Upgrade OSX?

My MBP was delivered in mid-2011 with 10.6.6 and I duly updated it to 10.6.8. It currently runs perfectly. However, reading up about Java it seems that version 7 won't run on 10.6 and 10.6 which will has issues.

So, should I upgrade to 10.8? Will there be ANY disadvantages in doing so? Come to that, other than Java will there be any advantages?

peterbj7 said:

However, reading up about Java it seems that version 7 won't run on 10.6 and 10.6 which will has issues.

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Regardless of the advantages/disadvantages concerns. If you need to run Java 7...do you really have a choice??

- Nick

I don't know that I do NEED to run Java 7. Java 6 seems to provide all the functionality I need, but I believe it has security issues.

Ignoring the Java question, what other issues might arise with the upgrade? I read here last year of people who had big concerns, but I don't know how those were resolved - or if they were.

peterbj7 said:

Ignoring the Java question, what other issues might arise with the upgrade? I read here last year of people who had big concerns, but I don't know how those were resolved - or if they were.

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Many folks have concerns with "change" (including you since you posted this question). And in many cases...it's good to ask questions before diving in.

But Mountain Lion (10.8) has been out since last July (7+ months ago)...and initially sure there would be concerns...since there would be very little info available initially. But now we have 7+ months of info...much of that info available via internet searches...plus we have had two 10.8 updates since it's release (10.8.1 and 10.8.2).

About the only serious concern I would warn folks about moving from 10.6 to 10.8 (beyond the "normal" concerns folks should be aware of when upgrading their OS)...would be the loss of compatibility with PPC apps. If you do not run any PPC apps...then you should be fine

Something I would shoot back your way. Why do you want to upgrade to 10.8...does 10.8 offer you something (features or compatibility) that you need?

If your computer is currently running "perfectly" (including potentially with any other Apple devices or external hardware)...iPods, iPads, iPhones, printers, etc...make sure you will have no problems with those devices.

- Nick

How do I ensure I won't have any other problems, other that from fora such as this? I am not at all convinced I want to change, other than that the latest and safest version of Java won't run on my OS and Apple only seem to support versions of OSX for two or three years - according to what I read here and on the Java update page.

Surely many people with the same hardware as me have tried the upgrade. Did it work satisfactorily?

Incidentally, I have no idea what "PPC apps" are.

peterbj7 said:

How do I ensure I won't have any other problems, other that from fora such as this?

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- Many times newer hardware requires new OS versions...and many times older hardware can be incompatible with newer versions of the OS. I don't know what other hardware you may have...so it's up to you to check OS requirements for any hardware you may have.

- Sometimes older apps may not be compatible with newer OS versions. The software applications installed on your computer...you need to verify if they are compatible with OS 10.8.

peterbj7 said:

Surely many people with the same hardware as me have tried the upgrade. Did it work satisfactorily?

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Depends how you define "satisfactorily". Every persons definition can be different. And even if you can define "satisfactory" for you...you still won't know until you actually do it.

It's kind of like asking..."I want to relocate my home from New York City to Los Angles...will I be satisfied?"

You can ask 1000 people who did the same thing...and you will get a variety of answers. But the bottom line is...you won't know until YOU actually do it!

peterbj7 said:

Incidentally, I have no idea what "PPC apps" are.

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Have you tried doing an internet search to find out??

- Nick

PowerPC applies to older computers such as G5 PowerMacs and iMacs, and G4 PowerBooks etc. Your MBP is an Intel computer. From Lion OS X.7 and Mountain Lion OS X.8 these PowerPC applications will not run. This includes Office 2004 etc.

In time you will find it necessary to update to Mountain Lion as was discussed here yesterday Apple support for Snow Leopard OS X.6 is expected to be discontinued in the not too distant future.

Updated my new June 2012 iMac to Mountain Lion no problems at all and Java 7.17 runs games etc perfectly.

So my question remains - if I upgrade will there be any loss of functionality? I'm not concerned with external peripherals, just the MBP itself.

WHY do Apple discontinue support for version of their OSX so soon? My machine is hardly old. Particularly as there seem to be no guarantees that a later version of the OS will be compatible with the hardware.

peterbj7 said:

So my question remains - if I upgrade will there be any loss of functionality? I'm not concerned with external peripherals, just the MBP itself.

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When you upgrade to Lion or Mountain Lion, the one "loss" of functionality will be the inability to run Universal or PPC-based applications. Apart from this, I believe there have been additional functionality in the newer versions of OS X, not less.

peterbj7 said:

WHY do Apple discontinue support for version of their OSX so soon? My machine is hardly old. Particularly as there seem to be no guarantees that a later version of the OS will be compatible with the hardware.

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10.6 Snow Leopard was released in 2009, 10.7 Lion in 2011 and 10.8 Mountain Lion in 2012. You can still purchase Snow Leopard from Apple and update it to to 10.6.8 and a LOT of 3rd party applications still say 10.6+ onward for support. So you're all set there. Apple will, however, not work on creating updates for Snow Leopard or Lion for that matter since they are essentially archived versions of OS X, all development resources are focused on making Mountain Lion better and safer and to address whatever issues arise.

Snow Leopard has a unique place in the line-up since it's the last version that worked with Universal/PPC applications, and there are a lot of people who rely on that..

Look at the excellent chart provided in this post by member "chas_m" to see that Snow Leopard's usage followed very closely to Mountain Lion..

Now your machine does support Mountain Lion and there is no reason for you not to upgrade to it..

