Mavericks: State of the nation

David Empson President, Wellington Macintosh Society, Inc.

April 2014

If you want to contact me with any questions, please e-mail [email protected].

Page 1 of 25 Timeline

Recent Timeline

• September 2013: final security update and Safari update for 10.6.8. • October 2013: OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) released. • December 2013: 10.9.1 update. • February 2014: 10.9.2 update. Future Timeline

• April or May: estimated release of 10.9.3 update. • June 2: developer conference, which should announce and preview the next major version. • October: estimated release of next major version (10.10?)

Page 2 of 25 General stability

• Overall, 10.9.2 seems pretty stable. It is better than 10.9.1 or 10.9. • Inevitably there will be a 10.9.3 update which is likely to fix more of the early problems with 10.9. Issues I’m aware of with 10.9.2

• Still some glitches with Mail. • Rules sometimes not working. • Odd behaviour with GMail. • In one case, I’ve seen Mail lose track of folders in a complex hierarchy. • Importing from another copy of Mail leaves an untidy hierarchy.

• USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt drives ejecting unexpectedly when idle. • Only affects recent Macs with USB 3 or Thunderbolt support. • Doesn’t affect older Macs or hard drives using USB 2. • Time Machine backup to a USB 3 drive is risky. • Reduce or eliminate the problem by going into System Preferences, Energy Saver, turning off “Put hard disks to sleep when possible”.

• Reconnecting to known Wi-Fi networks sometimes takes a while. • Some people don’t appreciate the loss of direct contact/calendar sync with iOS devices via iTunes. New iWork applications

• The latest versions of Pages (5.x), Keynote (6.x) and Numbers (3.x) require OS X 10.9 (Mavericks). • At present they are limited in features compared to the previous (iWork ’09) versions. • If you are using advanced features of the existing iWork applications, you should ignore the new versions for now. • The new versions are required to sync documents with the latest iWork apps on iOS and with iCloud.

• If you have iWork ’09 (Pages 4.x, Keynote 5.x and/or Numbers 2.x) installed, App Store in Mavericks will offer to download the new versions for free. • If you accept the new versions, the old ones will still be on the hard drive, in the “iWork ’09” folder under Applications. • If you have both versions installed, the new ones will be launched by default when double-clicking a document. • You can manually launch the old versions to keep using them.

Page 3 of 25 Apple is pushing Mavericks

• There was a recent Mac App Store update for Snow Leopard, Lion and Mountain Lion. • After installing that update, App Store periodically shows a notification if your computer is able to upgrade to Mavericks. • Clicking the notification takes you to the Mavericks page in App Store. • Don’t proceed with the “Free Upgrade” until you are ready. • No easy way to stop the notification appearing regularly. Recommendations

• If you have been intending to upgrade to Mavericks and wanted to avoid the worst early problems, then 10.9.2 is a good point to upgrade. • For a few more improvements, you might want to wait a month or two for the probable 10.9.3 update. • If you are backing up to a USB 3.0 drive on a 2012 or later Mac, wait. Recommendations: if you are running OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

• 10.6 users are more likely to have application compatibility issues to deal with before upgrading. • If you need to stay on 10.6 in the meantime: • Make sure all security updates are installed. • Stop using Safari, due to increasing security risks. Switch to Firefox or Chrome, since they are still being updated. • Consider anti-virus software. Recommendations: if you are running OS X 10.5.8 (Leopard) or earlier

• Lack of security fixes and software support for at least two years makes Internet access even riskier. • Intel Macs on 10.5.8 or earlier should be upgraded at least to 10.6.8. • PowerPC Macs have no upgrade path, short of buying a newer computer. • PowerPC Macs might be safer due to obscurity. I still recommend getting a newer Mac for Internet access.

Page 4 of 25 Upgrading to a later version of OS X Basic compatibility rules for OS X upgrades

• Most applications are fine when upgrading to a new OS X version, as long as the application is reasonably up to date. • Sometimes there might be minor compatibility issues which require a free update to fix. • Sometimes the application won’t support a new OS X version unless you pay for an upgrade to a new version of the application.

