Can I install Snow Leopard on the new Mac Mini

Parallels hasn't been updated yet, won't let me install Snow Leopard. Bummer I picked the wrong one should have gone VMware.

"Just don`t upgrade to 10.7"

My new Mac came with Lion, I had no choice!

So now I have three "SnowLeopards" and a fast "Lion".

The i7 mobile processor of the MacMini works also in a Macbook pro, which was introduced with SnowLeopard (so there should be drivers for the Mini too).

It's fine, if Apple is state of the art.

But at the moment, I think Apple only looks at the masses: iPads, iPhones and Windows-Switchers.

But not for professionals: iMacs are glossy, the Cinema Display is glossy, xServes are discontinued, there are rumours, the MacPro will be discontinued.

I'm an old costumer who had to change often and had to pay for new Hardware and new Software:

From Serial to USB,

SCSI to Firewire,

MacOS 7-9 to Mac OS 10.1-4 on PPC with Classic,

Mac OS 10.1-4 on PPC to MacOS 10.4-6 on Intel (with Rosetta)

But I got better Systems (Hard+Software)!

After some month experience with Lion, it's the first System which I don't want to use!

I got better Hardware but a worse System!

This is kind of off-topic, but my issue with backwards compatibility is that I've got 80 or so macs, and they are all on a rotation for upgrade. The last set of upgrades I did was to replace four G4 minis (yes, G4 minis, from 2004) that were running 10.5.8 with four 2010 minis. We got approval back in May, but we knew that the 2010 model was ripe for replacement, and we were waiting on the new hardware. Then we realized that if 10.7 came out before the new mini we were going to be screwed because we probably couldn't run snow leopard on them. So we quick called up MacMall and got 4 of the 2.4GHZ minis (macmall only had seven left.)

Ok, so here's where I'm at... In 2015 I'm going to want to update these machines, which by then are going to be running 10.8 or 10.9 or 10.12 or whatever is current then. But management is going to be saying "but those machines are only 4 years old!" And remember, we paid $849 apiece for those machines, more than the much better machine that came out a few weeks later costs. Knowing apple's history, there is a good chance that those machines won't run whatever is the current OS in 2015, so we will be struggling and behind. (I can see it now -- "system minimum -- i5 or i7 processor") In 2015 we will have machines that are 5-yr-old technology -- fully depreciated -- but still have a year of depreciation left on them because we only bought them four years before.

I've got a dozen editors' imacs that need to be replaced in the spring, and I'm pretty sure that mediaspan will have their whole content management system updated to run on CS5 and 10.7, but I sure wouldn't be surprised if they are late. And then we are going to be screwed again -- we get to choose between waiting to buy until mediaspan gets their act together, or buying old hardware that will be obsolete before we've finished depreciating it. If we wait, then we bump up against the next group needing updates, and then if they end up all getting updated together, then somebody is going to get delayed this time, and/or at the next upgrade point we are screwed again because then we have this giant bunch that needs updating all at once again and management won't go for it.

I'm really in an unhappy place here... The xserve is gone and 10.7 server is a broken mess, so we're probably going to have to buy all of our future servers as some flavor of linux or unix. If we were to have a department add a staff member or a machine go belly-up not-repairable, we would probably have to buy an old machine on ebay for that desktop, because we simply can't buy a working-software-plus-new-hardware system today that runs our stuff.

This are really other dimensions,

but you're right:

It'stupid to change well working systems, only because Apple has other plans!

As long as Apple is the only manufacturer for Computers with MacOS, Apple should regard its old Custumers who made this brand survive!

Oh, oh...

it seems that VMWare made a mistake,

keep your downloaded Version of 4.1 and don´t update!

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/11/21/fusion-4-1-support-for-pre-lion-non-server-os-x-i s-a-mistake-s/

It was a mistake in VMWare Fusion!

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/23593/vmware-fusion:

a new update: 4.1.1

WHAT'S NEW

Version 4.1.1:

Corrects an omission from the Fusion 4.1.0 release that affects running Mac OS X in a virtual machine. (Removes the ability to use Leopard and Snow Leopard virtual machines.)

After some month experience with Lion, it's the first System which I don't want to use!

Our office went back to 10.6, we love our Mac's .... again!

I have a 2009 Mini basic version an d a 2011 Mini basic version next to each other, both equipt with the same software. Even after 3 months usage my kids allways look if the 2009 Mini is free, because it is is much faster out of sleep and it just feels faster.

So sadly you are correct, we have faster hardware, but a worse operating system.... Make Snow Leopard possible on the new Mini Apple! All the software is there, just bundle it in a new download for us Snow Leopard users.

Virtualization isn't a viable option for me and I don't believe virtualization should be used as a solution. Also remotely accessing a 2011 Mini isn't a solution. I'm surprised no one in the hackintosh community has addressed this need or did I miss a post where to look for hackintosh updates for the 2011 Mini to run 10.6.8?

I too don't feel it would be too hard for Apple to release a software update to update drivers in 10.6.8 to work with the new Minis. Heck if the drivers exist somewhere, I'd be more than happy to follow posted links and download and install all drivers individually as long as I have a working 2011 Mac Mini running 10.6.8....

I don't have ANY issues with Snow Leopard on my Mac mini 2011 quad server.

I am not convinced that using a retail disk is a good idea - when I have tried that in the past with other Macs it never got all the drivers and never added all of them after a Software Update either!

I used 10.6.8 (10K549) from my MacBook Pro (Early 2011), as it has exactly the same hardware as a quad-core mini. No boot problems with this, all drivers working good. I actually used carbon copy cloner to an SD card at first, and booted off that before I restored it to the mini server's second hard drive.

BUT there are serious performance issues, as Snow Leopard doesn't seem to speedstep the processor correctly with a machine identifying itself as being a Macmini5,x, so any of:

Macmini5,1 - dual core with Intel HD3000 graphics

Macmini5,2 - dual core with AMD graphics

Macmini5,3 - quad core i7 (server)

Basically to fix this you need to modify a kernel extension, and update the caches - You need access to a copy of Lion for this - I used the copy of Lion which came preinstalled on the second hard drive.

USING the Lion partition (either using Finder > Go to folder…, or by using the Terminal) you need to go to:

/System/Library/Extensions/IOPlatformPluginFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin.kext/Contents/Resources/

FIND

Macmini5_1.plist

Macmini5_2.plist

Macmini5_3.plist

COPY these back to the the same location on your Snow Leopard partition.

REMEMBER, depending on how you copy the plist file(s) you may have to change ownership of the file(s). The plist file should be owned by

root

wheel

Using Terminal and Snow Leopard partition:

sudo su -

[enter your admin password]

cd /Sy*/Li*/Ex*/IOPla*/Con*/Pl*/AC*/Con*/Res*/

chown root:wheel Macmini5*

FINALLY, update the kernel caches using Terminal by typing:

kextcache -system-prelinked-kernel

kextcache -system-caches

THEN, reboot your Mac mini!!

Its fast now:

Bravo!!!!

(Is there some vote we could take and award newfoundglory a couple of thousand points to recognize his guru status? 😎)

Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about! YEAH!

Easy-peasy. My 2.7 GHz i7 mini under SL actually runs faster than under Lion.

Good-bye Lion.

iX

Ditto upgrading NFG to God status!

Now if only this combination would support the higher resolution monitors. The highest resolution SL supports is 1600x900. The 24" monitor I have connected to the new mini is 1920x1080, native resolution.

Any chance this can be done?

iX

Try screenresolution.