Filed under: Snow Leopard
The $29 Snow Leopard upgrade: usable for 10.4 Intel Macs as well?
Walt Mossberg has answered a Snow Leopard upgrade question that has been on just about everyone's mind.
Do you need the full $169 box set if you are upgrading from Tiger? The answer is apparently no, not exactly, although that is what's required by Apple's EULA. You will be able to install the $29 individual upgrade or $49 family upgrade on any Intel Mac regardless of whether it's already running Leopard. According to Uncle Walt, as posted on the All Things Digital site:
"Apple concedes that the $29 Snow Leopard upgrade will work properly on these Tiger-equipped Macs, so you can save the extra $140."
What's not 100% clear from this report is whether the Snow Leopard install would work as an upgrade, or only as a clean install (on a newly formatted drive), as Lifehacker suggests. Since some experienced Mac users prefer to do a clean install with every major OS upgrade -- either reinstalling apps and files from backup, or using Migration Assistant to pull over from the old configuration -- this may not be a drawback for everyone. Wired's preview of Snow Leopard (based on a pre-release version of the OS) suggests that they were able to do an upgrade install from 10.4 straight to 10.6 using the conventional SL disc, but your mileage may vary.
So there you have it. If you have Leopard running on your Intel machine, you will be fine with the $29 single or $49 family versions on sale Friday morning. If you're willing to wipe down your Tiger install and start fresh, the $29 installer will probably work for you too -- but you'll be in violation of Apple's licensing agreement, making you an OS pirate. Just so you know.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Le Big Mac said 11:06AM on 8-27-2009
Why doesn't apple just offer a full Tiger->Snow Leopard upgrade standing alone that costs the same as Leopard?
Then people could do the honest thing.
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dagamer43 said 11:28AM on 8-27-2009
Because they don't want to bother testing iLife '06 and iWork '06 on Snow Leopard. At least now, users will have the latest version of both.
Le Big Mac said 3:41PM on 8-27-2009
So, tell people it's not compatible or "some features may not work". Let them be the judge. Plus what about people who upgraded to ilife 08 or 09 in the meantime?
Brian said 11:12AM on 8-27-2009
Because that would be the smart thing to do, and Apple just wants to make money, so they would rather Tiger users spend $169 getting Snow Leopard, than spending just $129 getting Snow Leopard.
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Michael Rose said 11:14AM on 8-27-2009
I don't really think iLife is a big profit center for Apple.
Ryan Trevisol said 11:30AM on 8-27-2009
I don't think it's about pure profit for Apple. I don't think they care if you go Tiger->Snow Leopard. In fact, they really have no way of knowing if you did.
The point is that iLife 09 runs on Leopard only. Those who skipped Leopard ALSO SKIPPED iLife 09. They can't access iPhoto's admittedly awesome features in the 09 version, the replacement of iMovie 08 with a version that isn't a mistake, or the music lessons (okay I'm reaching) of GarageBand 09.
iWork and the iWork.com cloud are also leopard only.
There's going to be a lot missing from your Mac experience if you don't have at least iLife 09 with your Snow Leopard.
Beyond that, I honestly don't think Apple cares.
Quinn Taylor said 11:32AM on 8-27-2009
It's not necessarily always about profit centers, or Snow Leopard wouldn't be $29 — it this case, it's more about encouraging adoption of the latest technology. If you think about it, any Intel machine necessarily runs 10.4.4 or greater, and it meets the minimum system requirements for iWork and iLife '09 as well. Apple would love to have people move on from the '08 or '06 (or even '05!) versions of those products. The sooner you can get people off of obsolete versions, the better for everyone. Apple can focus on more recent versions and assume a newer "least common denominator", and users get new features. Also, a lot of people haven't sprung for iWork, and this is a good way to encourage people to give it a shot. I personally think that's a good thing.
Ryan Trevisol said 11:37AM on 8-27-2009
This is true too. Snow Leopard is all about leaving behind the bloated past (sorry PPC users! I feel your pain).
Really, Snow Leopard is trying to get rid of all vestiges of PPC from Apple's current support system. By not installing Rosetta by default, dropping PPC support from SL, and edging away from previous iLife versions, they're creating a development environment for themselves that focuses almost exclusively on 64-bit, x86 architecture.
By making the OS PPC free . . . it would make it VASTLY easier to open OS X up to non-Apple hardware.
Rubbinz said 11:31AM on 8-27-2009
Clean install works just fine. Already done it.
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mrt2 said 10:45PM on 8-27-2009
How'd you do the clean install? Did you boot from the disk or did you open the disk from within OS X and choose custom install????
Jay Goodman Tamboli said 11:35AM on 8-27-2009
If you're going to violate the EULA, why not just download a pirated copy of Snow Leopard and avoid paying entirely?
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Rico said 12:04PM on 8-27-2009
There's a difference between stealing and violating the EULA. If I buy my own legit copy of SL, Apple has my pound of flesh. I haven't stolen anything from them, and I should be able to do as I like with my own purchased copy of software.
jtamboli said 12:09PM on 8-27-2009
It's not an all-or-nothing proposition. Apple has said, "If you already have Leopard, give us $30 for SL." If you give them $30, you're still not fulfilling the complete terms of the exchange.
Le Big Mac said 12:24PM on 8-27-2009
^ - not really. The EULA defines what you're allowed to do with the product. The physical disk is irrelevant to theft. If it were relevant, then your logic would allow you to buy the single install disk and install it on several computers. You've "bought" the install disk but installed it in violation of the EULA. That's "theft" just as much as downloading it, other than it's theft less $29.
george.haake said 12:11PM on 8-27-2009
I pre-ordered Snow Leopard family pack directly from Apple, now I'm embarrassed to admit the I'm obsessing over the meaning of "Delivers on Aug 28th".
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Hanoch said 12:28PM on 8-27-2009
How do you know this violates the Snow Leopard license agreement? I took a look at Apple's software license website page (http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/) but did not see the license agreement for Snow Leopard listed.
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Ryan Trevisol said 1:08PM on 8-27-2009
All googling for it only turns up people slamming Mossberg. I don't think we have it yet. I'd like someone to post a link to the EULA so we can all read it.
But we'll all have that opportunity tomorrow I assume.
Tyrone Rugen said 1:49PM on 8-27-2009
Does anyone know if you can install Boot Camp with the 10.6 Snow Leopard disc, or does that still require the 10.5 Leopard disc?
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Binja said 2:11PM on 8-27-2009
It works as an upgrade from Tiger. I have it. I have done it. It works.
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mikehild said 3:13PM on 8-27-2009
Here's the big problem I have with the idea of requiring Tiger users to buy the full pack with iLife '09. What about people who already bought '09? Apple's forcing them to buy it AGAIN? True there's also iWork included, but not everyone would have a use for it and would consider it a waste of money.
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