install Snow Leopard on New Mac Pro

SQUONK2,

Sorry, I missed your first post where you stated your new Mac was a 2010.

Everyone,

Please reply if you have any knowledge of running Snow Leopard on the 2012 Mac Pro.

Thanks

Thanks NC,

Great to hear there are no hiccups on your system. And that pro aps work well.

I have one 2010 MP, but it shipped with 10.6. I have need for another. Looks like I'd better pick up an old-stock model from B&H, before they are gone – just to be sure I can downgrade. The 2012's have probably been tweaked like the 2011 Mac Mini's; which exhibit hardware anomalies if you install Snow Leopard.

Sad to see the route OSX is heading. I've been using and administering Macs for 18 years. iOS is ok for mobile, yet illogical for a workstation. Only 40% of Mac users have adopted Lion, that ought to tell Apple something ( if they still care about us pro types).

PixelbenderX wrote:

Thanks NC,

...Looks like I'd better pick up an old-stock model from B&H, before they are gone – just to be sure I can downgrade...

As of right now, Apple has a refurbished 6 Core 2010 Mac Pro on sale. Get it while it's hot.

NickyCee wrote:

...To add as a footnote that "btw, Lion doesnt run Rosetta so ALL of your non-intel programs will not run AT ALL" was such a huge mistake...

Somewhat an unavoidable mistake, as Apple license to use the technology underlying Rosetta has expired for new versions of OS X, starting with Lion.

If you still need Rosetta coexisting with Lion, consider installing Snow Leopard (with Rosetta) into Parallels 7 in Lion:

[click on image to enlarge]

Full Snow Leopard installation instructions:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1365439

As of right now, Apple has a refurbished 6 Core 2010 Mac Pro on sale. Get it while it's hot.

for US$3149 with 3GB RAM.

The new 6core 3.33 is $2999 and comes with 6GB RAM.

Grant Bennet-Alder wrote:

As of right now, Apple has a refurbished 6 Core 2010 Mac Pro on sale. Get it while it's hot.

for US$3149 with 3GB RAM.

The new 6core 3.33 is $2999 and comes with 6GB RAM.

Ouch! You're right. What is Apple thinking??? Or what did they take out. 👿

I think it's just a distortion caused by

1) the price drop in the current 6-core

2) the "standard discount" for refurbs, rather than being clever about where to set the price point so they will move.

NickyCee wrote:

... I then booted the MP in target mode (just retsrt and hold down the "T" key). When booted into target mode, I plugged it into my Intel Mac Book Pro. You can use any Intel Mac though...

Hi NickyCee,

Are you sure that statement is true, "any Intel Mac"? Or does it matter whether or not the Intel Mac you're using can accept the 10.6.3 SL DVD? I too have a MP (bought refurbished just a few monts back) that came with Lion installed and would like to downgrade to SL. I also have a late-2011 MBP which, according to your statement, should allow me to get my 2010 Quad-Core back on Snow Leopard. I have been reading on other forums that you can boot up the 10.6.3 SL retail DVD only on those machines "old enough" to allow for SL to run. Is that the situation in your particular case here, did you use a MacBook Pro older than mid-2010? Or is the MBP you used newer?

Thanks for sharing!!

~ R

I thought Rosetta was a "licensing" issue (not that it matters) but striping out old code does help, it helped clean up a mess before when 68k still clung and could not be ported to or the issues fixed when everything was PowerPC at that point.

Moving to 64-bit only drivers, sure.

Blocking graphic cards that have more VRAM than the Q4000 and therefore hard coding a kill switch if it finds more than 2GB present? unnecessary and lack or willingness to support such as GTX 250 2.5GB or cards with 3-4GB VRAM - cards that do indeeed help CS6 and users.

Hardware virtualization, not just software kind, Hyper-V and VT-D. I always try to get people to plan to dual boot and have systems with the last OS as well. Or pick up a 2008 model and a KVM.

PowerPC though hurt, I thought, be it from 2GB memory and it was almost a virtual program that was not well designed and did pose some issues as far as compatibility and how it fit into 64-bit apps with 32-bit only plug-ins and siblings.

The "iOS-ification" though is too much for me, whether trying to make desktop into a tablet or a 'surface' or whatknot.

NickyCee wrote:

Hi Rod,

Yes, I think I was wrong about "any Intel Mac." I used a dual core 2.6 MBP from 2009 myself. I think it is correct to assume that the system you use to install from has to be able to handle 10.6.3.

I'm glad I have been able to help so many people with this. I believe this is a much, much larger problem than Apple realizes. just look at the super low acceptance of Lion across Mac users.

Hi Nick,

Thank you kindly for the timely response. I was a bit excited there for a minute thinking I had all the resources necessary to pull off a "downgrade" to SL on my MP. However, despite what your clarification means for my particular situation, I'm still grateful for the time and information you've shared with all of us who are (were) in the same boat as yourself. It just goes towards confirming some of the other articles I've read recently wherein the need for either a 10.6.7/8 installation disc or secondary machine able to run the 10.6.3 retail disc keeps this from being a convenient exercise.

Thank you again!

~ Rod

And some were able to get the OEM DVD for the Mac Pro 5,1 from Apple... otherwise that $69 SL+Lion USB flash memory device. First time there is no 10.6.6 - and in 10.3 you could actually build a DVD with a small utility - that ability was nixed and prevented with Tiger. Were able to slip a set of drivers and patches or updates to DVDs.,

NickyCee wrote:

...With Lion, I am FORCED to upgrade and this is wrong. I tried using Office 2011 and it was so bad I switched back to 2008, which I love. It flies on 3.33! With Lion, I would have had no choice in the matter...

My understanding is that Office 2008 works in Lion!

NickyCee wrote:

...Oh, I know I've been told I can use some cumbersome virtual solution but why should I? I don't believe it would have been difficult for Apple to make Rosetta work with Lion....

Guess you did not read my earlier post, which said: "Somewhat an unavoidable mistake, as Apple license to use the technology underlying Rosetta has expired for new versions of OS X, starting with Lion."