 |  Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: A Different Kind of Upgrade - Part Two
by Chip Carter
The last issue of SmartStuff included Part One of this article, which began with an introduction to Apple’s new “Snow Leopard” OS and listed five questions which come up whenever a new version of Mac OS X is introduced. One wants to know…
(1) What's new and different…and useful to ME?
(2) Should I buy a new Mac, or just upgrade the OS on my current one?
(3) Do I need to upgrade other software or peripherals for compatibility?
(4) How much will this new OS—and any other needed upgrades—cost?
(5) Is it better to reap the benefits of upgrading NOW, or should I wait?
Most of Part One was dedicated to providing details and links to answer that first question…which covered the “WHAT” and “WHY” aspects of this upgrade. In this edition of SmartStuff, we’ll consider questions (2) through (5), the “HOW” and “WHEN” questions which naturally follow…
(1) What's new and different…and useful to ME?
(2) Should I buy a new Mac or just upgrade the OS on my current one?
In many cases it can be confusing whether a new operating system will run well — or at all — on your computer. Fortunately things are relatively cut-and-dried with Snow Leopard:
- CPU: While Snow Leopard requires an Intel processor, any Mac with an Intel processor will do nicely. We’ll explain how to find out what kind of processor you have below.
- Hard drive: Startup drive space is not an issue, unless your drive is getting full already. As described in Part 1 of this article, this upgrade provides significant improvements while using several GB less space than before.
Note that with any OS upgrade, there needs to be at least a few GB available on the startup drive during installation; you need to have at least 5GB of free space to do a Snow Leopard install. You should already have more than that amount of free space available during everyday use — for temporary files including caches, scratch disk files, virtual memory, etc. If you do need more hard drive space, you may be quite surprised to find out how inexpensive drives have become and current capacities are available up to 640GB for Mac laptops and 2,000GB (2TB) for desktops and servers.
This turns the whether-or-not-to-upgrade decision into a no-brainer: It’s just a matter of making sure that you have enough RAM and taking care of software and peripheral compatibility, which we’ll also review shortly.
First, let’s go over the most fundamental requirement: The processor (CPU)…
Intel Processor Required
Macs with a PowerPC processor (G3, G4 or G5) have reached the end-of-the line for OS upgrades, so Snow Leopard is not an option. This includes any iBook, PowerBoo, or Power Mac model.
When Apple transitioned from PowerPC to Intel CPUs, the iBook line was replaced by the MacBook, the PowerBook line by the MacBook Pro and the Power Mac by the Mac Pro…while the iMac, Mac Mini, and Xserve names continued to be used as before.
*Note - Many PowerPC Macs have “G3”, “G4” or “G5” on their casing. It may also
be listed as part of the model name — i.e. PowerBook G4, Power Mac G5. If you aren’t sure whether your Mac has an Intel or PowerPC processor (CPU), you can also find out by selecting “About this Mac” at the top of the Apple menu. Look next to “Processor” to see if it’s Intel or PowerPC:
About this Mac: Processor and RAM info
PowerPC users - All of Apple’s product lines have been Intel-only for at least three years. If you are still using a PowerPC-based Mac, you can rest assured that any new Mac model will provide a truly huge increase in speed and performance. Even the least expensive, currently-shipping Mac Mini is faster than a Power Mac G5 tower!
Fortunately, Apple has reduced the pricing on several Mac models this year…and of course any new Mac purchased from an Apple Authorized Reseller will include Snow Leopard.
What about RAM?
As shown in the screen capture above, it’s easy to see how much memory (RAM) your current computer has by selecting “About this Mac”, at the top of the Apple menu.
Some Intel Macs have shipped with 1GB RAM or less, but the vast majority of users can benefit from having 2GB or more. Fortunately, most currently-shipping Macs include at least that amount. In many cases, it is beneficial to have 4GB, 8GB or more RAM. For just installing the Snow Leopard upgrade and running a small number of simpler applications at a time, 2GB will do.
It is an inexpensive and quick process to upgrade RAM. The RetroTechs will be glad to answer any questions you may have about RAM recommendations and we can order and install certified, compatible RAM for your particular Mac model.
(3) Do I need to upgrade other software or peripherals for compatibility?
The vast majority of currently-shipping software is compatible with Snow Leopard, but you shouldn’t assume that everything will “just work” without any updates. Some software may simply require a free update (“patch”) for compatibility. But many people are using software that isn’t the “latest-and-greatest” version and, in many cases, there are significant known problems. Examples include non-current versions of Adobe Creative Suite applications, Extensis Suitcase, Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. Microsoft Office X and 2004 users should be aware that the current version — Office 2008 — will work much better on their Intel Macs…and that the older versions are not being tested, certified or updated for Snow Leopard compatibility.
