MBA 1,1-6,2 Repurposing MBAir 2011 11-inch - Sonoma or something else?

[ozone]

My institution has recently implemented new cyber security rules and basically all computers need to run the latest Windows or Mac OS systems or else you can't access the major websites and systems. But there are now increased concerns when traveling, etc. especially if you cross borders. So, the (strong) advice is to basically carry just what you need and no more. I have an MBAir M1 - and it's great - but it's my daily driver and I rather not lose it. When I travel, I basically just need email, PowerPoint, web, and maybe just some basic office productivity. The problem is everything at the office has moved to Office 365 and Microsoft systems and if you need the latest OS to just connect remotely, well, then you just can't bring an older, cheap laptop with an outdated OS in case the worst happens and your gear is stolen/confiscated. And other than the smaller, specialty laptops from GPD, all the "travel" laptops seem to be getting bigger and bigger.

I was thinking of trying to install Sonoma on my old MBAir 11" from 2011 (4GB Ram) so that I have a current OS to access what I need when travelling, but not worry about sacrificing it in worst case scenarios. Except I've been reading some mixed comments on how well it runs, maybe some overheating, it's only got 4 GB ram, etc. So, I'm thinking whether I might be better off with just trying Chrome Flex or Linux Mint on it. They might not have the OS my institution wants, but web access should be reasonably secure and more up-to-date given most current browsers won't run on the old MBAir 11.

Any thoughts about this scenario? Is Sonoma worth it, or not worth the potential frustration?

 

[dictoresno]

I just installed Monterey 12.6.3 using OCLP on a 2008 Unibody Macbook with 6GB RAM and it's running smooth. I didn an OTA 12.7.4 security update from a few days ago if you want to try that. seems quick and stable and up to date.

 

[ozone]

I just installed Monterey 12.6.3 using OCLP on a 2008 Unibody Macbook with 6GB RAM and it's running smooth. I didn an OTA 12.7.4 security update from a few days ago if you want to try that. seems quick and stable and up to date.

It did occur to me that I could upgrade to a higher OS but not Sonoma. Not sure which one is the best alternative. (I see Mojave is popular on Reddit, but my institution likes Chrome OS for much of the web access, and I need Catalina to run the current Chrome browser.)

 

[Wowfunhappy]

If the issue is just that you need the latest Chrome, look at https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/chromium-legacy-google-chrome-for-os-x-10-7-10-9.2283612/.

 

[B S Magnet]

It did occur to me that I could upgrade to a higher OS but not Sonoma. Not sure which one is the best alternative. (I see Mojave is popular on Reddit, but my institution likes Chrome OS for much of the web access, and I need Catalina to run the current Chrome browser.)

For now, and for the sake of doing a test drive with one of Apple’s current “trinity” of supported OSes, start with an OCLP-patched Monterey.

Additionally, as the post-10.x macOS builds go, folks have generally reported OK experiences with Monterey, as paotched with OCLP — especially after Monterey’s final update. Ventura had some teething problems, and Sonoma, at present (14.4), is having some bigger problems, even on Apple-supported Macs, which they have yet to roll out a minor-version update.