How do I upgrade to the latest OS?

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Hi
I have an iMac which is running 10.5.8
The processor is 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and the model identifier is iMac9,1

I know that this Leopard. Ideally I would like to get the latest OS (Mountain Lion right?) but I'm not sure how to go about this. Do I have to upgrade to Snow Leopard first or can I just jump? Seems a lot of money for all these OS upgrades.

Also, will it affect the running of my iMac if I make these upgrades?

Finally - how do I get hold of these upgrades as you don't seem to be able to get Snow Leopard online anymore. Thanks:)

Sorry for these really basic questions - I just joined!
 

Slydude

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Here's a good overview of the upgrade process including a link to Snow Leopard ($19.99). There are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Once Snow Leopard is installed and updated you can skip to Mountain Lion ($19.99) without doing any of the Lion upgrades/updates).

2. Mountain Lion will run with 2 GB of memory but 4 GB seems to be a good number for most users. Some users will notice performance improvements by going beyond 4 GB if possible but this depends upon how you use your machine.

3. If you are running any older software that used Power PC code (think G5 of earlier) that software will not run under OS 10.7 or 10.8 unless you upgrade it. If you have questions about specific pieces of software just ask.
 
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$40.00 to move from Leopard ->SL->ML (skipping Lion) is a smoking deal! Not "a lot of money" by any stretch of the imagination.
 

Slydude

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$40.00 to move from Leopard ->SL->ML (skipping Lion) is a smoking deal! Not "a lot of money" by any stretch of the imagination.

LOL. Especially compared to the "good old days". In the not too distant past those upgrades would have gone for somewhere around $120.00 each. Though you might have been able to cut the number of discs purchased to one (direct from Leopard to Mountain Lion).

Perhaps the OP was under the impression that one would have to pay for one of the pre-built flash drives that were available.
 
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This question gets asked once a day, or almost. Why not have a Sticky that asks this exact question in the topic title, and then outlines various scenarios in the answer?
 

Slydude

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I was just wondering what else needed to be a sticky. Of course many of these questions were also addressed in the blog post several of us contributed to some months ago.
 
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Do I have to upgrade to Snow Leopard first or can I just jump? Seems a lot of money for all these OS upgrades.

Your kidding aren’t you ?? As MYmacROX posted
$40.00 to move from Leopard ->SL->ML (skipping Lion) is a smoking deal! Not "a lot of money" by any stretch of the imagination.
Brilliant IMHO considering $99 for Win XP (Probably more in the day), Win 7 $200+ and then Microsoft saw what Apple was doing and for a upgrade to Win 8 was $39.99.

So at the end of the day, you still thinks the prices are a joke, then dont upgrade
 
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Thank for all of your help. I've ordered Snow Leopard and may just leave it at that as I don't want to start messing around with changing storage.

Many of you seem amused that I think this is a lot of money. Well, when you compare getting upgrades for iPad and iPhone (free) it is! I think it's a little cheeky of Apple to keep bringing out new OS and then charging you for them especially as Macs cost so much more than PCs to begin with. But then that's just my opinion. I'm sure others will disagree vehemently:)

Thanks again guys
 
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Many of you seem amused that I think this is a lot of money. Well, when you compare getting upgrades for iPad and iPhone (free) it is! I think it's a little cheeky of Apple to keep bringing out new OS and then charging you for them especially as Macs cost so much more than PCs to begin with. But then that's just my opinion. I'm sure others will disagree vehemently:)

Well, not vehemently, but yeah, you have redundant devices and lament the cost of keeping them all up to date. That's the world you've chosen to live in.
 

pigoo3

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Many of you seem amused that I think this is a lot of money. Well, when you compare getting upgrades for iPad and iPhone (free) it is! I think it's a little cheeky of Apple to keep bringing out new OS and then charging you for them especially as Macs cost so much more than PCs to begin with. But then that's just my opinion. I'm sure others will disagree vehemently:)

If you can afford to own an iMac, an iPad, and an iPhone...then you can certainly afford to purchase the occasional OS upgrade.

OS upgrades for these devices are kind of like tires, oil changes, and brake pads for an automobile. Automobiles are expensive as well...and tires, oil changes, and brake pads aren't free...so neither are OS upgrades for electronic devices.

- Nick

p.s. You also might want to look into how much OS upgrades cost for Windows computers (Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8)...you may be surprised at the prices!;)
 
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chas_m

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If you think $20 is a lot of money considering what you get from it ... I'd be fascinated to see what you spend money on. $20 is less than four cups of coffee, less than one dinner (for one!) at a restaurant, and less than a movie/popcorn/drink (total entertainment time: two hours, tops).

As for the TCO of a Mac versus a PC, your statement is so rife with misinformation it doesn't dignify a response.
 

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