My late 2009 iMac is compatible with Mountain Lion as well, but I hard expect that to be the case for the next couple of versions of OS X. At that point in time (assuming release cycles of 1-2 years), my iMac will be sufficiently old to remain where it is and require me to purchase a new Mac to use the newer versions of OS X..

peterbj7 said:

So my question remains - if I upgrade will there be any loss of functionality?

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You need to define "functionality" as it applies to you. As far as functionality of the MacBook Pro itself...there of course will be no loss of functionality...the MBP will continue to function as it always has. It's not like the camera, the trackpad, the keyboard, or anything else will discontinue to function.

peterbj7 said:

WHY do Apple discontinue support for version of their OSX so soon? My machine is hardly old.

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Isn't this question beyond the scope of your actual concerns about upgrading to OS 10.8? Apple does what it does...not much we can do about it.

But to more specifically address your question. You bought your computer at the very end of when Apple was shipping computers with OS 10.6. If you has purchased your computer just 1-2 months later...it would have shipped with OS 10.7.

As far as OS "functionality". When Apple releases new versions of the Mac OS...sometimes some features are "retired" and some new features are added. If you're concerned about this sort of thing...then YOU need to do some homework...and review what features may have been removed from OS 10.6...and what new features have been added to OS 10.8. And then make your OS upgrade decision.

It's been about 7+ months since OS 10.8 was released...so I'm sure there is plenty of information on the internet regarding features lost & gained with OS 10.8.

peterbj7 said:

Particularly as there seem to be no guarantees that a later version of the OS will be compatible with the hardware.

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This is not entirely correct. Your computer shipped with OS 10.6...but it is definitely compatible with OS 10.7 and 10.8...so it is compatible with future versions of the Mac OS (10.7 and 10.8 at this point). 10.8.2 is the latest version of the OS...and your computer is definitely compatible with OS 10.8.

And given that your MBP is a 2011 model...I have a lot of confidence that when OS 10.9 is released...that it will be compatible with your MBP as well.

- Nick

For the record, Apple has updated Java 6 with the latest security updates. Snow Leopard users should just use Software Update to get it. SL didn't come with Java, so if you don't see the update that means you're not even using Java and the issue is moot for you.

Thanks guys for that explanation. I think I'll stay where I am. No-one's mentioned any startling new facilities I'd get if I upgraded, so I see no positive reason to upgrade.

Reminds me of a tablet I bought a few months ago. Ran perfectly under Android 4.0. Then without my say-so it was upgraded to 4.1, with loads of arbitrary changes to the UI but not a single substantive improvement. And I would have been much happier had Windows continued with XP - later versions have been a major headache for me, with many of the changes having a considerable effect on the user but actually being quite arbitrary - as was demonstrated when some key changes from XP to Vista were reversed on the move to 7.

So, "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

peterbj7 said:

Thanks guys for that explanation. I think I'll stay where I am. No-one's mentioned any startling new facilities I'd get if I upgraded, so I see no positive reason to upgrade.

Reminds me of a tablet I bought a few months ago. Ran perfectly under Android 4.0. Then without my say-so it was upgraded to 4.1, with loads of arbitrary changes to the UI but not a single substantive improvement. And I would have been much happier had Windows continued with XP - later versions have been a major headache for me, with many of the changes having a considerable effect on the user but actually being quite arbitrary - as was demonstrated when some key changes from XP to Vista were reversed on the move to 7.

So, "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

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That's the bottom line..if you don't HAVE to upgrade and everything you want to do can be done on your current computer running SL, then by all means stick to it. When you feel that there is need enough to upgrade, know that you can upgrade at that point..

peterbj7 said:

So, "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

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Here are at least 4 common reasons folks upgrade their OS:

- they buy a new piece of hardware (iPhone, iPad, scanner, printer, Apple TV, etc.) that requires a newer OS version
- they buy a new software application (a game, MS Office, Adobe app., etc.) that requires a newer OS version
- a new OS version has a feature or features that someone cannot live without
- newer versions of an internet browser, Java, Flash, plugins...require a newer OS version.

But like you mentioned...if it ain't broke don't fix it...and if nothing listed above applies to you...then there isn't a real need to update the OS.

- Nick

p.s. Of course there is another VERY common reason folks upgrade their computers OS...and that's because they like having the latest & greatest. But this is more of a want rather than a need.

For the record, a mid-2011 MBP really should be running Mountain Lion. There are numerous benefits, mostly outlined on Apple's website:

Apple - OS X Mountain Lion - Move your Mac even further ahead.

I'm not saying Snow Leopard is junk or anything, you can stay where you are ... for a while ... if you prefer. But at some point you're going to start seeing notices that such-and-such no longer works with your machine. Don't know when that day will come, but when it does it will just go downhill from there.

Changes (which are part and parcel of computers -- people who don't like change should probably avoid computers generally!) are much easier to take if one makes the minimal effort to stay up-to-date. Jumping from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion will be a bit more challenging than going from SL to Lion to ML, but that's just an example. Broadly speaking, incremental change is easier to deal with than less-frequent but whopping big changes.

Whilst it may have been delivered in mid 2011, it is an early 2011, and the early 2011 models did come OS X.6.6. The mid 2011 came with OS X.7.2 and will not run Snow Leopard.

Right on the money Harry! There were only:

- "Early 2011" MacBook Pros shipped with OS 10.6
- "Late 2011" MacBook Pro's shipped with OS 10.7

I have an "Early 2011" MacBook Pro...and I sort of consider it an advantage that it's able to run 10.6, 10.7, and 10.8. Being able to install 10.6 and able to run Rosetta for old PPC software I may have could come in handy!

- Nick

Thanks. I'll think about it. The cost doesn't bother me, it's the inconvenience if it doesn't work properly and I have to back track.