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Official Mac OS X Snow Leopard thread of Shipping 8/28!!

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C

celebi23

Member
hero_osx_20090824.jpg


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AppleRetailSnowLeopard.png


General Information
  • Name: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
  • Build Number: 10A432 (confirmed by multiple sources)
  • Release Date: Friday, August 28th
  • Price: Varies between versions. See below for more info
  • Snow Leopard technical specifications

Which version should I get?:
First, make sure that you have an Intel Processor
Intel.png



***According to Walt Mossberg & Wired.com: the $29 Snow Leopard disc WILL upgrade Tiger to Snow Leopard***
***WARNING: Going from Tiger --> Snow Leopard via this method might not be as smooth of a process as going from Leopard --> Snow Leopard***
***It is suggested that you wait a day or so & see how other people fare by using this method***



Upgrade Charts:
  • Snow Leopard
  • Snow Leopard Server

Informational Links

Support Links

What's new in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard?


Snow Leopard Apple Store Links


Snow Leopard Reviews
  • [URL='http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20090826/apple-changes-leopards-spots/"]Walt Mossberg, The Wall Street Journal:[/URL]
    Apple already had the best computer operating system in Leopard, and Snow Leopard makes it a little better. But it isn’t a big breakthrough for average users, and, even at $29, it isn’t a typical Apple lust-provoking product.
    Click to expand...
  • David Pogue, The New York Times:
    Let's hope that Apple hurries up with its inevitable 10.6.0.1 update, too, to address the occasional Safari crash and cosmetic glitch I experienced, too.

    Otherwise, if you're already running Leopard, paying the $30 for Snow Leopard is a no-brainer. You'll feel the leap forward in speed polish, and you'll keep experiencing those "oh, that's nice" moments for weeks to come.
    Click to expand...
  • Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times:
    Impressive and important, it's an update that will revitalize your existing Mac even though you'll be stumped for a quick five-minute demo that convinces the people around you that much of anything has changed at all.
    Click to expand...
  • Jason Snell, Macworld:
    Granted, it's a collection of feature tweaks and upgrades, as well as under-the-hood modifications that might not pay off for users immediately. But the price of upgrading is so low that I've really got to recommend it for all but the most casual, low-impact Mac users.
    Click to expand...
  • Jason Parker, CNET:
    Overall, we think that Snow Leopard did almost everything Apple says it set out to do: it refined and enhanced Leopard to make it easier to use. Though the system performs well in everyday use, many of our tests indicate it is slightly slower than the older version of Leopard in more intensive application processes. Still, we highly recommend upgrading for all the new features and Microsoft Exchange support.
    Click to expand...
  • Joshua Topolsky, Engadget:
    Here's the thing about Snow Leopard, the single inescapable fact that hung over our heads as we ran our tests and took our screenshots and made our graphs: it's $30. $30! If you're a Leopard user you have virtually no reason to skip over 10.6, unless you've somehow built a mission-critical production workflow around an InputManager hack (in which case, well, have fun with 10.5 for the rest of your life). Sure, maybe wait a few weeks for things like Growl and MenuMeters to be updated, and if your livelihood depends on QuickTime you might want to hold off, but for everyone else the sheer amount of little tweaks and added functionality in 10.6 more than justifies skipping that last round of drinks at the bar -- hell, we're guessing Exchange support alone has made the sale for a lot of people. If you're still on Tiger, well, you'll have to decide whether or not you want to drop $130 on what's essentially a spit-shined Leopard, but if you do decide to spend the cash you'll find that the experience of using a Mac has changed dramatically for the better since you last upgraded.

    Update: In the original version of the review we noted that QuickTime 7 Pro wasn't available for Snow Leopard. In fact, the software is available as a separate install on the disc itself and via the QuickTime 7 app in the Utilities folder.
    Click to expand...
  • Brian Lam, Gizmodo:
    The changes here are modest, and the performance gains look promising but beyond the built in apps, just a promise. If you're looking for more bells and whistles, you can hold off on this upgrade for at least awhile. But my thought is that Snow Leopard's biggest feature is that it doesn't have any new features, but that what is already there has been refined, one step closer to perfection. They just better roll out some new features next time, because the invisible refinement upgrade only works once every few decades.
    Click to expand...
  • Ed Baig, USA Today:
    In my experience, Mac OS X was already a superior operating system to Windows. With Exchange and other technologies, Snow Leopard adds bite, especially for business. But as upgrades go, this one is relatively tame.
    Click to expand...
  • Brian X. Cohen, Wired.com:
    This upgrade won't deliver any radical interface changes to blow you away (not that we would want it to), but the price is more than fair for the number of performance improvements Snow Leopard delivers.
    Click to expand...
  • Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows:
    Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" is a nice refinement to an already solid OS offering. But it's almost too evolutionary to get excited about.
    Click to expand...
  • Andrew Orlowski, Register Hardware:
    I like Snow Leopard, and found moving back to Leopard quite surprisingly painful. Was it really so slow? It didn't feel so a week ago.

