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Snow Leopard MC204Z/A SKU - ($10/13) Up-to-date version: Is it a full version?
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Clinically Insane
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I recently bought a MacBook, and therefore can buy the up-to-date version of 10.6 Snow Leopard for CAD$13 (or $10 in the US).
The SKU is MC204Z/A.
I called Apple and they claimed it it will allow erase and install, but they didn't seem 100% sure if Leopard had to be on there or not. Anyone know if this MC204Z/A will be the same thing as the general release? If it isn't, I'd rather just buy the full release.
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From what I've read, it seems the full release will require Leopard to be on there, unless you spend $169 on the bundle with iWork and iLife.
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From what I understand that is the case. Not so bad when you first update but down the road when you want to re-install everything from scratch you have to put 10.5 on first and then 10.6 which is twice the work.
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Clinically Insane
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It's a drop-in DVD. It requires Leopard to be installed before the install will continue, but you have the option to Erase & Install still.
My suggestion is to image/backup your computer after you have it all set up how you want.
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"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
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you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
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Clinically Insane
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Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES
From what I understand that is the case. Not so bad when you first update but down the road when you want to re-install everything from scratch you have to put 10.5 on first and then 10.6 which is twice the work.
IIRC, they usually work as long as you have the previous version or later, so it will also work if you want to reinstall 10.6. If my memory's wonky, somebody correct me, but I'm pretty sure I've used a 10.4 updater disc on 10.4 computers before.
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Chuck
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So,
If I want to use my Snow Leopard disc to erase and install, I might loose the iLife stuff that came with Tiger? So I would have to reinstall Tiger, then upgrade to Snow Leopard to be able to reinstall?
I have screwed up a few things on my system. I am waiting for Snow Leopard and then I will reinstall everything and hopefully have things working. But it sounds like a lot of work if I have to pull out the install dvd that came with my Macbook pro.
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You shouldn't make fun of nerds... you'll be working for one some day.
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IIRC, you should be able to install the version of iLife which came on your Mac's original install DVD by itself, after you have installed Snow Leopard. Just insert the disk and look in the Finder window which pops up for "Additional Installs" or something like that. Unless of course iLife came on a completely seperate DVD, in which case it's even easier!
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Clinically Insane
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Originally Posted by Chuckit
IIRC, they usually work as long as you have the previous version or later, so it will also work if you want to reinstall 10.6. If my memory's wonky, somebody correct me, but I'm pretty sure I've used a 10.4 updater disc on 10.4 computers before.
OK that's fine then. I'll just keep my order then. Hope it ships Aug. 28.
It's not ideal though, as it's still an annoyance if you want to put a new install on a hard drive or something.
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Clinically Insane
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So what happens if I replace a hard drive in my MBP? Or, if I want to install it on a clean hard drive on my Mac Pro at home, does 10.5 have to be at least on a different hard drive?
Windows had an option to pop in the CD it required for the upgrade. I'm hoping that this 10.6 install allows that.
Hmm, maybe it'll see an install on a thumb drive?
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Posting Junkie
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Originally Posted by starman
So what happens if I replace a hard drive in my MBP? Or, if I want to install it on a clean hard drive on my Mac Pro at home, does 10.5 have to be at least on a different hard drive?
Windows had an option to pop in the CD it required for the upgrade. I'm hoping that this 10.6 install allows that.
Hmm, maybe it'll see an install on a thumb drive?
From what has been posted lately none of that will be required. It appears the $29 SL update disk is the real deal. It installs on anything (including Tiger or an empty disk) without any trace of Leopard necessary. In fact, the only limitation reported so far is that you can't use it to do an update install of Tiger, it will have to be E&I there. Though I'm guessing even those users could use MA to get back their Tiger stuff from a clone after doing the SL E&I.
If Apple is indeed shipping a full SL installer DVD for $29 and relying on people's honesty, that's a really great thing and they deserve to be commended for it. As for their choice to offer fixes and optimizations rather than more feature bloat with their latest OS.
Another certain other well known software company might want to follow their example.
(
Last edited by Simon; Aug 27, 2009 at 10:06 AM.
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Clinically Insane
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Originally Posted by Simon
Ah, OK. I've been reading everything I could (reality: got tired of reading and started skimming for keywords after three days) and nobody could answer the question (yes, some people got it early).
If that's the case, that rocks.
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Clinically Insane
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Yeah, Snow Leopard is said to be a full installer with no requirements. But the previous updaters did work as long as some attached drive had a sufficient OS on it.
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Clinically Insane
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Originally Posted by Chuckit
Yeah, Snow Leopard is said to be a full installer with no requirements.
If true for the up-to-date disk, that would be awesome. However, I'm still get conflicting reports... or probably better described as conflicting conjecture.
Originally Posted by Simon
From what has been posted lately none of that will be required. It appears the $29 SL update disk is the real deal. It installs on anything (including Tiger or an empty disk) without any trace of Leopard necessary. In fact, the only limitation reported so far is that you can't use it to do an update install of Tiger, it will have to be E&I there. Though I'm guessing even those users could use MA to get back their Tiger stuff from a clone after doing the SL E&I.
