What's Latest Version of OS X I can Install?

I have a 5 year old Macbook from the last time I tried making the switch from Win to Mac. I abandoned it about 6 months after getting it and it's been sitting idle all this time. In fact, I restored to factory condition and was going to sell it back then but decided to keep it because I knew I would eventually go back to switching to Mac (didn't think it would take 5 year, though).

Now that I'm getting a new MBP (should be here Tuesday) and will really go ahead with the switch to Mac, I dug out the old MB and used software update to bring it up to 10.5.8.

I'd like to upgrade it to the latest version of OS X that it can take but I'm having trouble figuring out which version that is. I know it cannot take Mountain Lion. But I don't know about Lion?

How would I go about buying whatever upgrade I need? I cannot use the Mac App Store with my current version - which is OS X 10.5.8 and the Apple store only shows the latest version for sale.

Here's what I currently have - purchased Dec 2007

Model Name: MacBook
Model Identifier: MacBook3,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.2 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz

10.8 is not an option for your system.

OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion System Requirements

10.7 is doable if you get to 10.6.6 first and install the app store...

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion System Requirements

You probably need to upgrade to 10.6 first, or may possibly be able to purchase 10.7 and then create a 10.7 USB installer on someone else's Mac.

Snow Leopard $20 free shipping

Since you are getting a new MBP and just keeping this one around as a secondary one, I'd suggest you forget about Lion. Your machine would run Lion just fine but getting a copy is near-impossible, so just stick with Snow Leopard on that machine and enjoy Mountain Lion on your new MBP.

chas_m said:

Since you are getting a new MBP and just keeping this one around as a secondary one, I'd suggest you forget about Lion. Your machine would run Lion just fine but getting a copy is near-impossible, so just stick with Snow Leopard on that machine and enjoy Mountain Lion on your new MBP.

Click to expand...

chas_m, Thanks. This makes sense. I've already run into problems trying to install current (or any) version of the Chrome and Firefox browsers - all of which require 10.6 and apparently no way (that I could find) of installing earlier versions. So, 10.6 appears to be the minimum OS level that I need and I'll be happy to be able to get these other browsers installed.

With 10.6 installed, will I be able to use the OS's software update function to bring me up to 10.6.6 so that I can utilize the Mac App Store?

nycfonephreak said:

With 10.6 installed, will I be able to use the OS's software update function to bring me up to 10.6.6 so that I can utilize the Mac App Store?

Click to expand...

Yep. In fact, you can go up to 10.6.8 (the last incremental update to 10.6).

Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1

cwa107 said:

Yep. In fact, you can go up to 10.6.8 (the last incremental update to 10.6).

Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1

Click to expand...

Snow Leopard arrived yesterday (incredibly fast given I didn't order until the weekend) and I was able to install and then upgrade to 10.6.8. I now have current versions of Firefox and Chrome installed as well so I'm a happy camper!

Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction

Snow Leopard is still widely supported in terms of third-party software and Apple updates that are available for it, but there is no promise that this will hold true going forward. In a year or two I would expect that developers will start making ML the minimum requirement for future technology.

You already have an ML machine so you're not in any predicament, I'm just adding this for people reading this thread who may have the (mistaken) idea that they can "hold" at Snow Leopard. For a little while yet, yes; long term, no.

I don't know chas... ? Since Apple started selling Snow Leopard again from the on line store, it might become Apple's XP. (The OS that Microsoft can't seem to kill.) I agree with you though.