Wanting to update from Leopard; which feline should I choose?

So I am running OS X Leopard (version 10.5.8) on this 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 21" Desktop iMac with 4 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM.

I would like to bring my computer out of the year 2008 (we purchased it in 2007), but am unsure as to what Operating System I should choose to upgrade to for this computer.

I would like to at least move one grade up to Snow Leopard, but am thinking something a little more "current" would be preferred. My biggest issue, though, would be to upgrade and lose any data as a result of the upgrade -- I recently had to say good-bye to my hard drive and have a new one installed due to the degradation of the prior drive. A sweet $170 later and I've got a 320 GB HD in my computer that is nearly factory-model as a result.

My question is, what is best for this desktop iMac? The specs of the computer are cut and pasted below.

By the way, I'm still having trouble

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/os-x-operating-system/246708-airport-refuses-cooperate-router-imac-10-5-8-a.html

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/internet-networking-wireless/233208-airport-not-finding-dhcp-settings.html

with this computer randomly dropping the wireless signal for our home wi-fi network. It even did it the day after I took this computer back home from the shop a week or two ago after getting the new hard drive installed. As far as I can figure, it is interference from other devices in the home, but at the same time, this is why I want to upgrade out of Leopard. My search in research found several incidents where the users who experienced similar problems to mine believed it to be a potential Leopard issue with the OS software.



===

Model Name: iMac
Model Identifier: iMac8,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version: IM81.00C1.B00
SMC Version (system): 1.29f1
Hardware UUID: C67B299D-7FF5-5CD3-B894-BFDEBBDD492A


Intel ICH8-M AHCI:

Vendor: Intel
Product: ICH8-M AHCI
Speed: 3 Gigabit
Description: AHCI Version 1.10 Supported

WDC WD3200AAKX-001CA0:

Capacity: 298.09 GB
Model: WDC WD3200AAKX-001CA0
Revision: 15.01H15
Native Command Queuing: Yes
Queue Depth: 32
Removable Media: No
Detachable Drive: No
BSD Name: disk0
Mac OS 9 Drivers: No
Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)
S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified
Volumes:
Mac HD:
Capacity: 297.77 GB
Available: 280.08 GB
Writable: Yes
File System: Journaled HFS+
BSD Name: disk0s2
Mount Point: /


Memory Slots:

ECC: Disabled

BANK 0/DIMM0:

Size: 2 GB
Type: DDR2 SDRAM
Speed: 800 MHz
Status: OK
Manufacturer: 0x2C00000000000000


BANK 1/DIMM1:

Size: 2 GB
Type: DDR2 SDRAM
Speed: 800 MHz
Status: OK
Manufacturer: 0x2C00000000000000




ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro:

Chipset Model: ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 256 MB
Vendor: ATI (0x1002)
Device ID: 0x9583
Revision ID: 0x0000
ROM Revision: 113-B2250L-259
EFI Driver Version: 01.00.259
Displays:
iMac:
Resolution: 1680 x 1050
Depth: 32-Bit Color
Core Image: Hardware Accelerated
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Quartz Extreme: Supported
Built-In: Yes
Display Connector:
Status: No Display Connected

Before you upgrade your computers OS...you should:

- take inventory of the important (and possibly costly apps. you use).
- verify if the versions of these apps. you own are Snow Leopard and/or Lion compatible.

If some apps are Snow Leopard compatible...and some are NOT Lion compatible (and you don't want to purchase newer Lion compatible versions)...then don't go any further than Snow Leopard.

If all your important apps ARE Lion compatible...then I would say upgrade to Lion.

Lastly...Lion is primarily a "download" only OS upgrade. To download Lion...you need the "Mac App. Store" app. installed...which you need Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or later installed to have it. Then you create a Mac App Store account...then download Lion.

Snow Leopard costs $29...and Lion costs $29 (total of $58).

Alternatively...a Lion on USB stick can be purchased for $69 bucks (thus skipping the Snow Leopard install step).

HTH,

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

Before you upgrade your computers OS...you should:

- take inventory of the important (and possibly costly apps. you use).
- verify if the versions of these apps. you own are Snow Leopard and/or Lion compatible.

If some apps are Snow Leopard compatible...and some are NOT Lion compatible (and you don't want to purchase newer Lion compatible versions)...then don't go any further than Snow Leopard.

If all your important apps ARE Lion compatible...then I would say upgrade to Lion.

Lastly...Lion is primarily a "download" only OS upgrade. To download Lion...you need the "Mac App. Store" app. installed...which you need Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or later installed to have it. Then you create a Mac App Store account...then download Lion.

Snow Leopard costs $29...and Lion costs $29 (total of $58).

Alternatively...a Lion on USB stick can be purchased for $69 bucks (thus skipping the Snow Leopard install step).

HTH,

- Nick

Click to expand...

Thanks for responding. Well, all of my apps are pretty much what come with OS Leopard. I haven't installed anything new yet except for Yahoo Messenger, Skype, MSN Messenger and Safari browser. I haven't had anything else installed as of yet - I've only had the 'new' computer with hard drive back from the shop for about ten days.

I have just ordered Microsoft Office Home and Student '11 for Mac (I am a student at a technical college and can use it for school and personal use) and Apple iLife '11 (with GarageBand, iMovie, etc.). I'm trying to "upgrade" as much as I can, but fear limited capability with the Leopard Operating System.

How could I check to see if anything that was installed with Leopard is Snow Leopard compatible? I assume it would be given the prior version?

AlexanderC said:

Thanks for responding. Well, all of my apps are pretty much what come with OS Leopard. I haven't installed anything new yet except for Yahoo Messenger, Skype, MSN Messenger and Safari browser. I haven't had anything else installed as of yet - I've only had the 'new' computer with hard drive back from the shop for about ten days.

Click to expand...

Good...that probably makes things much less complicated. Many times folks have apps. like older versions of Adobe Creative Suite (which can cost thousands of dollars initially to purchase)...and VERY expensive to upgrade. Or they may have specially written apps. from their university or workplace that may not be compatible.

If you don't have any of these...then that makes things much less complicated.

AlexanderC said:

I have just ordered Microsoft Office Home and Student '11 for Mac (I am a student at a technical college and can use it for school and personal use) and Apple iLife '11 (with GarageBand, iMovie, etc.). I'm trying to "upgrade" as much as I can, but fear limited capability with the Leopard Operating System.

Click to expand...

You shouldn't have any trouble with these apps...in regard to Snow Leopard or Lion compatibility.

AlexanderC said:

How could I check to see if anything that was installed with Leopard is Snow Leopard compatible? I assume it would be given the prior version?

Click to expand...

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard compatibility table - Snow Leopard Compatibility
App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps

HTH,

- Nick