09-09-2011, 02:32 PM

Ok so I got new hard drive and I was told I can run snow leopard 10.6 the one seen on apple.com 29.99 without the need previous install disk or tiger. I can just run that and it will install on new hard drive. anyways I call and they don't have that in store or best buy. They dont carry the software. what kind of deal is that, its like you have to be kidding me. Now I have to wait a week or two to get the darn thing if i order online. that gets me pretty angry.

09-09-2011, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by Mets21

Ok so I got new hard drive and I was told I can run snow leopard 10.6 the one seen on apple.com 29.99 without the need previous install disk or tiger. I can just run that and it will install on new hard drive. anyways I call and they don't have that in store or best buy. They dont carry the software. what kind of deal is that, its like you have to be kidding me. Now I have to wait a week or two to get the darn thing if i order online. that gets me pretty angry.

What you don't realize is...when Apple releases a new version of the Mac OS...the old version pretty much disappears from store shelves very quickly.

OS 10.7 "Lion" was released in the 2nd half of July, 2011...making Snow Leopard (OS 10.6) the "old version".

Snow Leopard (OS 10.6) was released late August, 2009. That means you had almost 2 YEARS to upgrade to Snow Leopard 10.6...where the $29.99 10.6 OS install disk was EASILY available at any Apple Store.

I realize that you may have reasons why you didn't need OS 10.6 until now...but please don't blame Apple when you really had almost 2 years to purchase the disk!

- Nick

09-09-2011, 02:45 PM

How do you expect Best Buy to keep stock of a past OS? You're lucky there's any left on Apple.com.
Assuming your Mac is capable of running Lion, why not save yourself some extra time and work and get the Lion USB Thumb Drive for $69. You'll skip all the work of installing SL and then upgrading to Lion (combined total of $60). You'll get the most recent iLife apps. And you'll have a backup drive in case of hard drive failure in the future. A new USB drive (2GB) is gonna run you between $5 and $15 if you were to install the Lion Recovery Disk Assistant on it. Now you can just skip that altogether.

09-09-2011, 02:48 PM

The only thing I will say is it's not fair I have to spend $69 because I can't get SL to install first. They should make that available for a while at least somewhere. Just a thought. Some people don't have $$$ to burn! Grin

09-09-2011, 02:58 PM

dtravis is right. and two not everyone has lion. In fact I hear alot is wrong with it. Thats the typical response I would get. Are you in the "cult" ? and I hear I cant install lion on a new hard drive without a previous version of tiger or snow leopard. So how is that suppose to work... jeeze.. Snow leopard isnt that old and after snow leopard is lion so.... its not that old.

09-09-2011, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by Mets21

Snow leopard isnt that old and after snow leopard is lion so.... its not that old.

You're right I agree...Snow Leopard is not old. But "old" is a relative term. When Apple releases a new version of the Mac OS (OS 10.7 in this case)...then Snow Leopard (10.6) becomes the "old" OS version.

No one said that Snow Leopard was "obsolete" (not by a long shot)...but in terms of the way Apple stocks their store shelves...it's "Out with the Old & In with the New".

Apple does the same thing with old computer models. When Apple releases new computer models...the old models that the new models are replacing disappear almost right away. When the iPad 2 was released...how long did the iPad 1's remain in the retail stores??? Not 5 seconds. One day the iPad 1's were there...and the next day the iPad 2's were there.

I still have Snow Leopard on my computers (I haven't upgraded to Lion 10.7 yet)...but I also didn't wait 2 years to purchase a Snow Leopard install disk!

Procrastination is what caused the issue in this case!

- Nick

09-09-2011, 03:23 PM

have you tried the Apple store. I was shopping for a new TC and heard about the same issue @ the Cube. The genius did walk the person to the bar but I don't know if he was provided with some help. Worth a try...

09-09-2011, 03:40 PM

yea i called them and they don't carry. I thought it was a joke. It seems like apple cant get any ore exclusive. Even there own store doesnt carry snow leopard. Especially when its not to outdated. and to get back to pigoo 3. I didnt expect my hard drive to fail. SO thats why I didn't go to apple store 2 years ago and got it. Now that wouldn't make sense would it.

