The next Mac operating system, OS X 10.7 “Lion”, is scheduled to be released this month. “When should I upgrade?” is the hot question for users of FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server.
The short answer: We strongly recommend waiting to upgrade to Lion. There are known issues and potential problem points, regardless of your current version of FileMaker. For our clients whose solutions we host, we will conduct solution-specific tests before giving the green light on upgrading. Please delay upgrading until we have completed our internal testing.
One major change with Lion is that the compatibility software “Rosetta” will no longer be part of the Mac operating system. This means applications that are non-Intel compatible — such as Quicken, Microsoft Office 2004 and FileMaker version 8 or earlier — will not function on Lion. Even FileMaker Pro 11v3, the current version, will require a patch to be fully compatible with Lion. And if you use any third-party plug-ins (such as SuperContainer), each of those should be verified as compliant before you upgrade to Lion.
For users with older FileMaker installations, now is an excellent time to consider upgrading your FileMaker software. For advice for your specific situation, please contact our office at 800.946.5433 or support@savvydata.com.
FileMaker Inc. is committed to staying current and compliant, so we expect to see a patch shortly after Lion’s release. Until then, however, please keep this critter caged.
With kind regards,
Lee Lukehart
Chief Data Visualist