snow leopard upgrade questions.

I have a mid 2007 imac, 2ghz processor, 4 gb ram... Im running 10.6.8 snow leopard. .

should I install mavericks? I like snow leopard, but Im worried it could become unsafe since it seems apple is no longer supplying updates for it? Im assuming they stopped updates i've not seen one in a long time.

would mavericks even run decent on this older mac?

Personally, if everything is working for you with SL that you need, and you don't need any new "features", I'd stay with it, and besides you'll probably find that you can't even download Mavericks as Apple seems to have pulled it and expects all capable Mac users to go with Yosemite instead. I would avoid that like the plague.

Also, Apple is still updating your SL XProtect files if you want to check.

It also depends on what you do and what other iDevices you have whether you should upgrade or not, or need to.

macgig said:

should I install mavericks? I like snow leopard, but Im worried it could become unsafe since it seems apple is no longer supplying updates for it? Im assuming they stopped updates i've not seen one in a long time.

would mavericks even run decent on this older mac?

Click to expand...

At the current time you aren't going to be able to upgrade to Mavericks…simply because Apple has pulled Mavericks from the Mac App Store…so it isn't available for download.

You could install Yosemite (the latest OS version). You have 4gig of ram installed…so not too bad. Hard to say how well Yosemite will run. A mid-2007 iMac is on the lower end of the Mac's that can run Yosemite. All I can say is…give it a try. But if possible…do it with an external HD (or different internal HD). If you don't like Yosemite (or it runs slow)…downgrading back to Snow Leopard is a pain. Unless you don't have anything on your HD worth saving…then you can just wipe the HD & reinstall SL.

- Nick

p.s. You could install Lion (10.7) or Mountain Lion (10.8) as well.

p.p.s. One thing I should mention. Your motivation to install Mavericks (or Yosemite)…shouldn't be because it's a free upgrade. This is probably the WORST reason to upgrade a computer's OS!

I thought about getting lion or mountain lion. either are 20 bucks I think. could try Yosemite ... I like free. moneys a little tight these days.

I like SL. it works well and I don't need new features... I downloaded the mavericks installer a month or so ago so I have it on my Hard drive I was not unsure if I should try it or not.

my only reason for considering the update is that snow lep is getting old... and if apple wont update it like I've been reading they are not, at what point does Snow lep become dangerous to keep using?

Just to emphasize Nick's comments, I've always either cloned my existing OS X to either a separate partition on my internal drive, or an external, and then done any upgrade on it, or a clean install onto a partition or another volume and then use Migration Assistant etc.

The original is left untouched by any new OS X version, except for updates, and ready to use.

And Apple has made any other method to go back a real PITA recently if one has not kept the previous OS X version separated and ready to use.

macgig said:

I thought about getting lion or mountain lion. either are 20 bucks I think. could try Yosemite ... I like free. moneys a little tight these days.

Click to expand...

Everyone ALWAYS says money is tight! I don't think that I know ANYONE who ever says…I've got too much money at the moment…I'll just throw this "extra" money out the window!

macgig said:

I like SL. it works well and I don't need new features... I downloaded the mavericks installer a month or so ago so I have it on my Hard drive I was not unsure if I should try it or not.

Click to expand...

WOW…great! That was VERY smart!

Of course if you have the Mavericks downloaded already…then ignore my comments about Yosemite.

macgig said:

my only reason for considering the update is that snow lep is getting old... and if apple wont update it like I've been reading they are not, at what point does Snow lep become dangerous to keep using?

Click to expand...

Regardless of the rational for upgrading the OS. If you're going to upgrade to Mavericks (or Yosemite)…if you have older IMPORTANT apps that run with SL (or even older apps running via "Rosetta")…these apps most likely WON'T run under Mavericks or Yosemite…without an app upgrade (which means spending money)!

- Nick

p.s. I wanted to mention. BEFORE you install Mavericks (using the installer on your HD)…if you decide to install Mavericks. Make sure you create a bootable USB installer FIRST. Otherwise…after Mavericks is installed…the installer on your HD will disappear. Or make a copy of the Mavericks installer on a separate storage device (2nd HD or USB thumb drive).

