Will OS X Mavericks 10.9 install on a Macbook Early 2008?

http://www.apple.com/osx/specs/

I have a Macbook 4,1 (Early 2008) and was wondering if OS X 10.9 Mavericks will be able to install on it?

No, it needs to be a Late 2008 Aluminum or early 2009 otherwise:

http://www.apple.com/osx/specs/

Basically any older Mac that can't run 10.8 can't run 10.9.

True, that's the easiest way to look at it.

I get it, but wish the App store would not even make it available to try if you're on a Mac that isn't compatible. I got excited when I saw I could download it from the App Store, but then was disappointed to learn that it isn't actually compatible with my early-2008 MacBook. I wonder what would happen if I tried it? Is it just 'unsupported'? I've doubled the RAM in my MacBook, so if it's just a performance thing that makes it 'unsupported' I wonder if it would be ok.

Anyone try it?

I had the boxed version of iWork '09 installed (before there was a Mac App Store), and they updated just fine. Not only that, but they merged into the MAS, as now they show up under "purchased" whereas before they were separate from the ones on the MAS.

Wait, how the heck did I get on this thread? Safari is messing up. Disregard my last reply, it was meant for another thread.

Come on Apple! Mid/Late 2007 MacBook Pro? Who the heck knows when MID starts? Because I have a 17" MacBook Pro that's from MID 2007, (week 22). However, since it can't run Lion or Mtn Lion, I'm going to pretty much assume it won't run Mavericks either, although Apples "marketing" seems to "hint" that they are now able to run on a few more systems than those to OS's could. I know it'll run on my newer iMac since I'm already at Mtn Lion, so it's safe to say anything that can run those latest two can run this new one.

I'm just wondering if we can bring the laptop into this new world. Why doesn't the App store have a little link that can just LOOK into the information on a system I log into it from and say, "YES! you can run this!" or "No, sorry you can't." It'd be such an easy thing to do.

Your MacBook Pro would have to be 3.1 to run ML or Mavericks. The dates are from when the models were introduced, not when you bought them.

Then why don't they just SAY that instead of cryptic Mid/Late 2007? Or SAY that if it can't run ML it can't run Mavericks?

I completely agree. If I buy a computer, why should I know/care when it was introduced. All I know is when I bought it.

If I go to the About This Mac dialogue, it doesn't tell me the year (unless I've missed something), it only tells me the model number eg MacBook 4,1 - whilst Apple always quote the year of introduction rather than the model number.

Very confusing!

Similar situation. I have iWork (boxed version) installed on 2008 MBA 21.0075B03 but does not show up in the MAS. You said iWork showed up in MAS as purchased after upgrading - did you mean after upgrading OSX to 10.9? (was needing to sort this and found your comment while looking at 10.9 upgrade in a thread you said you had misposted)

Thanks

Works great on my MBP 4.1 early 2008 (aluminium keayboard) with 4g of ram and a ssd.

Sorry guys I stubble across this page by accident by trying to look for iPhone stuff but I couldn’t help notice, you guys sound frustrated. I was once not too long ago a victim of a MacBook “Leopard” and “Mavericks” cannot be updated. I was on a budget so I purchased an early 2008 black Apple MacBook 2.5GHz Intel 160GB HD with 8GB memory upgrade. It is clearly well over specs for Leopard and Mavericks installation requirements. It should sooth me perfect because the actual requirements are 5.8GB available hard drive space with at least 2GB of memory and I have plenty.

Well, I got excited and log in to the app store. I went to the update page and only to find out that my early 2008 MacBook is not compatible with Leopard or Mavericks. Why? Well here is the reason. My MacBook was not a late 2008 silver unibody model. Clearly my MacBook had the same if not more power than the silver unibody model.

I mean what are we thinking when we purchased expensive Apple product? Did we actually thinks that we can do whatever we want with our “expensive MacBook, iPhone or iPads” after purchasing it without Apple’s consent? Just because Apple did not give me the consent, I could not do it and it is a **** shame.

Anyways, for those of you with expensive new Apple gadget like MacBook Pro, MacBook Air retina display, iPad and iPhone might be laughing at this now but you guys might want to reconsider to think again. All of you might think that you guys can get away with being able to run any apps available to you now, well think again. It will be just a matter of time that Apple will catch up to you.