I have an old iMac currently running on OS X version 10.6.8. I don't know what animal this is! I'm not happy with the reviews for Mavericks so I want to upgrade to OS X version 8 - again, I don't what animal. How can I do this? thanks
iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)
Well, first, Apple removes previous versions of OS X from the App Store when it releases the next version. So 10.8 Mountain Lion is no longer available on the store. However, I've heard reports that you can call Apple and purchase a redemption code over the phone, which will allow to to upgrade to that version of OS X.
Next, you should make sure your Mac can physically handle the upgrade. Check the model number of your Mac (from the Apple menu, About This Mac, More Info; look for the hardware number - eg iMac8,1) and find out how much RAM you have (from that first About This Mac screen). 4GB or above is recommended if you can install it in your model - the more the better. Make sure you have sufficient hard drive space (if your HD has less than 10% available, I'd worry.)
Finally, make sure any applications you run are compatible with the upgrade. Notably, Office 2004 and older versions of Quicken got knocked out by 10.7 and 10.8.
Matt
Thanks Matt, that's very comprehensive. I don't have enough time now but I'll work on it later. Cheers. Bev
Mountain Lion is actually still available on line from the Apple Store, if you really need that version for compatibility with software you wish to run. For the US:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6377Z/A/os-x-mountain-lion
You will as Matt suggested get a redemption code which you will use in the Mac App Store. If your iMac can run OS X 10.8, though, it can run OS X 10.9 Mavericks which is free, so unless there's some reason you really need 10.8, I'd suggest going with Mavericks if you wish to upgrade.
Regards.
Check to make sure your applications are compatible. PowerPC applications are no longer supported.
how to upgrade from OS X (10.6.8) to OS X 8