• Utilities are often dependent on a specific version of OS X, and need to be updated every time you move to a new OS X version. • Examples: Onyx, Cocktail, TinkerTool.

• Virtual Machine software (Parallels, VMware Fusion, VirtualBox) often needs to be upgraded when moving to a new OS X version.

• Some applications are only documented as supporting a limited range of OS X versions. • Operation on later OS X versions is untested and may have problems. • If there are problems, you may need to upgrade to a new version of the application. • Example: FileMaker Pro.

• Minor OS X updates (e.g. 10.6.8 vs 10.6.7) rarely cause compatibility problems, and usually have important bug fixes and security fixes.

• Some new major OS X versions (e.g. 10.7 vs 10.6) drop support for features which are used by a lot of older applications. • 10.5 in 2007 (and 10.4 on Intel Macs in 2006) dropped the Classic environment, which allowed running Mac OS 9 and older applications (circa 1984-2001) inside Mac OS X. • 10.7 in 2011 dropped the Rosetta feature which allowed running PowerPC applications (circa 2001-2007) on Intel Macs.

• Some new major OS X versions (e.g. 10.9 vs 10.8) drop features which are only used by some applications, older versions of applications, or applications which are no longer being developed. • Example: 10.9 dropped an old networking mechanism called Open Transport, which prevents a small number of applications from working, such as a USENET reader called MT-Newswatcher.

Page 5 of 25 Major Changes in each version 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

• Touted as being a stability release with “no new features”. • Unified printer driver distribution via Apple’s Software Update. • Image Capture adds built-in support for many scanners. • Some changes to the Spaces and Exposé features. • Mac App Store introduced in 10.6.6.

• Few software compatibility problems upgrading from 10.4 (Tiger) or 10.5 (Leopard), apart from utilities. • Slightly more chance of compatibility problems if migrating from a PowerPC Mac. • Drops support for AppleTalk printers.

• File sharing with Mac OS 9 only works over TCP/IP, with Mac OS 9 computer as the server. • File sharing with Mac OS 8.6 or earlier not supported. • “Creator codes” are no longer recognised when opening a document, making it harder to open documents with a common filename extension in a specific application. • Mac file system dating back to late 1980s (HFS) is read-only. 10.7 (Lion)

• Significant changes to aspects of the user interface. • Default scrolling direction is reversed, to match the iPhone and iPad. • Scroll bars no longer have arrows to step up/down one line. • If you have a trackpad, scroll bars are hidden by default.

• Address Book looks like a spiral bound book, groups are harder to use because they are hidden behind a mode toggle. • iCal tries to look more like a desk calendar, multiple calendars are harder to use because they are hidden behind a button.

• Auto-save mechanism. • Only used in some applications, notably TextEdit, Preview, Pages, Numbers and Keynote. • Changes are saved automatically as you work. • You can browse through and revert to old versions, and copy selected portions from old versions. • “Save As” command is replaced with “Duplicate”. • New gestures for multi-touch trackpads. • iCloud support, with basic feature set including sync of Address Book and iCal. • Mission Control replaces Spaces.

Page 6 of 25 • AirDrop (copy files directly between Macs via Wi-Fi) is supported for Macs from about 2009 or 2010 and later.

• FileVault now offers full disk encryption, more reliable than old method. • Full screen mode, doesn’t work well with multiple monitors. • Launchpad. • Mail default layout is changed (classic layout is available via preferences), adds support for tracking conversations.

• Recovery Partition allows disk repair and reinstalling OS X. • Macs from about 2010 onward can reinstall OS X via the Internet if the hard drive dies and is replaced. (Firmware updates required for some models to enable this.)

• Drops Rosetta, which means no PowerPC applications can be used, only Intel or Universal applications. • Flash and Java are not installed by default, but you can install them yourself. • Drops iSync, which may rule out syncing to some third party mobile devices. • Drops Front Row.