Yeah, it makes sense not to be able to do an update install of Tiger.
P.S. I was a little confused as to why the 10.6 update disk was a single-layer disk, then I realized it was "Snow Leopard" not "single-layer". Duh.
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Clinically Insane
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Originally Posted by Eug
P.S. I was a little confused as to why the 10.6 update disk was a single-layer disk, then I realized it was "Snow Leopard" not "single-layer". Duh.
-t
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Originally Posted by Eug
P.S. I was a little confused as to why the 10.6 update disk was a single-layer disk, then I realized it was "Snow Leopard" not "single-layer". Duh.
Don't let yourself get carried away by all this news about SL being such a lean system. SL is small, but not that small.
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I'm still seeing conflicting reports on Tiger. IIUC, Ars reports the upgrade DVD is identical to the one found in the Mac Set Box, IOW it would also upgrade install on Tiger... I'm really not sure here.
What is entirely clear though is that per Apple's SL Update EULA you are only allowed to use it if "that computer has a properly licensed copy of Mac OS X Leopard already installed on it.". IOWs no Tiger updates with the $29 install DVD. It's great though if nevertheless they aren't crippling the DVD.
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Clinically Insane
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Originally Posted by Simon
I'm still seeing conflicting reports on Tiger. IIUC, Ars reports the upgrade DVD is identical to the one found in the Mac Set Box, IOW it would also upgrade install on Tiger... I'm really not sure here.
Here's the statement from Walt Mossberg (which was quoted by Ars):
And, for owners of Intel-based Macs who are still using the older Tiger version of the Mac OS, Apple is officially making Snow Leopard available only in a “boxed set” that includes other software and costs $169. The reasoning is that these folks never paid the $129 back in 2007 to upgrade to Leopard. But here’s a tip: Apple concedes that the $29 Snow Leopard upgrade will work properly on these Tiger-equipped Macs, so you can save the extra $140.
Even if it didn't upgrade Tiger, I wouldn't care, esp. since I'm running Leopard anyway. I just want to be able to install Snow Leopard on a disc with absolutely nothing on it. ie. New hard drive, or an external hard drive.
P.S. I almost never do upgrade installs anyway for big OS upgrades like this. I've run into too many glitches. So, I always do a full erase (or archive) for the install. The only times I've found an upgrade works consistently is when there is no 3rd party software installed, which is basically never in the real world.
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Well I am in a different boat then. Having an Early 2006 Intel iMac, the upgrading path to Leopard went wrong for the first time in years 2 years ago (migrated from an always updated 2002 iBook to 10.4, then Intel iMac went flawless) . Because it broke PS Elements 2 too I ditched it just one day after and restored Tiger...
Having still the Leopard Box which I do not want to install, what would anybody advice me favouring upgrade and no archive or re-install?
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SL's installer is very smart. Go ahead and try the update the way it's intended to be used.
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Originally Posted by Simon
SL's installer is very smart. Go ahead and try the update the way it's intended to be used.
Yeah. Because no one has ever found a way around Apple's installer to install an OS on an unsupported Mac.
More than likely, if the installer is the same as the $29 disk (except for the price), one will be able to do a clean/full install.
We have to wait until someone actually receives their update disk and tries.
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I've figured out why Apple says Tiger users need to buy the bundle — some of Apple's old iApps (like, say, the ones that are bundled on those old Tiger Macs) are not compatible with Snow Leopard. Of course Apple doesn't want an update to break its own apps, so you're supposed to buy the new versions of the apps along with the OS.
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Chuck
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Originally Posted by Simon
SL's installer is very smart. Go ahead and try the update the way it's intended to be used.
Yeah, it's so smart that it refused to install on my Leopard disc with no more explanation than "Mac OS X cannot boot from this disk," and force me to spend all day reformatting, installing and restoring from backup.
Wow, that's so much smarter than Leopard's installer, which probably took 30 minutes, tops to get up and running with the new OS.
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Clinically Insane
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We can get a full version of Snow Leopard for $60 without the iLife & iWork (we already bought them.) This may be a school-only deal, though.
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"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
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FYI...
The 10.6 Up-to-Date disc will NOT install on a Mac with 10.6 already on it.
Just got mine in the mail today and fired it up to see if it works. You will have to have 10.5 installed before using this disc.
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Vandelay Industries
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Originally Posted by Art Vandelay
FYI...
The 10.6 Up-to-Date disc will NOT install on a Mac with 10.6 already on it.
Just got mine in the mail today and fired it up to see if it works. You will have to have 10.5 installed before using this disc.
Are you talking about format & install ?
Wow, that's really stupid.
-t
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It does not work period. The installer quits saying 10.5 is required.
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Vandelay Industries
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Originally Posted by Art Vandelay
It does not work period. The installer quits saying 10.5 is required.
