HT201541: Update the software on your Mac
Learn about Update the software on your Mac
Q: I have os x snow leopard should i upgrade? if so which one. I am currently running mac os x 10.6.8 safari
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Aug 10, 2015 6:03 PMby notcloudy,mudfinn wrote:
I have os x 10.6.8 snow leopard. Certain websites say that it needs an up grade. Which is best for my i mac currently running safari 5.1.10?
Before any upgrade - check your hardware & software to see which OS versions still support it. If you have any OS9 applications that need Rosetta - Snow is the last one that has it so those would have to be replaced.
If its just Safari -- switch to another web browser -- I am Using OPERA with Snow Leopard - and haven't had a problem.
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Aug 11, 2015 7:34 AMby Eric Root,If you want to stay with 10.6, try Firefox which is still being updated.
Check that your computer is compatible with Mountain Lion/Mavericks/Yosemite.
To check the model number hold down the option/alt key, go to the Apple menu and select System Information.
- iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) model number 7,1 or higher
Your Mac needs:
- OS X v10.6.8 or OS X Lion already installed
- 2 GB or more of memory (More is better - 4 GB minimum seems to be the consensus)
- 8 GB or more of available space
Check to make sure your applications are compatible. PowerPC applications are no longer supported after 10.6.
Applications Compatibility (2)
Do a backup before installing, preferable 2 backups on 2 different drives.One option is to create a new partition (~30- 50 GB), install the new OS, and ‘test drive’ it. If you like/don’t like it it, you can then remove the partition. Do a backup before you do anything. By doing this, if you don’t like it you won’t have to go though the revert process.
Open Disk Utility, select your hard drive (step 1), then the Partition tab (step 2), and select the partition. Using the /// at the bottom move it up (step 3) until the size box decrease by about 50 GB. Select the newly created space and hit the + button (step 4). Name it something and select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as the format (step 5). Then hit the Apply button(step 6). Download the installer from the App Store and when it starts, point it at the new partition. You might want to make a copy of the installer outside the Applications folder to avoid having to re-download it in the future. Once installed, go to System Preferences/Startup Disk, select the new partition and reboot. Test away.
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Aug 11, 2015 7:50 AMby Limnos,Eric Root wrote:
Check that your computer is compatible with Mountain Lion/Mavericks/Yosemite.
I believe only Lion, and Mountain Lion (both cost $20) and Yosemite (free) are now available. Of course any of those depend upon whether or not your computer supports them. Mavericks is no longer a download option unless it came with a computer you own. If your computer is capable of running Yosemite then that's the only post Mountain Lion download option (kind of an iOS-ification of the Mac OSX system in terms of what is available once a newer version is released and a computer is capable of running it ).
I was just given a computer with Mavericks installed but the first thing I did was order Snow Leopard so I can downgrade it. Unless you have a need/want to run any of the newer features Apple has deemed to force upon graciously provide the consumer you may find with slight adjustment in behavior (such as running a different browser) you can continue to use your current system for a while yet. I think many Mac aficionados consider the OSX 10.4-10.6 generations to be the epitome of the OSX system so far, with subsequent versions removing old favorite features and reduced customizing capability.