• Apple’s USB dial-up modem is not compatible with Lion (or later). • File sharing with Mac OS 9 and earlier not supported. 10.8 (Mountain Lion)

• Eased back a little from the less popular changes in 10.7. • Auto-hidden scroll bars appear as soon as you start scrolling with the mouse or trackpad, rather than having to point to the scroll bar. • Auto-save mechanism restores a Save As command (via the Option key) and has several improvements to allow more familiar workflow.

• Address Book is renamed to Contacts and its user interface improved. • iCal is renamed to Calendar and its user interface improved. • iChat is renamed to Messages and adds support for iMessage protocol, allowing message exchange with iOS devices.

• Notification Centre. • Notes application. • App Store can automatically install application updates (configurable). • Software Update integrated into App Store. • iCloud adds support for document to be saved in the cloud and synced.

• AirPlay Mirroring (supported on Macs with a Thunderbolt port) to an Apple TV. • Power Nap (for selected Macs with a solid state drive) allows backups and updates while the computer is asleep. • Displays menu replaced with an AirPlay menu, which makes it harder to quickly adjust display settings and control mirroring. • Use Command-F1 to toggle mirroring on older models, or third party software (such as SwitchResX) as a replacement.

Page 7 of 25 10.9 (Mavericks)

• Finder tabs. • Finder document tags. • iBooks application. • Maps application.

• Calendar user interface improvements. • Safari shared links, changes to top sites, new sidebar.

• Major changes to support for multiple displays: • Menu bar on all displays • Dock can move to other displays • Full screen apps operate independently on each display • Each display is now a separate space/desktop • Old behaviour can be restored via a setting in System Preferences

• AirPlay Display: use Apple TV as an independent display rather than just mirroring. • Notification Centre gains support for notifications from web sites, interactive notifications, and can list notifications while logged out or the screen was locked.

• iCloud adds support for iCloud Keychain: sync passwords between Macs and iOS devices. • Safari can generate and save complex passwords for web sites (synced via iCloud Keychain, if enabled).

• Improvements in energy consumption, should improve battery operating time for notebook models. • Virtual memory system supports compressing inactive memory before having to resort to swapping to disk, should improve performance if memory is tight.

• Sync Services is removed, which means iTunes cannot directly sync contact and calendar data with iOS devices and iPods. • Current solution is to use an online service such as iCloud or Google. • Also rules out directly syncing this data with non-Apple mobile devices.

• Open Transport networking is removed, which affects a few old applications such as MT- Newswatcher.

Page 8 of 25 Application support for each version 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

• Last security update was in September 2013. • Safari has not been updated since September 2013. • There is clear evidence from updates for later OS X versions that 10.6 and Safari now have known vulnerabilities, so using them for Internet access is increasingly risky.

• Still supported by the latest iTunes and can therefore sync and manage current iPhones, iPods and iPads. • I expect Apple to drop 10.6 support in iTunes when the next iPhone models and iOS 8 are released (about September).

• The latest Airport base stations cannot be configured using 10.6. • Few (if any) other applications from Apple still support 10.6.

• Still supported by third party web browsers (Firefox, Chrome). • Still supported by Adobe Flash and Adobe Reader. • Other third party applications are variable. Quite a few have already moved to requiring 10.7 or later in their latest version. 10.7 (Lion)

• Still getting security and Safari updates as of February 2014. • Likely to continue getting updates at least until the next major version is released (October?), might get updates for another year after that, depending on Apple’s unpublished policy. • The latest versions of many Apple applications require a later version of OS X.

• iTunes should support 10.7 until at least late 2015. • Third party applications are variable. There are some which require 10.7 or later, while a smaller number already require 10.8 or 10.9. 10.8 (Mountain Lion)

• Still getting security and Safari updates as of February 2014. • Likely to continue getting updates at least until the next major version is released (October?), possibly a year or more longer. • The latest versions of many Apple applications require a later version of OS X.

• iTunes should support 10.8 until at least late 2015. • Third party applications are variable. There are some which require 10.8 or later, while a smaller number already require 10.9.

Page 9 of 25 10.9 (Mavericks)

• Current version, will be getting minor version updates until the next version is released, then security updates a while longer. • Supported by current Apple applications (e.g. iPhoto, Pages, Final Cut X, Aperture). • Most third party applications have been updated (if necessary) to support 10.9. Some already require 10.9.

