Best Mac OS X Version for 2008 Macbook

I also have an early 2008 Macbook that runs 10.6.8 Snow Leopard. It's my understanding that the next OS, 10.7 Lion, is the last OS our Macbook model can run. Apparently Mountain Lion will not run until the later 2008 models where Apple changed the video card.

Where did you hear that? There are folks who experience problems with almost every update/upgrade but the vast majority upgrade without drama.

Generally speaking, it’s always advisable to upgrade as long as your Mac meets the specs and there are no must have applications that won't run on the upgraded system. Upgrades/updates contain important security updates and also new features.

Before upgrading:

1. Backup. Anything can happen at any time,, so you should always keep a good backup. Make a bootable clone SuperDuper! or CarbonCopy Cloner or use TimeMachine.

2. Run Disk Utility > First Aid from your Recovery Partition

3. If you have issues on your present system don't compound them by installing over them. Solve them first then upgrade.

4 Check HDD for free space. At least 8.8GB of available storage. Preferably much more.

5. Check your applications for compatibility here…http://roaringapps.com/apps.

6. Disconnect all peripherals, including USB hubs.

7. After downloading the installer, it will be in /Applications folder. Duplicate it and then drag the copy it to another locations like Downloads, if you want to save the installer.

8. Be patient, the download takes a long time and the install may look like it has died at times. Ignore it.

9. If you have any doubts about upgrading, install the new upgrade on an external disk and test drive it first.

An advantage to not upgrading past 10.6.8 is when you have older PPC applications

that can only run in Intel-based Mac due to non-support in 10.7.x because the original

Snow Leopard installation includes 'Rosetta utility' that will allow transitional support.

This means you can have a customized current browser such as TenFourFox that runs

better and jumps higher, if you get and learn how to configure the G3 TenFourFox build

in the early Intel-based Mac.

So long as you have early intel vintage Mac that still runs early Leo 10.5.8, or SL 10.6.8

that's better to not upgrade to 10.7 Lion. Because if you need only a browser to make

use of that machine online, try the G3TenFourFox build in floodgap web site, pay strict

attention setup, allosw G3 TenFourFox to run in early Intel Mac. Online is a breeze.

On a dual-core MacBook1.1 (Early 2006 1.83GHz 13-inch) 'G3 browser' runs circles around

same version 10.5.8 in Late 2005 Mac mini 1.5GHz; for a variety of technical reasons. One

is dual core faster processors on faster bus. And more RAM. (Plus faster rotation HDD.)

The best version for early limited upgrade path is something that can give you internet access.

{Also note there still are working old versions of iTunes, where music channels still roam free.

Thankfully the older two ..iTunes for Tiger -&- iTunes for Leopard.. are still available from Apple.}

Followed instructions--as of today October 12, 2018 TenFourFox thru the Floodgap.com website states only works with Power book. I have same as per above a MacBook but with only 2 gB Memory. Very disturbing that Apple does not support a 10 yo MacBook which cost a fortune. Basically useless now, it seems for any real Internet applications.

MacBook OS X 10.6.8 not supported by TenFourFox per the Floodgap.com website.

So, working laptop for which I paid lots of money is basically useless. Very unhappy. Will buy Microsoft within next month.

The G3 version TenFourFox is 'unsupported' within Intel-based pre-Lion Mac OS X

but it still sees updates once installed with extensions off and settings tweaked.

Details are still available on the floodgap site; conditional use, and unsupported.

"Intel Macintosh are not supported. Although some users have reported success getting

the G3 version of 10.4Fx to run under Rosetta, certain features may not work correctly or

at all on Intel Macs, and you may need to completely disable JavaScript compilation for

it to work with Rosetta (see the FAQ for more information). Because Apple no longer

supports Rosetta and 10.4Fx is not a Universal binary, it will not run under Lion 10.7 or

any subsequent version of Mac OS X or macOS."

• Can 10.4Fx run on an Intel Mac with 10.4, 10.5 or 10.6?

"And plug-ins nor flash are supported in TenFourFox. To play H.264 content we now

recommend the use of TenFourFox's optional QuickTime Enabler. This allows many

videos to be handled in QuickTime Player directly."

{By supplying some available information here that I've been able to successfully use

to modify this to run in MacBook1.1 13-inch 1.83GHz coreduo w/ 10.5.8 & 2GB RAM

is no way to suggest the software is 'supported' as such by Floodgap/TenFourFox.}

If it's a late 2008 it should be able to run El Capitan:

get El Capitan from the App Store

My first edition MacBook1.1 (early 2006) can use G3 version TenFourFox with either Snow Leopard 10.6.8

-or- Leopard 10.5.8 and does so better than with PowerPC (non-Intel CPU) than my native G4 iBook and

G4 Mac Mini; both 'last models' sold before Intel were offered.

So there really is no practical reason the G3 version cannot be run under Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Leopard

10.5.8; so long as the Intel version of these vintage Mac OS X installation was sure to include Rosetta utility.

This 'rosetta' allows powerPC-written applications to run under the Intel architecture. A means for backward

compatibility for most older pre-Intel Mac applications to run in the/then most recent, was to use Rosetta.

And this is why the TenFourFox (G3 version) continues to work well; while the good people at TenFourFox

say they cannot support (offer free help or answer Intel-based macOS questions where this is used thus.)

Because I have identical TenFourFox installations (with bookmarks, etc) across three Macs, two are G4

PPC and the third, a First-Edition MacBook1.1 13-inch 1.83GHz early-2006 model; I know how it works.

And there is no need to get a newer computer to use the internet at this time so long as you understand the

instructions from TenFourFox on how to install and run their G3 version in an early Intel-based Mac product.

The maker of TenFourFox works on a donationware or free-use model, and they cannot guaranty this patch

(workaround for intel-based Mac, only using G3 version of their browser) ~ & so say they don't offer support.

There are limits with plugins or features that haven't worked in any version TenFourFox for a few years, they

aren't so drastic as to throw away an otherwise functional early MacBook or similar Intel-based 10.5.8/10.6.8

and the QuickTime workaround in the TenFourFox site. But this is not the issue where the maker suggests they

cannot offer support. You are free to try & make it work; its probably the only browser still valid & secure for

older early model Intel-based Macs that run 10.5.8 and/or 10.6.8.

You could see about a different OS, such as linux or ubuntu(?) based system; there are some free versions

that may allow installation on these intel-macs. ~ Seems like a long way to go instead of changing settings

on first-run as suggested in TenFourFox; on how to run the G3 version in early Intel-mac w/ rosetta.

Mine works just fine; the latest parts of Firefox within TenFourFox do nicely. Much faster w/ intel coreduo.

And much better than an older 'last model' mid-2005 G4 iBook 1.33GHz or Mac Mini 1.5GHz Late-2005.