    There's some controversy about how "64-bit" this upgrade really is. I have no complaints about compatibility, and 10.6 promises to be a much smoother upgrade than going from 10.4 to 10.5. Leopard proved to be an excellent release in the end, but many people experienced driver issues and other gotchas.

    By setting expectations low for its successor, and with a price to match, I'm sure a lot of people are going to be pleasantly surprised. If performance matters, it could be $29/£25 very well spent. Too bad G4 and G5 hold-outs don't get their own optimised version - they need it the most.
    Click to expand...
  • Vincent Nguyen, Slashgear:
    In all, it’s for the larger part an evolutionary upgrade, but in the best possible way. The tech industry is so used to looking for revolutionary change that we sometimes forget that shiny new paradigms bring with them hours – or longer – of learning how to do things in the new system. In contrast, Snow Leopard demands no retraining for its headline functionality, and delivers its invisible changes with minimal day-to-day fanfare. At $29 it’s frankly a no-brain decision for OS X Leopard users; that’s why we’re calling it the bargain of the year.
    Click to expand...
  • David Coursey, PCWorld:
    So, yes, I will run by the Apple store and buy a Snow Leopard family pack, but I will only do it right away so I can write about it. Playing with new operating systems in my job. But, I see no reason to load it onto more than one Mac until any problems it presents have been solved--by someone else.

    Snow Leopard just doesn’t offer enough to get very excited about.
    Click to expand...
  • Stephen H. Wildstrom, BusinessWeek:
    Such frills aside, Snow Leopard is an unusual Apple offering, being nearly all steak with very little sizzle. But it is an inexpensive and painless upgrade. If you have an Intel-based Mac, and especially if you use Exchange mail, you'll want to install it.
    Click to expand...


Other cool stuff:



Didn't see a topic & the WWDC thread is getting pretty long. I already have my Up-to-Date disc ordered. :D
 
Keylime

Keylime

ÏÎ¯Î»Ï á¼Î¾ÎµÏÎγλοÏÏον καί ÏεÏδολÏγον οá½Îº εἰÏÏν
I'd mention that if you want to go from Tiger -> Snow Leopard that you will need to buy the Mac Box Set as mentioned here:

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/06/08macosx.html
For Tiger® users with an Intel-based Mac, the Mac Box Set includes Mac OS X Snow Leopard, iLife® ’09 and iWork® ’09 and will be available for a suggested price of $169 (US) and a Family Pack is available for a suggested price of $229 (US).
Click to expand...
I've ordered my disk and can't wait for non-beachball Safari.
 
C

ckohler

Member
I'm really looking forward to this.

Does anyone know if SL Safari fixes the animated GIF issue along with the plug-in crashing?
 
Keylime

Keylime

ÏÎ¯Î»Ï á¼Î¾ÎµÏÎγλοÏÏον καί ÏεÏδολÏγον οá½Îº εἰÏÏν
ckohler said:
I'm really looking forward to this.

Does anyone know if SL Safari fixes the animated GIF issue along with the plug-in crashing?
Click to expand...
From what I've heard, SL Safari doesn't crash with animated GIFs, but still run at half-speed.

Fantastic news if true.
 
T

The_Inquisitor

Member
Wow I thought this wasn't coming out until September! Guess I know what I will be doing this weekend. My mac as of late 2.33 Ghz x1600 variety has been slowing down as of late. This should help it keep up.

29 dollar version for me!
 
C

celebi23

Member
The_Inquisitor said:
Wow I thought this wasn't coming out until September! Guess I know what I will be doing this weekend. My mac as of late 2.33 Ghz x1600 variety has been slowing down as of late. This should help it keep up.

29 dollar version for me!
Click to expand...

