Will a current PS subscription run a version of PS that will be compatible with a late 2015 iMac...

[Lauren5FED]

I have an older friend who needs to update their computer and photoshop to a version that can select sky, and subject, and also save smart objects to open again in raw.

He can afford a late 2015 imac. I want to know definitively if he gets a current photoshop 2024 subscription if it will run on a late 2015 imac, and or will he be able to choose an older version say 2018/19 and run that successfully.

He does not care ab out being able to use ai features.

I have seen youtube and articles talking about how to download and run older versions of PS but I can not determine if this is still viable.

Also, I have looked at the requirements page for PS on adobe site and what is confusing is that adobe says you must have a GPU that suports Metal. But then when you click on the question of does my computer support metal, it takes you to a page that is discussing Metal 3.

So when adobe requirements say minimum requirement is a computer that supports metal, does that mean ANY version of metal? Or does it mean only the most recent version of metal 3?

Also, if he can run PS on a late 2015 imac, what OS does he need to be running that will work?

Again, will only be editing simple photos from a 24 megapixel camera, and is not worried about speed, or ai functionality. And he would not mind using an older version of PS, as long as this is still an option.

I have seenb aerticles from "prodesigntools. com" that supposedly have links to download older PS versions for people who have current PS subscription, but I can not figure out how this works.

Can someone help me figure out if this will work? Is anyone else using a late 2015 or older imac with a current photoshop subscription? Please let me know what my options are.

Thanks you!  : )

[gener7]

He can update to MacOS 12 Monterey but no further.

https://www.macworld.com/article/673697/what-version-of-macos-can-my-mac-run.html

Metal 2 https://support.apple.com/en-us/102894 which is sufficient. Just know Photoshop will drop MacOS 12 support probably in the next version 2025. However I think MacOS 12 is a solid system.

He can also run the latest Photoshop 2024  16GB ram recommended and a AMD graphics card. I'm sure the 2015 imacs have more than my mid 2015 retina Macbook Pro and it runs Ps 2024 just fine.

[Lauren5FED]

Hi thank you for your quick response. When you say PS will drop os12 support, do you simply mean they will no longer make patches etc for it, but it will still continue to run as it has, or do you mean when that day comes PS will no longer function with his OS. Also, will he still be able to just run an older version of PS? such as 2020 etc? thanks for info.  : )

[gener7]

The version you installed will always run. What this means is that you won't be allowed to install any future version of Photoshop that leaves out Monterey. If you can get your work done with 2024, then you can budget for a upgraded system if and when needed.

[Jeff Arola]

Yes the latest Photoshop 2024 version will work if your friend installs macOS Monterey, however, Apple and maybe Adobe will be dropping support for macOS Monterey after the newest macOS, whatever the name, is released this fall, so that's something to keep in mind.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/103260

All iMacs 2012 and newer have Metal compatible graphics, so your good there.

Any version of Metal will work for Photoshop.

Some thoughts on the specs if your friend has choice are to get an SSD drive, preferably at least 1 tb, and 16 gb of ram.

[Lauren5FED]

Hi when you say adobe will be dropping monteray support, do you mean that PS will no longer run at all on monteray, or simply that they wont help troubleshoot, and probide customer support, and fix bugs etc.

And also does this mean only the new 2025 version of PS wont work on monteray? Will he still be able to run an older version? Thanks for info.   : )

[Lumigraphics]

Adobe only supports the current and one previous version of its apps. Older versions are not available and Adobe will not support them, you are on your own.

Judging by the fact that you are asking questions for what seems to be a non-technical friend, I do not adviase trying to make an old computer continue to work after support runs out. This is just a recipe for trouble and a waste of money.

I have older Macs but as a former Apple employee and longtime computer tech, I understand the limitations and workarounds. Do your friend a favor, advise him to get a current computer that he can take to an Apple Store if needed.

Apple has its annual developer conference in less than a week. They typically announce new computers and often have price drops on older models. I'd wait until then and see what is announced. Keep an eye on the refurb store which usually has good deals.

https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac

[Lumigraphics]

He really doesn't want a 2015 Mac. Those are good computers but about to go out of support by both Apple and Adobe. You can run Monterey and current Adobe support depends on the video card. I have a late 2015 15" MacBook Pro w/Radeon card, about the top configuration in that year's models, and it works but my M1 runs circles around it.

Tell him to save his money for an Apple Silicon machine. If he is already buying used then he can find one for not much more than the 2015 model. Look for 16GB of RAM and at least an M1 chip.

[gener7]

I snagged a late model mid-2015 MBP (Oct 2016) with 16 GB ram, a 2 TB SSD and the AMD R9 2 GB card. The refurbed M1 laptops show a 256 GB drive that can't be upgraded and I never want to go back to a desktop setup, so Mac minis are out of the question. I don't think in terms of what runs circles around it, but what is enough for what I do.  I know Adobe will drop Macos 12, but prefer to wait until I get there. No one is depending on me to be up to date. So far Photoshop and Camera Raw are in the loop.

[Lumigraphics]

All of that is fine for you but its not good general advice. I have a 2015 MacBook Pro and an M1 mini- I picked up a pair of 4k wide-gamut LG displays which are far better than even the quite good Retina screen on my MBP. Apple is really accelerating the dropping of older Intel Macs and a 2015 computer already has had a longer support lifespan than most Macs.

Buying that old of a computer today is a waste of money.

[gener7]

 If a 2015 is what they say they can budget for at this time and I have a 2015, then the advice is sufficient.  I try not to advise on hardware I don't own. If they can go with your recommendations, I hope they say so, and thank you for it.

[Conrad C]

A danger to using a Mac that’s on the borderline of dropped support is that it makes it more difficult to avoid and recover from problems. This is a bigger issue for less technical users.

Every year Apple and Adobe drop support for the fourth oldest macOS. That’s because every year Apple rolls out the next major version of macOS, and they only support the last three. You already know that this is why the probable release of macOS 15 this fall is likely to cause Apple to drop support for macOS 12 at that same time, only a few months away.

For macOS 12 users, this means the likely end of any more bug fix updates, and maybe no more security updates either, leaving those Macs more vulnerable to malware.

For Adobe Creative Cloud users, when the last Photoshop version that supports macOS 12 drops off the list of apps you can install using the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app, what that means is that if for any reason their Photoshop installation goes bad, in a way that requires reinstallation…they won’t be able to reinstall it because it simply won’t be in the installer any more.

With all of that in mind, if someone has no choice but to run a Mac that can’t go past macOS 12, the number one thing they need to do is have a practiced disaster plan in place, like being very comfortable with maintaining solid, up-to-date backups, and how to restore everything from a backup if something goes wrong with the computer. I am not sure if restoring Creative Cloud apps from a backup will screw up the licensing check enough to require re-installation. Backups are still no guarantee that a Creative Cloud app will work forever just because it got installed before it disappeared from availability.

A low budget is very understandable but in the end, it’s more practical to try and stretch the budget just enough more to get to a used or refurbished M1 or later Mac, which will be supported for a few more years. Also, the graphics hardware on M1 or later Macs is far superior to any Intel Mac in the budget price range.