What versions can't access the App Store anymore? I've tried Catalina recently, and that still worked fine, but it only stopped getting security updates in 2022, so it's only been a few years.
Also, I've barely ever used the OSX/MacOS app store anyway, and from what little I've heard from other people, it's not really all that great nor popular a place to get your software from.
There's a problem with older Macbooks on older MacOS/factory reset where they can't access the App Store, so they can't directly download newer MacOS, you gotta go sidecar it
Of course this is completely opaque to people who have to do this, it just ends up prompting you to login and things like that.
I think newer MacOS avoids this stuff by not having OS updates be linked to the App Store
Yeah, I just had to re-pave an M1 MBP with Monterey. That was an adventure. Got the installer. Ran through part one, "This is no longer supported, click here to run in reduced security mode, or cancel the install?" Reduced security mode. "The installation of reduced security mode failed." Cool.
My journey to figure it out found me a Monterey IPSW image. Try to install it via DFU and a second Mac. "Nah, you can't do that, I won't even let you try."
ChatGPT hinted that I needed to do it from a similar vintage OS. "Even an Intel Mac running Ventura could work for this." As luck would have it, my partner still had her old MBP Core i5 running Ventura!
Alright, install Apple Configurator on the Ventura Mac.
"Nah. You need a Mac running 15.7 to install Apple Configurator."
Chicken and egg.
I mean, this OS (Monterey) only came out FOUR YEARS AGO. Ventura was three.
I got lucky with a Reddit post where someone asked for and got a zip file of an old version of Configurator.
I was then able to DFU re-image the M1 Mac with Monterey.
(Why do I need Monterey on it? Because someone else abandoned their software.)
So this Kafkaesque process to even get a four year old OS on a four year old Mac laptop means we shouldn't just be slobberingly praising Apple.
(I realize you, personally, weren't. Just when you said 10.12, I got flashbacks.)
Also, I've barely ever used the OSX/MacOS app store anyway, and from what little I've heard from other people, it's not really all that great nor popular a place to get your software from.