Lemme guess, MacBook Pro? :lol That's the same model that I have. Probably will do a clean install. Haven't done a full wipe & transfer (via Migration Assistant) since Leopard came out. :lol
 
T

The_Inquisitor

Member
celebi23 said:
Lemme guess, MacBook Pro? :lol That's the same model that I have. Probably will do a clean install. Haven't done a full wipe & transfer (via Migration Assistant) since Leopard came out. :lol
Click to expand...

I'm going to do an archive and install. Should clean up everything. The pain in the ass is going to be reinstalling all my damn apps. But for the speed increase it will be well worth it. If I played WoW still, it would be even more important. :lol
 
B

bionic77

Member
If am going from Tiger to Snow Leopard what would my best route for installing this? I obviously want to keep all my data, so should I do an archive and install, use Time Machine and then do a clean install?

What say you GAF?
 
P

pj

Banned
Does apple recommend doing a clean install? My 08 unibody doesnt seem any slower now than when I got it, so I'm wondering if there will be any advantage to starting fresh.
 
C

celebi23

Member
bionic77 said:
If am going from Tiger to Snow Leopard what would my best route for installing this? I obviously want to keep all my data, so should I do an archive and install, use Time Machine and then do a clean install?

What say you GAF?
Click to expand...

First, you'll need the Mac Box (see the OP for details). If you have an external HD, I'd suggest making a bootable copy of you HD. Either use Carbon Copy Cloner (I've used that multiple times without any issues) or use Disk Utility. Once copied, go to System Preferences & Startup Disc. Select the external HD & reboot. Make sure everything is working. Reboot from your internal HD. Begin the installation process. Select Disk Utility from the utilities (?) menu. Erase your internal HD. Quit Disk Utility. Go back to the installer & install Snow Leopard. Once completed, it'll ask you if you want to use Migration Assistant to copy information back to your Mac. Select yes & connect your internal HD. Follow the on screen instructions & you should be all set.

Hope this helps :D
 
Hari Seldon

Hari Seldon

Member
Bah I have a dilemma. Either see how much I can get for my Macbook (first gen Intel one), and if I can get $500 for it buy a new 13" Macbook Pro, or suck it up and buy this upgrade for $160.
 
Keylime

Keylime

ÏÎ¯Î»Ï á¼Î¾ÎµÏÎγλοÏÏον καί ÏεÏδολÏγον οá½Îº εἰÏÏν
koam said:
Does this work for anyone? It keeps asking me to log in and then there's nothing in my cart
Click to expand...
Depends on where you bought your system.

If you got it from the Apple Online store:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?partNumber=MC204Z/A&authenticate=entitle

If you got it from an Apple store or an authorized retailer:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?partNumber=MC204Z/A&authenticate=entitle

I've never gone through the program so I can't say how it all works, but there are different launch points depending on how you got your system.
 
C

celebi23

Member
koam said:
Does this work for anyone? It keeps asking me to log in and then there's nothing in my cart
Click to expand...

Nah, this only works if you bought a new Mac after June 8th, 2009 & it didn't come with a Snow Leopard disc (or Snow Leopard already installed) (See the OP for more info)


RubxQub said:
Depends on where you bought your system.

If you got it from the Apple Online store:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?partNumber=MC204Z/A&authenticate=entitle

If you got it from an Apple store or an authorized retailer:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?partNumber=MC204Z/A&authenticate=entitle

I've never gone through the program so I can't say how it all works, but there are different launch points depending on how you got your system.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the links. Will add those to the OP
 
Chittagong

Chittagong

Gold Member
Few more days of shitty Entourage anymore then!

Has anyone switched to Keynote btw? Is it fully interoperable with ppt, or will layouts and fonts go all funky? I'm thinking of cleaning my Mac of anything Microsoft made.
 
I

infiniteloop

Member
It looks like the Apple stores aren't selling it at 6pm, like 10.5, but will just have it for sale when they open? bye bye Entourage.
 
P

Phobophile

A scientist and gentleman in the manner of Batman.
Sweet, just placed my order.

I have a late 2006 iMac (last plastic model) with a 2.16 GHz C2D and 2 GB RAM. Unfortunately, the most RAM my model supports is 3 GB. Anyone know if the extra gig would be useful in SL?
 
L

LCfiner

Member
Phobophile said:
Sweet, just placed my order.

I have a late 2006 iMac (last plastic model) with a 2.16 GHz C2D and 2 GB RAM. Unfortunately, the most RAM my model supports is 3 GB. Anyone know if the extra gig would be useful in SL?
Click to expand...


extra ram is always helpful in OS X. you can grab a 2 GB stick for 20 bucks, right? pick one up sometime in the next week. it'll help when you have a bunch of shit open at once.
 