Page 10 of 25 Upgrade Planning OS X Upgrade Test App

• David has written an application you can run which summarises details of your Mac, tells you how far you can upgrade your OS X version, and checks memory and disk requirements. • http://welmac.org.nz/osx_upgrade/ • You will still need to check application compatibility issues, especially if upgrading from 10.6 to a later version. Manual version check

• Apple Menu > About This Mac. What does “Version” say? • All Macs running 10.8 can upgrade to 10.9. • Some Macs running 10.7 can upgrade to 10.8 or 10.9. • You can upgrade directly from 10.7 to 10.9, skipping 10.8.

• Some Macs running 10.6 can upgrade to 10.8 or 10.9. • You can upgrade directly from 10.6 to 10.9, skipping 10.7 and 10.8. • Some Macs running 10.6 can upgrade no further than 10.7.5. • Some Macs cannot upgrade beyond 10.6.8. • All Intel Macs running 10.4 or 10.5 can upgrade to 10.6. Once on 10.6, some can upgrade to later versions. Supported Models

• In descriptive terms, the models (or later) which can upgrade to 10.8 or 10.9 are: • MacBook (13-inch, Aluminium, Late 2008) • MacBook (13-inch, Early 2009) • MacBook Air (Late 2008) • MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) • MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid/Late 2007) • MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid/Late 2007) • iMac (Mid 2007) • Mac mini (Early 2009) • Mac Pro (Early 2008) • Xserve (Early 2009) Processor

• PowerPC (G3, G4 or G5): you can’t upgrade past 10.5.8. Some older models are limited to 10.4.11 or earlier. • Intel Core Solo or Intel Core Duo: the maximum version you can run is 10.6.8. • This group is Macs introduced between Early 2006 and Late 2006. The last model in this group was discontinued in August 2007.

Page 11 of 25 • Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 or Xeon: the maximum version you can run is at least 10.7.5. • You need to identify the specific model or know when your Mac was introduced to confirm whether you can run 10.8 or later. Model Check

• Click the More Info button. • For 10.6.8 and earlier, this runs System Profiler and shows you a window with detailed information about the computer. • For 10.7 and later, this runs System Information, shows a summary window including the model name, and you can click System Report to get the window with detailed information.

• In the detailed report, look for the “Model Identifier” field near the top of the right panel. • The following model identifiers (and those with higher numbers) are able to upgrade to 10.8 or 10.9: • MacBook5,1 • MacBookAir2,1 • MacBookPro3,1 • iMac7,1 • Macmini3,1 • MacPro3,1 • Xserve3,1 Disk Space

• Finder: Go > Computer, select “Macintosh HD”, then File > Get Info. Look at the Capacity and Available figures. • You must have at least 10 GB of available disk space before upgrading to a new OS X version. • If you have less than 20 GB available, you should consider upgrading to a larger drive or freeing up some space.

• Hard drive upgrades vary in difficulty and are more complicated than memory upgrades. • Cost for a replacement hard drive generally starts around $100, plus labour for the installation. • Apple documents “do it yourself” hard drive upgrades for some Macs (e.g. MacBook). Some can only be done by service agents. • Your data will need to be transferred to the new drive. This can be time consuming (hours) and requires hardware to connect both drives at once.

Page 12 of 25 Memory

• Apple menu > About This Mac. Note the “Memory” value. • You need at least 1 GB of memory to upgrade to 10.6. • You need at least 2 GB of memory to upgrade to 10.7 or later. • I recommend doubling the minimum for better performance. People with complex software may need more than double the minimum. • Memory is a separate issue from Storage (disk space).

• Memory temporarily holds data the computer is working with. Everything in memory is lost when the computer is powered off. • Having more memory installed improves performance because the computer can hold more data in memory and doesn’t need to access the disk as often. • If the software you are running needs more memory than is installed, OS X will use the disk as virtual memory. This causes a big drop in performance. It is one of the causes of the “spinning beach ball”.

