The purpose of creating a backup is most often to have a recent save point you can reboot from. When you backup your Mac, you're making a compressed version of your entire operating system. When you use Time Machine, it keeps what's called an 'image' of your Mac, which is what a backup really is. When it's time to back your Mac up, Apple has an official method dubbed Time Machine. When you want to upgrade macOS, keep in mind the latest version of macOS is only available for these models:
Note: To see how much available storage space you have, follow the two step process above, then 'Storage' tab at the top of the window. These are important to know, as upgrading to the latest version of macOS – macOS 12 Monterey – requires 26 GB of storage if you are upgrading from macOS Sierra or newer, and up to 44 GB of storage available on your Mac if you are upgrading from an older macOS. This will tell you what year your Mac was made, the version of macOS or OS X you're currently on, the computer's RAM (Memory), processor, and which graphics card your Mac has. To see what specs your Mac has, follow these steps:
Check the General Requirements (and Hardware)
