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blue sky Author

Level 1

10 points

iPhone 4 is not working with my PowerBook OS X 10.4.11.

The message says, "The iPhone "iphone" cannot be used because it requires OS X 10.5.8 or later."
Is there a way to make working with my old OS X 10.4.11?
I plan to buy new MacBook pro but not ready to buy it right now. Please help if there are solutions without upgrades. It's so different without working with my old PowerBook.
Thanks in advance for help!

1) PowerBook G4/15"/1.67ghz/1.5gb/, Mac OS X (10.4.11), 2) PowerBook G3/Pismo/500mhz/Mac OS X(10.4)

Posted on Jul 24, 2010 7:39 PM

29 replies

Tramble

Level 1

7 points

Jul 25, 2010 7:14 AM in response to blue sky

I spent a full day (wasted the day) trying to sync the new iPhone 4. (Despite the warning when I tried to sync the new one to OS 4.1.1, kept trying. Even saw the "Intel" word in the requirements for the iPhone 4!) The old G3 iPhone works fine with my current OS. Trying to use a small Dell Mini Windows computer to download iTunes was another waste of time. (HATE Windows anything; very last ditch effort to sync the phone!)

Totally stymied why Apple would put out a new phone and NOT have the sellers of the phone (ATT & T stores) or Apple Stores without informing the customer about the hardware and needed OS for syncing the new phone, BEFORE completing the sale. Best decision at the end of the day: Return the iPhone 4 (saleman assured me there would be no restocking charge).

Tamara

Level 6

13,738 points

Jul 25, 2010 7:24 AM in response to StevenB4

You don't need a new computer. The Pbook G4 can be updated to 10.5 (Leopard).

daddave2

Level 1

129 points

Jul 25, 2010 7:46 AM in response to Tramble

You just need to do your research before you buy. You shouldn't blame others for failing in your due diligence.

Tamara

Level 6

13,738 points

Jul 25, 2010 7:49 AM in response to Tramble

It's not up to the sales person to be your mother. It's up to you to look at the box or ask what the system requirements are.

pberk

Level 2

321 points

Jul 25, 2010 7:50 AM in response to blue sky

Here are the requirements for OS X 10.5

http://support.apple.com/kb/SP517

It can be installed on the following:

General requirements
Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor
512MB of memory
DVD drive for installation
9GB of available disk space

I have it installed on an older laptop - no issues...

I believe you must install iTunes 9.2 as well...(which is probably why you need 10.5.8, as I don't bleieve iTunes 9.2 wil linstall on anything earlier

pberk

Level 2

321 points

Jul 25, 2010 7:59 AM in response to Tramble

Tramble wrote:

Totally stymied why Apple would put out a new phone and NOT have the sellers of the phone (ATT & T stores) or Apple Stores without informing the customer about the hardware and needed OS for syncing the new phone, BEFORE completing the sale.

The specs were all over the place on Apple's site -you just didn't bother to read them....

As far as ATT goes, you can use an iPhone 4 without on their network without even owning a computer....(ATT doesn't support the sync-ing features, only th network features... Apple supports the syncing features)

Of course if your computer din't meet the requirements, n you couldn't sync your computer info to the phone via USB (though you can probably sync via wi-fi +Mobile Me and get your info onto the phone). You could put apps on the phone directly from the iPhone's app store app and you would also have to go into ATT (or use a friend's computer) for updates etc. But the phone is perfectly usable even if you don't own a computer.

blue sky Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 25, 2010 9:37 AM in response to Tramble

OP: I was also disappointed with the fact I couldn't work or access all the data with my old OS X 10.4.11. But, it was my mistake to not check system requirement. I mostly do, but I wasn't serious. Maybe because I thought it's just phone.
If you want to keep your computer, you can upgrade OS to 10.5. But the problem is the price. I checked the price at Amazon, and the used one price is starting from 195. At ebay, there are lower price but not quite sure.
For me, I will decide within a few days. Return the new iPhone 4 or buy my new MacBook Pro a little bit earlier than I planned. I can return iPhone 4 without any problem (I checked the return policy already with Apple customer representative). But I like to keep iPhone 4. And I planned to buy a new computer.
If you don't want to waste more time on new iPhone unless upgrade OS or computer, it might be a good idea to give up new iPhone (return). Until you upgrade OS or computer. As other people mentioned already, there are more options to work with new iPhone, too.

Message was edited by: blue sky

pberk

Level 2

321 points

Jul 25, 2010 10:00 AM in response to blue sky

blue sky wrote:

. But the problem is the price. I checked the price at Amazon, and the used one price is starting from 195. At ebay, there are lower price but not quite sure.

Only $50 at amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Mac-OS-Version-10-5-6-Leopard/dp/B000FK88JK

blue sky Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 25, 2010 10:04 AM in response to pberk

Could you check the price of $50 again? I can't find it. Thanks.

pberk

Level 2

321 points

Jul 25, 2010 10:50 AM in response to blue sky

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=MacOS10.5&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=14847706000372057226&ei=pG1MTNnSC4L78AaCsPQy&sa= X&oi=productcatalogresult&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDkQ8wIwAw#ps-sellers

I googled it - and came up with this link on amazon (don't know what happened the first time I pasted the link)...

crh24

Level 3

930 points

Jul 25, 2010 12:25 PM in response to blue sky

blue sky wrote:
I searched the price at Amazon and ebay. Now I'm not sure if I can afford to pay those available prices.

I'm not sure of your location but if you have a Mac club in your area the members can often be a resource in locating upgrades.

Jul 25, 2010 12:48 PM in response to blue sky

I would look around on the internet about upgrades and so on, copys of mac OSX are only 60ish bux, buy one then find out how to install it on unsupported processor.

tomjtx

Level 1

5 points

Jul 25, 2010 12:54 PM in response to blue sky

I think you will be very happy if you buy the MacBook Pro.

It is a tremendous machine and you can keep current for a long time and keep your new IP4.

pberk

Level 2

321 points

Jul 25, 2010 1:18 PM in response to Legionofone

Legionofone wrote:
I would look around on the internet about upgrades and so on, copys of mac OSX are only 60ish bux, buy one then find out how to install it on unsupported processor.

the G4 chip IS supported with 10.5

iPhone 4 is not working with my PowerBook OS X 10.4.11.