Just boosted RAM on my older white MacBook.
I want to get to Mountain Lion -- or perhaps Lion.
Is this do-able? And how difficult is it?
MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.8)
You can purchase a redemption code for Lion or Mountain Lion at the Apple Store. The code is sent via email and you redeem it through the App Store.
Your Macbook will run Lion. Any newer OSX depends upon the EXACT model/year Macbook that you have. If you provide the model identifier (in System Profiler), the we can provide the correct information.
Ciao.
Check that your computer is compatible with Mountain Lion/Mavericks/Yosemite/El Capitan.
To check the model number hold down the option/alt key, go to the Apple menu and select System Information.
MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) model number 5,1 or higher
MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) model number 3,1 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)
El Capitan 10.11 Compatibility information
Do a backup before installing, preferable 2 backups on 2 different drives.
I have: MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) model number 3,1 and am running 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard, I believe.)
Is it worth upgrading to Lion? From what I've read, this is not a free upgrade.
A model identifier 3,1 Macbook is limited to Lion OSX (!0.7). Should you choose to install Lion, it will cost $20 and can be purchased from the Apple online store:
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/D6106Z/A/os-x-lion
A possible downside of installing Lion is that PPC applications are not supported on Lion:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6841
You might have to find upgrades or substitutes.
My rule of thumb is that an OSX upgrade is only necessary if you have an important application that requires it. Otherwise the upgrade is an elective.
Ciao.
I'm finding Safari that comes with 10.6.8 (Safari 5, I believe) is somewhat outdated so I will probably upgrade to Lion.
Is it necessary to do a backup before I upgrade?
You can ONLY upgrade to Lion 10.7, and I advise against upgrading
I have a similar (slightly older) White MacBook2,1, 2GHz, 2GB, and it is much happier running Snow Leopard 10.6.8, than when I upgraded it to Lion 10.7.whatever.
Yes Lion cost $20 (US), which is not too much if you really want to try Lion, but as I said, when I tried Lion on my Macbook it struggled.
Bigtex221 wrote:
Is it necessary to do a backup before I upgrade?
If everything goes as planned, user data does not get affected by the installation of a new OSX. But you cannot rely on that so do backup your data first.
BobHarris has given you some advice based on experience which is always good to have.
Let me suggest a couple of things. Your Macbook can accept up to 6 GB RAM. If you choose to install Lion, get a 4 GB RAM module from OWC or Crucial, the best sources for Mac compatible RAM.
Clone your current HDD to an external HDD prior to the Lion installation. If it turns out that you experience the same issues that BobHarris mentions, you can revert to Snow Leopard very easily.
Ciao.
Ready to upgrade older MacBok