Wow, retarded. Someone at Apple should be fired.
-t
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Originally Posted by Art Vandelay
It does not work period. The installer quits saying 10.5 is required.
That is just entirely stupid.
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Posting Junkie
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Originally Posted by Art Vandelay
FYI...
The 10.6 Up-to-Date disc will NOT install on a Mac with 10.6 already on it.
Just got mine in the mail today and fired it up to see if it works. You will have to have 10.5 installed before using this disc.
Are you really sure about this? This screenshot is from a guy who just wiped his HDD, installed SL, and then used the same SL update DVD to install 10.6 over his existing 10.6.
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Is it the $29 DVD or is it the $10 Up-to-Date DVD?
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Vandelay Industries
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The $29 SL update. Does that mean you were using the $10 disk?
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It still wouldn't make sense.
Let's say you recently purchased a new Mac, and were eligible for the $10 update DVD.
Why would Apple not let you wipe & reinstall on top of OS 10.6 ?
-t
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Originally Posted by Simon
The $29 SL update. Does that mean you were using the $10 disk?
Yes, I was talking about the $10 Up-to-Date disk which is the topic of this thread.
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Vandelay Industries
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Originally Posted by turtle777
It still wouldn't make sense.
Let's say you recently purchased a new Mac, and were eligible for the $10 update DVD.
Why would Apple not let you wipe & reinstall on top of OS 10.6 ?
-t
I wholeheartedly agree.
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I just got my up-to-date DVD and it worked fine to reinstall over 10.6. It didn't work over Tiger on my three year old Macbook, however and kept telling me "Mac OS X can't be installed on this computer."
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I'd really appreciate it if we could settle this once and for all. Now will or it or will it not install on top of 10.6.
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Mine will not but I also received mine about a month ago. Perhaps they've changed it since then.
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For crying out loud! I decided to do a little test when I got home with my Up-to-Date DVD. If you put the DVD in while booted in 10.6.x and run the Install OS X app, you will be denied since it didn't detect 10.5. However, if you bypass that app and just boot from the DVD, it will let you reinstall 10.6 on a 10.6.x drive.
I never tried the latter since I got the denial with the Install app. Apparently the writers of that app didn't communicate with the writers of the OS installer to make sure they were on the same page on their preflight checks.
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Vandelay Industries
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Wow. This just gets weirder and weirder. Thanks though for the update.
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Well I've just put my SL update disk (not up to date one) into my iMac 2.0 running 10.4.11. 35 minutes later it's on 10.6. I could have sworn you needed a 10.5 system on the drive for the upgrade disk to work, but it doesn't actually seem to mind.
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Originally Posted by Art Vandelay
For crying out loud! I decided to do a little test when I got home with my Up-to-Date DVD. If you put the DVD in while booted in 10.6.x and run the Install OS X app, you will be denied since it didn't detect 10.5. However, if you bypass that app and just boot from the DVD, it will let you reinstall 10.6 on a 10.6.x drive.
I never tried the latter since I got the denial with the Install app. Apparently the writers of that app didn't communicate with the writers of the OS installer to make sure they were on the same page on their preflight checks.
I can confirm that.
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Originally Posted by Doc HM
Well I've just put my SL update disk (not up to date one) into my iMac 2.0 running 10.4.11. 35 minutes later it's on 10.6. I could have sworn you needed a 10.5 system on the drive for the upgrade disk to work, but it doesn't actually seem to mind.
IIRC it was made rather clear by early testers that the SL update disk was just as good as any SL install DVD (in other words it can update a 10.4 install).
The uncertainty here has to do with the SL up-to-date disk. Art had pointed out that you can't use the up-to-date disk to install over 10.6. Others however claimed that that works when you boot from the up-to-date disk rather than launch the updater from it. And yet others have questioned if maybe not all up-to-date disks are made equal...
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I finally tried my Up-To-Date DVD for my MacBook Pro...
...except I tried it on my 3-year old 10.5.8 iMac.
If I booted up 10.5.8 and then ran the install program on the install DVD, it seemed to only want to do an update of 10.5.8. So, I rebooted off the install disk. That allowed me to wipe the hard drive (with Disk Utility) and install a fresh version of 10.6.
If I rebooted off the iMac's hard drive in 10.6, the install disk wouldn't let me install over it. However, if I rebooted off the DVD again I could wipe the hard drive and do the 10.6 install again.
So yes, you can do a fresh install of 10.6 over 10.6, but you must boot off the install disk to do it.
Furthermore, it seems to do a fresh install over 10.5.8, you still must boot off the install disk to do it, because otherwise it will just do an update.
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Originally Posted by Veltliner
I've run into problems before doing just an upgrade. Minor weird software anomalies. So I don't do it anymore. Maybe it was just a problem with early versions of OS X/software, but it definitely rubbed me the wrong way.
In this case, it was moot. I had to erase everything off the iMac anyway, because it will be sold. I have a new 27" quad iMac on order.
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