Most newer printers, scanners and multifunction devices from major manufacturers like Epson, HP, Canon, Xerox and Fujitsu have updated drivers, but of course it is important to make sure your printer is supported before taking the leap and upgrading. Snow Leopard includes built-in drivers for many consumer-oriented and smaller-office devices. For larger printer-copiers, RIPs and specialized devices, those built-in drivers are less likely to be included…but updated drivers have been posted to most of the manufacturers’ sites. In some cases, drivers, networking software or utilities will need to be reinstalled and/or “re-linked” to devices after the upgrade to Snow Leopard, even if the newest version was already running previously.
AppleTalk No More
Snow Leopard brings one significant change regarding support for network hardware — most notably old printers, including some once-popular models from Apple and HP: Since the 1980s, the Mac OS has supported network devices which communicate using a protocol called AppleTalk, but this support is coming to an end starting with Snow Leopard.
Thus, many of those old “AppleTalk-only” devices can no longer be used. But starting more than 10 years ago, many Mac-compatible printers and other network devices have shipped with built-in support for other, less-limited connectivity options — in addition to, or instead of, AppleTalk: These include IP (Internet Protocol) and in more recent years “zero-configuration” protocols such as Apple’s Bonjour, formerly called Rendezvous. (No, seriously — those really are the names…)
So, devices that support IP and Bonjour will work with Snow Leopard, as long as they have compatible drivers. For people who are already printing to those devices using IP or Bonjour, no change is needed. If they are currently using AppleTalk instead, it’s just a matter of changing the software settings to use Bonjour or IP moving forward — with no need to replace or upgrade any hardware.
For a few of those old AppleTalk-only devices — such as certain HP printers — there are adaptors available to allow them to use IP printing instead. If it’s possible to find those adaptors, they can still keep the same printer with Snow Leopard. But in many cases it’s better to retire the older hardware anyway, as the poor availability of consumables, lower reliability, lack of speed and total cost of ownership all present problems.
At The RetroTechs, we are called upon to support a large variety of peripherals, so please feel free to let us know if you have questions about yours before upgrading to Snow Leopard.
(4) How much will this new OS—and other needed upgrades—cost?
In an unprecedented move, Apple offers the Snow Leopard upgrade to OS X 10.5 (Leopard) users for only $29.
Any new Mac purchased from an Apple Authorized Reseller will include Snow Leopard. For those who purchased a new Mac after June 8, if they don’t already have the OS upgrade, they may still qualify to get it for only $9.95 shipped, under the “Snow Leopard Up-to-Date Program.” Note that the SL Up-to-Date form must be submitted, postmarked or faxed within 90 days of the date of your purchase or by December 26, whichever is earlier:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate/
For Mac users who have the older OS X 10.4 Tiger, you’ll need to purchase the Mac Box Set — which includes Snow Leopard, iLife and iWork — for $169. (iLife includes the latest versions of iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb and iDVD; the iWork productivity suite includes Pages, Numbers and Keynote.)
As an authorized Apple reseller, we can order Snow Leopard upgrades and the Mac Box Set, including volume licensing for multiple computers. If you have any questions regarding upgrade eligibility, pricing, volume licensing or support, please let us know! We can also order single-user and volume licenses and answer your upgrade eligibility and pricing questions for other software upgrades, such as Adobe and Extensis products.
(5) Is it better to reap the benefits of upgrading NOW, or should I wait?
As described in Part One of this article, there are substantial improvements for speed, performance and efficiency with this version of the OS, and it includes numerous “under the hood” changes to provide support for current and future hardware capabilities and software features. So for any Intel Mac, it’s worth the upgrade. If you already have OS X 10.5 “Leopard” currently installed, the $29 price of admission is truly an exceptional deal.
When a major operating system upgrade is released, inevitably there are reports of problems experienced by some users. Since Snow Leopard first shipped at the end of August, Apple has had time to release two free updates to address issues, as they have done with previous versions of OS X. Our Snow Leopard experience and industry reviews have been very favorable, and by now, compatibility updates have been made available for the vast majority of current software applications, utilities and drivers.
Of course, it’s essential to make sure that compatibility with your software and peripherals is covered. We can help you make sure that your applications and equipment are updated as needed: For software, this includes recommendations and installation for major paid product upgrades, and for important free updates which are frequently released. Please talk to your RetroTechs Consultant or contact us via email or at 404 352 6210 for further details.
Posted by Elizabethon Tuesday, December 15 2009 - 19:00:00 |  | |