• Memory upgrades are not possible in the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with Retina Display, because the memory is permanently soldered to the logic board. • If buying one of these models, make sure you choose one with memory that you expect will be sufficient for your use over the lifetime of the computer.

• Maximum memory varies between models: 2 GB for Early 2006 models, later models can go up to 3 GB, 6 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB. • Mac Pros and Xserves are in a different league. • Cost of memory upgrades is in the order of $150 if you shop around, plus fees if you get someone else to install it.

• Difficulty of a “do it yourself” memory upgrade varies between models and you at least need to know how to safely handle electronic components. • You need to know the precise type of memory for your model. • I’m happy to help with memory upgrade questions and have installed memory in many Mac models.

Page 13 of 25 Application Compatibility

• If upgrading from 10.6 to a later version, the main thing to check is PowerPC applications, none of which will run on 10.7 or later. • Apple Menu > About This Mac > More Info. • In System Profiler, click on the Applications item in the left column (under Software). Wait for the list to be populated. • Click on the Kind column to sort by kind. • Look for anything of kind “PowerPC”. None of those will be able to run after upgrading to 10.7 or later. Application Compatibility: the Usual Suspects AppleWorks 6

• Word Processor or Spreadsheet documents can be opened by Pages 4.x or Numbers 2.x (from iWork ’09) and resaved as a Pages/Numbers document. • Not supported by the latest Pages 5.x and Numbers 3.x (which are only available on OS X 10.9). • LibreOffice can open AppleWorks WP, SS and DR documents. • Other AppleWorks document types are harder to deal with. Microsoft Office 2004 or earlier

• Upgrade to Microsoft Office 2008 or 2011, or Office 365 (annual/monthly fee), or wait for the next version of Office, or try switching to a non-Microsoft alternative. • Office 2008 hasn’t been updated by Microsoft since early 2013 and may have security issues. • Office 2004 hasn’t been updated by Microsoft since late 2011 and is more likely to have security issues. • Updates are promised for Office 2011 until early 2016. Eudora

• No longer developed, switch to a different e-mail client. Adobe Creative Suite 2 or earlier

• Upgrade to a later version. • In some cases you may be able to switch to a simpler/cheaper application, e.g. Photoshop Elements or Pixelmator.

Page 14 of 25 Other Applications

• Other applications may have compatibility issues requiring a free update or paid upgrade. They can only be checked on a case by case basis. • To check for known compatibility issues before upgrading to 10.6, see http:// snowleopard.wikidot.com. • To check for known compatibility issues before upgrading to 10.7 or later, see http:// roaringapps.com/apps. • Also visit the manufacturer’s web site and see if they have anything about OS compatibility for the version you are running. Printers and scanners

• Printers and scanners often need new drivers when upgrading the OS. • Printer and scanner manufacturers often stop supporting old models. • Apple has a page listing printers and scanners for which they have drivers in 10.6 and later. See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3669. • Even if Apple has a driver, some functionality may differ compared to earlier drivers from the manufacturer, e.g. lower print quality, unable to monitor ink levels, loss of some scanning features.

• Sometimes the manufacturer has additional software on their own web site which is better than the drivers distributed via Apple. • Some scanners may only be supported by third party software. • VueScan is a good option for many scanners. See http://www.hamrick.com

Page 15 of 25 Upgrade or New Mac?

• Possible memory and hard drive upgrade costs might be better put toward buying a newer Mac. • OS X upgrade costs are now minimal or free. • Apple offers you the latest iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, Pages, Numbers and Keynote free if you buy a new Mac. New Mac benefits

• Faster. • AirPlay Mirroring (sending display to an Apple TV). • AirDrop (easy file copy between Macs over Wi-Fi). • Support for newer USB, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth versions. • Better battery life for notebook models. • Better display in some models. Possible disadvantages

• Loss of built-in Firewire. • Loss of built-in Ethernet port (MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro with retina display). • Loss of built-in optical drive • Loss of IR remote control. • Adapters or external peripherals restore some of these. Keeping an old Mac

• Keeping an old Mac is one solution for using old software which isn’t compatible with a later OS X version, or which would cost too much to upgrade. Migrating to a new Mac

• If you get a new Mac, you will need to transfer your data from the old one. This is best done during initial setup of the new Mac, but can be done later using Migration Assistant. • 10.6 can migrate data from 10.3 or later. • 10.7 can migrate data from 10.4 or later. • 10.8 can migrate data from 10.5 or later. • 10.9 can migrate data from 10.6 or later.