B

bionic77

Member
celebi23 said:
First, you'll need the Mac Box (see the OP for details). If you have an external HD, I'd suggest making a bootable copy of you HD. Either use Carbon Copy Cloner (I've used that multiple times without any issues) or use Disk Utility. Once copied, go to System Preferences & Startup Disc. Select the external HD & reboot. Make sure everything is working. Reboot from your internal HD. Begin the installation process. Select Disk Utility from the utilities (?) menu. Erase your internal HD. Quit Disk Utility. Go back to the installer & install Snow Leopard. Once completed, it'll ask you if you want to use Migration Assistant to copy information back to your Mac. Select yes & connect your internal HD. Follow the on screen instructions & you should be all set.

Hope this helps :D
Click to expand...
Yeah I know about getting the Mac Box. I expected the process to be more streamlined then making a copy of my HD. What complicates this install even more is that I store all of my iTunes music on an external HD to save space (when I bought my MBP it had a miniscule 80 gigs of HD space so I store as much as I can on the external). Given that I have most of my songs on the external will your procedure still get me through the install?
 
C

celebi23

Member
bionic77 said:
Yeah I know about getting the Mac Box. I expected the process to be more streamlined then making a copy of my HD. What complicates this install even more is that I store all of my iTunes music on an external HD to save space (when I bought my MBP it had a miniscule 80 gigs of HD space so I store as much as I can on the external). Given that I have most of my songs on the external will your procedure still get me through the install?
Click to expand...

Hrm, not sure about that. You may need to copy your music back to your internal HD, wipe your external & then follow the instructions that I posted. Once you finish installing (& copying everything back with Migration Assistant) you can probably copy your music back to your external HD. Hopefully that helps.


liquid_gears said:
Roughly when will this be pre installed on all macs and available in stores?
Click to expand...

Normally about 2ish weeks. I'd call your local Apple store & ask them. They might know more about it than I do.

I added the Xserve/ Snow Leopard Server info to the OP just for completeness-sake
 
K

Killthee

helped a brotha out on multiple separate occasions!
liquid_gears said:
Roughly when will this be pre installed on all macs and available in stores?
Click to expand...
Should be available in store on the 28th. Not really sure on preinstalls but they should start slipping in a SL disc on Macs without it on the 28th.
 
P

Phobophile

A scientist and gentleman in the manner of Batman.
LCfiner said:
extra ram is always helpful in OS X. you can grab a 2 GB stick for 20 bucks, right? pick one up sometime in the next week. it'll help when you have a bunch of shit open at once.
Click to expand...
Yeah that's what I figured and planned on doing for a couple weeks. I never really had any problems with running out of RAM in 10.5 unless I had video playing, with Transmission, Transmit, Adium, Safari, and other small background apps running. That model iMac takes advantage of on dual channel, right? I just don't wanna take a potential performance hit by having 1x1 GB and 1x2 GB.
 
aparisi2274

aparisi2274

Member
Hey QQ about this... If it is shipping from the site on Aug 28th, could I go into the Apple Store and purchase one on the 28th as well? Or will stores be getting at a later date?

Thanks
 
D

DeathbyVolcano

Banned
So for people who bought MBPs last summer and run Leopard...is it just as simple as pop the disc in, install, and BAM, new OS with your personal files untouched?

Hey QQ about this... If it is shipping from the site on Aug 28th, could I go into the Apple Store and purchase one on the 28th as well? Or will stores be getting at a later date?
Click to expand...

Well actually it's supposed to be delivered in most cases on the 28th, unless your shipping information on the site says otherwise. But yes, I'd imagine you can go pick up the OS in-store on the 28th.
 
K

Killthee

helped a brotha out on multiple separate occasions!
Phobophile said:
Yeah that's what I figured and planned on doing for a couple weeks. I never really had any problems with running out of RAM in 10.5 unless I had video playing, with Transmission, Transmit, Adium, Safari, and other small background apps running. That model iMac takes advantage of on dual channel, right? I just don't wanna take a potential performance hit by having 1x1 GB and 1x2 GB.
Click to expand...
This is what I'm worried about. What kind of hit will MBP get if I dump dual channel in favor for 1x1 GB and 1x2GB?

aparisi2274 said:
Hey QQ about this... If it is shipping from the site on Aug 28th, could I go into the Apple Store and purchase one on the 28th as well? Or will stores be getting at a later date?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Its delivered on the 28th according to the US site. You'll be able to walk in on the 28th and buy it at an Apple Store.