Just in case anyone missed it and to emphasize:

make a copy of the Mavericks installer on a separate storage device (2nd HD or USB thumb drive)

And thanks Nick, and should I have used uppercase only?

honestly all though i have a mac pro with 4 hard drives i keep maverick around because yosemite is just $#%$#ing me off something awful right now.

macgig said:

I like snow leopard, but Im worried it could become unsafe since it seems apple is no longer supplying updates for it? Im assuming they stopped updates i've not seen one in a long time.

Click to expand...

You're correct. Snow Leopard is increasingly unsafe to use, as it no longer receives security updates.

would mavericks even run decent on this older mac?

Click to expand...

It did for me, so you might consider it as you have the installer.

The longer-term issue, however, is that you have a nearly eight-year-old machine. It's due for replacement, so I would suggest replacing it. You don't have to buy something BRAND new, but the lack of security updates for Snow Leopard will be just the start ... software will increasingly not run on that hardware, or need more RAM, or a better video card ... eventually you won't be able to buy ANY new hardware that needs to interface with that machine, too old ... (way past, IMO) time for you to start thinking about your next machine, BEFORE you find yourself up a suspiciously smelly tributary without the proper means of propulsion ...

pigoo3 said:

Everyone ALWAYS says money is tight! I don't think that I know ANYONE who ever says…I've got too much money at the moment…I'll just throw this "extra" money out the window!

Click to expand...

Well, I put mine in my IRA. I've still got too much at the moment; there are limits on IRA deposits.

chas_m said:

You're correct. Snow Leopard is increasingly unsafe to use, as it no longer receives security updates.

Click to expand...

Nothing unsafe about SL if you don't use the internet. The issue is no updates for Safari. My solution is to use Firefox. It seems to run better also.

toMACsh said:

Well, I put mine in my IRA. I've still got too much at the moment; there are limits on IRA deposits.

Click to expand...

If you've got too much money…there are lots of charities and philanthropic organizations that I'm sure would be more than happy to accept donations.

And of course…there are many many other ways to invest that extra money than IRA accounts (if you've maxed out your IRA contributions).

- Nick

toMACsh said:

Nothing unsafe about SL if you don't use the internet. The issue is no updates for Safari.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure you realize it…but these two statements are in conflict with each other.

- Nick

chas_m said:

You're correct. Snow Leopard is increasingly unsafe to use, as it no longer receives security updates.
… … ...

Click to expand...

I disagree, and I'd appreciate any actual facts that SL is actually "unsafe" to use.

As for any potential "attacks" and protection, you'll notice that all the last Apple security updates were intentionally and only available and needed for Mavericks and especially Yosemite, and only a few small ones for the Lions as Snow Leopard wasn't even affected. It wasn't even vulnerable.

And to add, Apple is still updating the Snow Leopard XProtect files to help keep users protected and safer.

I'd also be surprised if any hackers would even bother wasting their time writing any code that could actually affect Snow Leopard.

pm-r said:

I disagree, and I'd appreciate any actual facts that SL is actually "unsafe" to use.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't necessarily say SL is "unsafe" to use (just need to be careful). But Apple no longer supports SL…so SL will no longer receive Security Updates.

And even with security updates…the OS is never 100% safe.

pm-r said:

As for any potential "attacks" and protection, you'll notice that all the last Apple security updates were intentionally and only available and needed for Mavericks and especially Yosemite, and only a few small ones for the Lions as Snow Leopard wasn't even affected. It wasn't even vulnerable.

Click to expand...

The reason Security Updates for Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, and Yosemite are "only available"…is because these OS versions are still supported by Apple. As of February, 2014…SL is no longer supported by Apple. If SL was still supported…it would still be getting periodic Security Updates as well.

pm-r said:

I'd also be surprised if any hackers would even bother wasting their time writing any code that could actually affect Snow Leopard.

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I wouldn't be. The Mac OS is a "tough nut to crack". So if someone is a hacker…why not try to take advantage of an OS version that is no longer supported with Security Updates (exploit a weakness).

I bet that there are lots of folks still using SL. I wouldn't use the Mac-Forums member base as a "representative sample" of all Mac-Users. We get a meaningful amount of folks still posting wanting to upgrade to SL (from 10.4 or 10.5).

pigoo3 said:

I'm not sure you realize it…but these two statements are in conflict with each other.

- Nick

Click to expand...

I don't think so. If you mean that an SL update included an update to Safari, and now you don't get those anymore, fine. But you're still not in danger if you don't go online.