# Upgrade from OS X 10.6.8 ?



## AM_SOS (Jul 8, 2010)

Hello all,

I have a four and a half year old MacBook Pro running on OS X 10.6.8 - the OS it was shipped with. I recently noticed I wasn't getting any updates and realised Apple stops sending them out after 3 years. I use my computer for research work that means accessing university websites, internet, and lots of word processing in Office 2011. 

I do most work on Chrome and Firefox with Safari reserved for occasional use. However, when I try to login into my university server I get an alert message about the OS being outdated. I also regularly use my computer for online banking and now I am unsure if it is a good idea to do this and other such activities on an "outdated" OS?

I am starting to wonder if there are any security implications that I need to be aware of? Do you think I need to upgrade to a newer version asap? If yes, which one?

Thanks!


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

First lets see how much RAM (memory) you have installed. Click the Apple icon on the top left corner and choose* About this Mac*. What is the installed Memory?
If you have 2 GB of RAM or more, you can update to the latest OS* Yosemite *for free by going to *Software Update* in *System Preferences*. Any OS later then 10.6 requires at least 2GB of RAM. If you only have 1GB of RAM then stay with Snow Leopard.


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## AM_SOS (Jul 8, 2010)

Hi spunk.funk,

This is a 2010 Pro 13 in model and has the following specs -

2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3

Would it make sense to upgrade to a version earlier than Yosemite? 

Is 4 GB (and the processor) the minimum requirement for OS's later than OS X and is it going to be sufficient?

What problems would I face if I stick to OS X 10.6.8 ?

Thanks!


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

You are already seeing the effects of not updating. Apple continually pushes people kicking and screaming into the future. They do not support older OS's after 3 years and you will find it harder to update other apps unless you have a more updated system. It is only going to get worse. Your computer exceeds the minimum requirements to upgrade. You can update to Lion or whatever, but if your going to update your OS, you might as well get the latest.


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## AM_SOS (Jul 8, 2010)

Okay, so I've been unsuccessfully trying to upgrade to Mountain Lion - I can't seem to find the location from where to download the install files and make the installation disk.

I know Yosemite's a free download, but I would rather go with a slightly newer version than the latest. This is because I am worried about compatibility issues with Zotero (an extension for Firefox) and MS Office 2011.

So can anyone tell me how I can get Mountain Lion as a free upgrade for OS X 10.6.8 ?

Thanks!


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Yosemite and Mavericks are Free Upgrades. All other versions of Mac OSX, including Mountain Lion or Lion, cost money. BTW, I run *Yosemite* and I have no problem with MS Office 2011 or any other addons for Firefox. Here is a list of conflicts with Zotero, and there are none for Yosemite: https://www.zotero.org/support/known_issues


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## AM_SOS (Jul 8, 2010)

Thanks, this reassures me as far as Zotero is concerned.

But I've been seeing reports about how Yosemite slows older comps down. So, upgrading to ML or M seems sufficient for my purposes.

So what do I do to get Mavericks?

Thanks!


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

If you had 2GB of RAM or less, your computer would slow down with Mavericks or Yosemite. But since you have* 4GB* of RAM _twice_ the minimum, there is no reason not to get *Yosemite*, which you can get from the Apps store for free. Apple may have hidden Mavericks and you might have a harder time finding it but you can start here: Installing Mavericks: What you need to know | Macworld
Other then that you can purchase Lion or Mountain Lion from Ebay.


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## AM_SOS (Jul 8, 2010)

Thanks, this helps. 
But is there a simple way to download Yosemite and install it directly on a 8 GB pen drive?
That way I could first try out how it works on my comp, and install it after I'm satisfied.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Here are step by step instructions with pictures: How to Make an OS X Yosemite Boot Installer USB Drive | OSXDaily


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