• If outside the version window, you may be able to upgrade the OS on the old Mac, or use another Mac as a go-between. • It is possible to manually copy files, but a lot more work, especially for applications which store their files in special places. • Examples: Mail, Address Book/Contacts, iCal/Calendar, passwords in Keychain, and bookmarks in web browsers.

Page 16 of 25 • Applications can be migrated at the same time as your data. Some may need to be reinstalled or reactivated, e.g. Microsoft Office, Adobe CS. • If you have a full backup of the old computer on an external drive (clone or Time Machine backup), you can use that as the source to migrate data to a new Mac. • Older OS X versions require a Firewire cable to migrate directly between two Macs. • Recent OS X versions can also migrate via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, but it is slower than the Firewire method (especially Wi-Fi).

Page 17 of 25 Software Licensing

• If you end up with two Macs, watch out for software licence terms which may only allow the use of the software on one computer.

• Software obtained from the Mac App Store is linked to an Apple ID. • For personal use, you can use the software on all Macs you own or control. Each Mac need to be linked to same Apple ID. • For business use, you can either licence one copy per person or one copy per Mac. Each licensed copy needs to be linked to a different Apple ID. For 20+ licences there is a volume licence facility.

• OS X 10.7 and later obtained from the Mac App Store has the same terms as other apps from the App Store. • For personal use, a single purchase of 10.7 or later can be used on every Mac you own or control.

• Terms for software supplied with your Mac varies. • The copy of OS X which came with your Mac is for that computer only. • This includes any model-specific install DVD, “CPU Drop-in DVD” or “Upgrade DVD” which came with the Mac or which was supplied for that specific Mac. • An OS X DVD labelled “Install DVD” is a retail copy and is not tied to a specific computer, but if installed on one computer (or used to be eligible for a later version on one computer), it isn’t allowed to be sold separately or installed on another Mac.

• Prior to mid 2011 (Macs supplied with 10.6.8 or earlier preinstalled), the copy of iLife (iPhoto, iMovie and Garageband) which came with the Mac was licensed to that computer only. • From mid 2011 (Macs supplied with 10.7 or later preinstalled), the copy of iLife which came with new Macs is linked to the Apple ID of the first purchaser of the computer, and can be used on other computers owned by the same person according to the App Store rules.

• A retail DVD of OS X, iLife or iWork is usually licensed for use on a single computer. • These were also available as a “Family pack”, only identified by labels on the box. A family pack can be installed on up to five computers in one household, for personal use. • Third-party software has a wide variety of rules about resale and use on multiple computers.

Page 18 of 25 Upgrade Cost Cost for OS X 10.9

• Upgrading to 10.9 (Mavericks) is free if you are on 10.6 or later. • Even though 10.9 is free, business users should still obtain a separate free licence per person or per Mac, linked to different Apple IDs. • You can get 10.9 via App Store. • Downloaded installer is about 5.3 GB. • When you “buy” Mavericks from the App Store, you get the installer for the latest minor version, currently 10.9.2. To buy 10.6, 10.7 or 10.8

• Go to http://store.apple.com/nz and type in “OS X” as a search term. Cost for OS X 10.6

• Upgrading to 10.6 is $24.99. • If you have multiple Macs to upgrade, you need a separate copy per Mac to comply with the licence agreement. • If you will be upgrading to a version after 10.6, you need to treat the 10.6 DVD as belonging to the computer, as it establishes the right to install a later version. • You can order the install DVD from the online Apple Store. Cost for OS X 10.7

• Not required if you want to upgrade from 10.6 to 10.8 or 10.9. • Upgrading to 10.7 (Lion) is $24.99. • For personal use, a single purchase can be used on all Macs you own or control, linked to the same Apple ID. • For business use, one copy is needed per person, or one copy per Mac. Each copy needs to be linked to a different Apple ID. • Option for Macs running 10.6 which want to upgrade to a supported version of OS X but can’t run 10.8 or later.

