OS X 10.5 and printer incompatibility

I am running OSX 10.5 Leopard
My printer died and I needed a new one. The rep at HP told me the new model printers do not support OSX 10.5. They require OSX 10.6 or later . He dug around and found one that will work with my OSX 10.5, but in the future I will have a problem

I never upgraded as the new operating systems were released because Leopard had all I need or use.

I read the specs for Mountain Lion and it requires OSX 10.6 or later .

It is my understanding a person can't buy a previous operating system from Apple . What are people doing in this situation? Are copies of Snow Leopard or Lion available on-line on a disk?

The thought of needing to buy a new computer just to have a printer is making my head spin

You really need to start thinking about upgrading before you get so far left behind that you can't catch up. Give Apple customer service a call on their 800 number and order Snow Leopard direct from them. It's still $29.99 plus some local tax and shipping. Once you have SL 10.6.8 installed, you can access the App store and upgrade to Mountain Lion ($19.99) if your machine will support it.

Thank you !
I just checked the specs for Mountain Lion and it requires 2GB of Memory . I only have 1 GB of memory so upgrading may not be possible
I will call Apple to see if I can add memory . If I can then buying Snow Leopard would make sense.
I have 201.4 GB of space available . ML only needs 8 GB so I have plenty of space

If I can't add memory then I will need to plan on buying a new computer in a couple of years.

Next time I buy a computer I will pay extra to buy as much space and memory allowed.

Depending on the computer you can upgrade the memory afterwards. So if your computer supports Mountain Lion you can upgrade your memory to fit your needs.

Mountain Lion specs are OSX 10.6 or higher--IF Snow Leopard is still available for purchase at Apple that solves that requirement
Mountain Lion needs 2GB memory- I have 1GB and but can buy more memory
Mountain Lion needs 8GB available space -I have 201.4 GB available so no problem there

Is there anything else I should check to see if my computer will support Mountain Lion?
It is an iMac
Thanks !!
Barbara

What are your computer specs - model, year, etc?

* I have a 20" iMac purchased in March 2007. From my research on the Apple site it appears to be Listed as a Late 2006 iMac.
* I have OSX 10.5 Leopard

* 1GB memory The Apple support site appears to say my computer will only support 3 GB of memory yet the spec sheet I got with my computer says it will support 4 GB of memory. Before I buy the memory cards I will ask Apple which is correct 3GB or 4GB. The Apple site says I have 2 memory slots so I can buy either two 2GB or one 2GB and one 1GB to get to 3GB. It said if I install two 2GB memory cards my computer will show I have 4GB, but is only be capable of using 3GB. I found the section on the Apple site to buy more memory and the directions on how to install it. It doesn't look hard to do.

I am definitely going to install more memory . I read the sticky on spinning beach balls and I frequently get those. The writer said lack of memory is the main reason. I always shut my computer down at the end of the day. I followed his directions to check the activity monitor and I have fairly high numbers for " page outs" and "swaps used"

* Snow Leopard needs 1 GB of memory and Mountain Lion needs 2 GB of memory so Mountain Lion will be pushing my computer to the limit
I found information on the Apple support site that says I can go from Snow Leopard directly to Mountain lion.

* Originally I had 250 GB hard drive and still have 201.4 GB of space available. Snow Leopard requires 7 GB of space and Mountain Lion requires 8 GB of space so I have enough space for either of them

* 20 GHz Intel core 2 duo
* Model MA876LL/A

I submitted a question to Apple asking if I can still buy Snow Leopard and I am supposed to call them tomorrow to get the answer.


Thanks
Barbara

I can answer that one early -- it qualifies for Snow Leopard. It might not qualify to go any higher than that but Snow Leopard is the important stage you need to reach for now.

For future reference, you should plan and budget to replace your computer every five years or so. Leaps in technology or changes in the emphasis (like today's heavy reliance on graphics, something that wasn't a priority in 2006) can render a machine "obsolete" fairly quickly. One can keep going on the contemporary system for a while, but eventually the problems and incompatibilities mount.

chas_m
I definitely see your point about buying a new computer every 5 years. I was looking at my use of the computer and thought what I had was sufficient. I had not considered that printers or even Apple may not support older operating systems in the future.

I will get more memory and Snow Leopard if I can buy it. I am concerned that Mountain Lion may be pushing my memory to the max.
Thanks
Barbara

Yes, Snow Leopard is probably where you should stay for that machine assuming it can't go beyond 2GB of RAM (RAM is cheap though, if you CAN upgrade your machine's RAM you definitely should!).

The Apple site said my computer will support 3GB of memory. It came with 1GB. However the specs I got with my computer said it will support 4GB of memory. I need to call Apple to verify which is correct so I know how much to buy.
IF It will support 4 GB then I will upgrade to Mountain Lion. If it will only support 3GB then I will stay with Snow Leopard until I buy a new computer.
I appreciate everyones help and suggestions on this situation

Update: I was able to order Snow Leopard over the phone through Apple support. It comes on a disk so it is not in the App Store

The rep checked my serial number and said I Can increase the memory to 4GB. My model is considered a mid 2007 model so I was reading the wrong chart. He also said after I increase my memory to 4GB I can run Mountain Lion without any problem .
It is all working out
Thanks!