Installing Adobe Creative Suite onMacBok Pro

[Johnnyx66]

I hope you guys can help me - I am a real technophobe so please bear with me and respond as if I am 5 years old! I am a designer -I work on an iMac - the OS is Sierra version 10.12.6. I mainly use InDesign, but also Illustrator, Photoshop and Acrobat (all CC 2019, 14.0.3). I have just acquired a MacBook Pro to use when I am away/visiting family, etc. The OS on this is Catalina (10.15.7). I want to download the same versions of the Adobe suite on to this so that I have no problem with opening/working on files on either machine. So, when I try to install InDesign the oldest version showing under 'other versions' is 15.1.3. If I install this on the MacBook, will I have any problems with working on files across the two machines? What I need here is a solution on how to have compatible versions of the Adobe Creative suite on both machines. What's the best route? I am really stumped. I feel very stupid not knowing how to proceed so any guidance will be hugely welcome. Thanks in advance.

[Test Screen Name]

You are right to be concerned.

1. You are quite right that you are only offered the current version, and one older version.

2. EVEN if Adobe offered older versions it wouldn't help. Catalina won't run the same old apps you are using on Sierrra.

3. You can't run the latest apps on your old High system.

4. YES, there will be significant issues with some apps. In particular InDesign. Once edited in the new version, you WILL NOT be able to open InDesign files in the old version.

Mixing system and app versions is troublesome even for experts. 

[Johnnyx66]

Thank you. Is there no solution to this? Do you think I can upgrade the OS on my iMac to match the MacBook, so that I could then install a newer version of Indesign on the iMac? I don't know how to do this but if that is a solution I can try to work it out.

[Test Screen Name]

If you tell us the exact model of your iMac (something like "iMac 27 inch late 2016") and how much memory (RAM) it has, we could at least tell you whether upgrading is possible. (Though not whether it's the best thing to do).

[Johnnyx66]

It is iMac (Retina 5k, 27-inch, Late 2015)

Memory 16GB

The MacBook is:
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)

Memory 16GB

Thank you.

[Test Screen Name]

Thanks, I am pretty sure that your iMac (a nice machine, and newer than mine) is entirely capable of running Catalina. It may well make your life easier if you run the same systems on your iMac and your MacBook Pro. BUT, here is the dire warning: WHEN YOU UPGRADE TO CATALINA ALL YOUR OLD APPS MIGHT STOP WORKING. Apple change a lot, and it's a big deal, especially when you've skipped many upgrades.

I would approach it this way

1. Look into all the apps I run and check which of them are guaranteed to work with Catalina. And I mean all apps, not just the big ones.

2. Finish setting up the Macbook Pro and get all your apps running there. This will give you confidence, let you deal with the changes in Catalina and mean you have to sort out all the apps. ALSO, if the iMac is out of commission while you mess around with it, you have a good computer to go on!

3. Only now look at a Catalina upgrade. If, indeed, you can get one. Apple will push you onto Big Sur, the system after Catalina...

Good luck!