information Technology (OIT) does not recommend upgrading to macOS Sierra 10.12

OIT has identified some compatibility issues when running macOS Sierra.  Some applications and plug-ins do not run or are unstable on macOS Sierra. As a result, Rice OIT does not recommend upgrading to macOS Sierra at this time. 

Some applications with compatibility issues:

• Microsoft Office 2011 – Microsoft does not make a recommendation.
• Microsoft Office 2016 – Microsoft does not recommend; reports of instability.
• MacTeX 2016  – Requires a patch if installed prior to October 6, 2016.
• MatLab R2013b or earlier – Need to modify locale; compatibility issues; and no patch releases
• MatLab R2014a through R2016a  – requires a patch
• MatLab2016b – requires a patch if installed prior to October 6, 2016
• Mathematica – compatibility issues with versions prior to Mathematica 11.0.1
• Parallels Desktop 11 and 12 - require a patch; earlier versions are not supported.

Apple issues macOS Sierra 10.12.1 update [October 24, 2016]

The 1.25 GB update includes several bug fixes and improvements.

If you have any additional questions regarding Sierra, we recommend that you consult with your Division Representative by opening a Help Desk ticket.