Retina Macbook Pro Yosemite Pre-Installed to Mavericks

[zarpanzur]

If I order a mid-2014 Retina MacBook Pro from the apple store, and customize it with 1TB SSD and 16GB RAM, it will most likely come pre-installed with Yosemite.

I have another mid-2014 MacBook Pro, purchased with Mavericks pre-installed, which I used to make a Time Machine backup.

Question - Can I use the above mentioned Time Machine backup and restore it onto my MacBook that came pre-installed with Yosemite? I'd likely have to wipe all partitions and start from scratch.

I've heard that you can't install/boot from older versions of OS X than came pre-installed on your MacBook Pro. Is this correct and/or is there a workaround?

 

[chscag]

Question - Can I use the above mentioned Time Machine backup and restore it onto my MacBook that came pre-installed with Yosemite? I'd likely have to wipe all partitions and start from scratch.

No, other than data, documents, settings, and your account, you can not install Mavericks on a new MacBook Pro that comes pre-installed with Yosemite.

I've heard that you can't install/boot from older versions of OS X than came pre-installed on your MacBook Pro. Is this correct and/or is there a workaround?

You heard correctly. No work around that I know of.

 

[zarpanzur]

Many thanks. Looks like I'll have to find a mid-2014 MacBook Pro that still comes with Mavericks.

 

[chscag]

You may be able to find one at the Apple refurbished sales store.