• You can order a redemption code from the online Apple Store, then redeem it in App Store. • Downloaded installer is about 4.7 GB. • If you buy Lion now, you will get the 10.7.5 installer.

Page 19 of 25 Cost for OS X 10.8

• Not required if you want to upgrade from 10.6 or 10.7 to 10.9. • Upgrading to 10.8 (Mountain Lion) is $24.99. • For personal use, a single purchase can be used on all Macs you own or control, linked to the same Apple ID. • For business use, one copy is needed per person, or one copy per Mac. Each copy needs to be linked to a different Apple ID.

• Not much point upgrading to 10.8 now if you aren’t running it already. • You can order a redemption code from the online Apple Store, then redeem it in App Store. • Downloaded installer is about 4.5 GB. • If you buy Mountain Lion now, you will get the 10.8.5 installer.

Page 20 of 25 Mac compatibility with older OS X versions

• When a Mac model is introduced, it is supplied with a particular version of OS X. • In most cases, it isn’t possible to install an earlier version of OS X than the one which came with the Mac. • If you need to run an older version of OS X for compatibility with old software, you have three options: Running an older version of OS X

• Partition the drive and install the old OS on the new partition. • Only an option if your Mac is old enough to support the old OS. • Choose OS version at startup by holding down the Option key. • Compatibility problems if you need to use Boot Camp (Windows).

• Obtain an older (second hand) Mac to run the old OS X version.

• Run virtual machine software on a new Mac, and install an older version of OS X inside that. • To run 10.6 inside a virtual machine, you need to buy OS X Server 10.6, which can be ordered by telephone from Apple for $24.99. • 10.7 and later are allowed to run inside a virtual machine without using the server edition.

Page 21 of 25 Upgrade process

• Multiple Macs: do one at a time. • Consider a trial upgrade. • Check OS compatibility. • Check application compatibility. • Backup. • Get the new OS. • If necessary, save a copy of the installer. • Run the installer. • Do Software Updates. • Update applications. • Test important applications. Multiple Macs

• If you have multiple Macs to upgrade, do them one at a time, so you can test for issues before committing another computer to the upgrade. • It may simplify things if you upgrade less important computers first. Trial upgrade

• You may like to do a trial upgrade, using a spare Mac, spare external hard drive, or temporary partition on your internal hard drive. • Ideally your trial upgrade should include all of your important applications so you can test them. A good way to do this is to clone your entire drive, then upgrade the clone and test it before committing to upgrading your main drive.

• The easiest way to upgrade the test system (on an external hard drive or temporary partition) is to boot from that system, install the new OS X version on that system, and then test it. • An alternative is to use your normal system to download the new OS X version, but tell the installer to use the external drive or test partition as the destination for the install. OS Compatibility

• Confirm your Mac meets the requirements (model is compatible, sufficient memory and hard disk space). Application Compatibility

• Check for application compatibility issues (see earlier). • Update or upgrade as many applications as possible before upgrading the operating system. • Some might need the new OS installed before they can be updated or upgraded.

Page 22 of 25 Backup

• For safety, make sure you have a full backup of the computer. • The backup may be needed if something goes wrong during the upgrade, or if you discover the new OS is not to your liking, and you need to revert to the old version. • Time Machine is sufficient as long as nothing has been excluded.