09-09-2011, 03:48 PM

I am afraid that if you want the latest features then upgrade is always inevitable .
Take iPhone iOS upgrade required iTunes upgrade and now that Lion has moved to
64b architecture all new applications will require Lion to install doubt they will write for both but I could be wrong.

09-09-2011, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Mets21

...and to get back to pigoo 3. I didnt expect my hard drive to fail. SO thats why I didn't go to apple store 2 years ago and got it. Now that wouldn't make sense would it.

Sorry to hear that your hard drive failed...but NOBODY expects their hard drive to fail (hard drives can fail at ANY time). If everyone knew when their hard drive was about to fail:

- no one would ever have any problems with their hard drive
- no one would ever lose any data or irreplaceable files
- no one would ever need to do hard drive backups

Don't get me wrong...I totally understand your frustration at not being able to locate & purchase a copy of Snow Leopard. But ask yourself this question...

"How long should Apple continue to sell an older version of the Mac OS after a new version is released?"

...1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, etc.? What would have happened if your hard drive failed at 14 months after OS 10.7 was released...and Snow Leopard (10.6) was no longer available?

Does this still mean that it's still ok to blame Apple for no longer selling OS 10.6 14 months after 10.7 was released...and take no personal responsibility? Apple has made the decision to almost immediately remove the "old" version of the Mac OS from store shelves after a new version of the Mac OS is released.

Some final questions:

- What Macintosh model do you have?
- Did you buy it new or used?
- What OS was installed on it when the hard drive crashed?
- Do you have the gray/silver OS install disks that came with it when new?

Again...I totally understand how frustrating you feel about not being able to locate a Snow Leopard disk to buy immediately. But Apple has been following this sort of system for years, and years, and years...it's really not a new thing.

- Nick

09-09-2011, 04:56 PM

do you work for them? i have macbook 2006. and i dont have the disks so thats y im looking to buy one. y would i spend money to buy snow leopard software when my comptuer was workin fine before it crashed and died. so therefore there is no reason to go out and get new software when what i had was working fine. that doesnt make sense... at all. i get what your saying but before lion is snow leopard and most users are using that right now. not everybody has made the switch, its fairly brand new. U think they would still have it out if its the previous version, only makes sense. but apple likes to do things differently and some of the stuff they do is very questionable.

09-09-2011, 05:28 PM

Sorry, but I don't think I can name more than 1 or 2 manufacturers of "anything" (including software) that ships new stock of last years release/model after a new model is released. Believe I'd wager you can't find many either.

You'll need to rail against pretty much every company in the world that produces anything if you want to stop this practice.

09-09-2011, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Mets21

do you work for them? i have macbook 2006. and i dont have the disks so thats y im looking to buy one. y would i spend money to buy snow leopard software when my comptuer was workin fine before it crashed and died. so therefore there is no reason to go out and get new software when what i had was working fine. that doesnt make sense... at all. i get what your saying but before lion is snow leopard and most users are using that right now. not everybody has made the switch, its fairly brand new. U think they would still have it out if its the previous version, only makes sense. but apple likes to do things differently and some of the stuff they do is very questionable.

Lots of luck to you. If you've already ordered a Snow Leopard install disk...I'm sure once you get it...you will be in great shape!

- Nick

09-09-2011, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by pigoo3

Lots of luck to you. If you've already ordered a Snow Leopard install disk...I'm sure once you get it...you will be in great shape!

- Nick

My sentiments exactly.

I tried to offer a suggestion looking ahead and anticipating the OP's eventual move to Lion, but if all he wants is SL and he's already ordered SL then just install SL and move on with your life. I understand the need to vent when you're not happy but your logic is flawed. Be unhappy all you want, but it's time to let it go.

09-09-2011, 08:48 PM

the logic is not flawed. Try to think a little bit more. Not everybody has made the switch to lion. Alot of people have not. I guarantee it. Don't let the cult mind set effect you.