20090824-qukcgyr7pbgm1hju4jnpiqna2y.png
 
aparisi2274

aparisi2274

Member
BrandNew said:
Well actually it's supposed to be delivered in most cases on the 28th, unless your shipping information on the site says otherwise. But yes, I'd imagine you can go pick up the OS in-store on the 28th.
Click to expand...

killthee said:
Its delivered on the 28th according to the US site. You'll be able to walk in on the 28th and buy it at an Apple Store.
Click to expand...

Thanks Guys!!! Appreciate the info.
 
L

Litflynt912

Member
Killthee said:
Should be available in store on the 28th. Not really sure on preinstalls but they should start slipping in a SL disc on Macs without it on the 28th.
Click to expand...


don't know if this was answered yet (still reading posts)

<--worked at an apple store....the new machines already loaded with 10.6 tend to follow the following week AFTER release...so if SL comes out Friday, expect loaded machines to come in the end of next week (here in the states)
don't know how the rest of the world is...sorry

if the Apple store has the copies, they will give out SL if inventory allows (I know the Genuis Bars tend to have the Apple shipped Copies)

so my advice is if you are adamant about a new mac this week or early next but don't want to wait for the upgrade disc to ship...

make nice with the specialist while checking out and see if they can assist...
the GM are trained to make sure the guest is happy and if they can spare a disc (or even have the Genius bar load a fresh copy of 10.6 while you wait)
then go for it!!!

^ I have done that personally for cool customers!
 
B

Buckethead

Banned
So pumped about the news. :)
The box is better than I thought with that subtle gradient, but OS X Server got the better deal this time around in the boxart department.

$29 upgrade? This calls for a sexy party!

25stxqq.jpg
 
K

Kastro

Banned
whoa wat.. i have no idea what all this means? tiger? leapord? fffuuu

im a mac newb.. got my imac about a year ago. what OS would i likely be running? (not at home with my mac)
 
Keylime

Keylime

ÏÎ¯Î»Ï á¼Î¾ÎµÏÎγλοÏÏον καί ÏεÏδολÏγον οá½Îº εἰÏÏν
Kastro said:
whoa wat.. i have no idea what all this means? tiger? leapord? fffuuu

im a mac newb.. got my imac about a year ago. what OS would i likely be running? (not at home with my mac)
Click to expand...
You're probably running Leopard, but when you go home click the Apple logo in the top left corner and select "About my Mac" to find out for sure.

10.5 = Leopard
10.4 = Tiger
 
entremet

entremet

Member
Chittagong said:
Few more days of shitty Entourage anymore then!

Has anyone switched to Keynote btw? Is it fully interoperable with ppt, or will layouts and fonts go all funky? I'm thinking of cleaning my Mac of anything Microsoft made.
Click to expand...
Keynote is awesome. If you make presentations you will never need to go to PowerPoint again. I do keep Office for Mac for Excel. Numbers is not up to snuff.
 
X

Xal-Shoota

Member
30 dollars to double my Finder browsing speed (which I do alot of), giving me 7 gigs back, and adding multitouch 3/4 to my Macbooky? Hellz yeah!
 
C

celebi23

Member
Kastro said:
whoa wat.. i have no idea what all this means? tiger? leapord? fffuuu

im a mac newb.. got my imac about a year ago. what OS would i likely be running? (not at home with my mac)
Click to expand...


RubxQub said:
You're probably running Leopard, but when you go home click the Apple logo in the top left corner and select "About my Mac" to find out for sure.

10.5 = Leopard
10.4 = Tiger
Click to expand...

Sorry Kastro, probably should've been a bit more clear. 10.4= Tiger, 10.5= Leopard (what you're probably running), 10.6= Snow Leopard.

I posted 2 upgrade charts in the OP. Far simpler than the one Microsoft released about Windows 7 :lol
 
K

koam

Member
celebi23 said:
Nah, this only works if you bought a new Mac after June 8th, 2009 & it didn't come with a Snow Leopard disc (or Snow Leopard already installed) (See the OP for more info)




Thanks for the links. Will add those to the OP
Click to expand...

I did get it after june 8th and it didn't come with snow leopard, it doesn't work for me tho
 
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