• Make sure your backup is complete: it is safest to quit all other applications during the backup. • Watch out for virtual machine software, which may automatically exclude the virtual hard disk from Time Machine backups. • I prefer to make a clone backup on a separate drive using SuperDuper. Turn off Time Machine

• If you are backing up to Time Machine, after having made your final backup on the old OS, turn off Time Machine via the big switch in System Preferences > Time Machine. • This ensures your last backup on the old OS will be preserved until you have tested the new OS to your satisfaction. • Make a note reminding yourself to turn Time Machine on again at the end of the process. To upgrade to 10.6

• If you haven’t already purchased 10.6, go to http://store.apple.com/nz, search for OS X and click on Snow Leopard. Purchase it (which will require a credit card) and wait for delivery. • Insert the DVD and double-click the “Install Mac OS X” icon, or restart the Mac from the DVD by holding down the ‘C’ key at startup. • Follow the prompts. • There are some choices during installation such as optional software. • Installation will generally take about 1 to 2 hours. To upgrade to 10.7, 10.8 or 10.9

• You must be running 10.6.8 or later. If running 10.4 or 10.5, upgrade to 10.6 first, then install software updates to get to 10.6.8. • If you are upgrading to 10.7 or 10.8 and haven’t already purchased it, go to http:// store.apple.com/nz, search for OS X and click on whichever of Lion or Mountain Lion you want. Purchase it (which will require a credit card). Apple will e-mail you a redemption code.

• Run App Store (in the Applications folder if it isn’t on your dock). • If not already signed in, you need to sign in with your Apple ID, via the Sign In link or the Store menu. • If you don’t have an Apple ID yet, you will need to set one up, using your e-mail address as the Apple ID. • If you have a redemption code, click the Redeem link and enter the code. This will start the download process.

Page 23 of 25 • If you are upgrading to 10.9, locate it in the Featured tab or go to the Updates tab, then click on the Free Download button. • If you already bought the version you want via the App Store (e.g. on another Mac using the same Apple ID), you can download it again from the Purchased tab. (You can’t download an older version than the one you are running.) • When the download is complete, the installer will run automatically. It shows the initial screen with a Continue button.

• If you want to keep a copy of the installer, see below for details. • When you are ready to install, run the installer application and follow the instructions. The only complex choice might be the drive on which to install the OS. • Installation will generally take about 1 to 2 hours. Keeping the installer (10.7 and later)

• To keep a copy of the installer (e.g. to install it on another Mac): • Quit the installer when it runs automatically after download. • Go into the Applications folder and locate the installer. It will be called “Install Mac OS X Lion”, “Install OS X Mountain Lion” or “Install OS X Mavericks”. • Take a copy of the installer or move it out of the Applications folder. To move the file, you will need to hold down the Command key and enter your computer password, otherwise it will make a copy.

• Once it has been moved or copied, you can run the installer again. • If the installer is run from the Applications folder it will be deleted automatically when installation is complete. • If you want to create a bootable copy of the installer on a USB Flash Drive (at least 8 GB) or a DVD (dual layer disc required), get the free utility “DiskMaker X” from http:// diskmakerx.com. • 10.6 can’t create a bootable 10.9 installer: you must install 10.9 first.

• If you keep the 10.9.x installer, App Store will want to update the installer when subsequent minor versions are released. This will result in further unnecessary 5.3 GB downloads. • Avoid this by hiding the installer from App Store: • Keep the installer on an external drive which is usually disconnected. • Put the installer in a folder, and put that folder in System Preferences > Spotlight > Privacy. You will have to remember where you put it. After Install (all versions)

• Once the new OS is installed, use Software Update (10.7 or earlier) or App Store (10.8 or later) to install available updates. If it needs to restart, run Software Update or App Store again afterwards to make sure there aren’t any further updates. • Install any updates to third party application which couldn’t be done before upgrading the OS. Utilities are likely to fall into this group. • Test your important applications are working as expected.

Page 24 of 25 • Be careful with Mail: if it fetches new messages and moves them out of the Inbox or deletes them from the server, those messages may be lost if you decide you need to revert to the old system. Final decision: Trial upgrade

• If you did a trial upgrade on a clone of your normal drive, and are happy with the new OS: • Make sure you have a backup of your old system, e.g. you could replace the trial upgrade drive with a fresh clone. • Proceed with upgrading your normal drive. • If you don’t like the new system, return to booting from your normal drive for now. The trial upgrade drive can be kept for experimentation or reused. Final decision: Upgrade of normal drive

• If you upgraded your normal drive and are happy with the new OS: • Turn on Time Machine again (if you turned it off earlier). • If you want to revert to the old system, you will need to restore the backup made earlier.

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