Should I wait for OS 10.5 (Leopard) when buying a new iMac?

> I intend to buy a new Intel-based iMac to replace my G4 iMac. The current
> iMacs come with OS 10.4 (Tiger) installed. Should I hold off and buy it when
> the iMacs contain OS 10.5 (Leopard) installed?

Nah. I'd hold off and wait for 10.6, at least. Maybe even 10.8 ‹ I'd be
kicking myself if I bought a new Mac and they went and announced that ust
two years after I'd invested.

> The Apple website talks about 10.5 being available in October. When do you
> think the Intel-based iMacs will come with 10.5 installed?

The day 10.5 is released. Or, at the very least, you'll get a copy of 10.5
in the box.

Steve

At 1:04 AM -0700 9/26/07, Ed Goldberg wrote:
>The Apple website talks about 10.5 being available in October. When do you
>think the Intel-based iMacs will come with 10.5 installed?

        My memory is that whenever a new version of the OS is shipping
(available for purchase), Macs immediately start to come "from the factory"
with either the OS installed, or on an extra DVD within the box.
Occasionally there have been a few machines that require a "send away for
the new OS with $20" type of coupon/voucher thingy.

        Thus it seems pretty safe to order from Apple once the new OS has
been released, but you might want to be careful of purchasing from any
other retailer who is selling slightly older stock.

--
* Johann Beda - contact link: <http://xri.net/=j-beda> *
* Johann's MostlyMac Computer Consulting - <http://mmcc.beda.ca/> *

Generally, Mac ordered on or after the date of release comes with the
new OS installed, if you want 10.5 preinstalled. If you are just
looking for a free upgrade to 10.5, then you should wait for official
word from Apple.

If 10.4 (Tiger) is any guide: Apple released 10.4 at the very end of
April, and gave free upgrades to people who purchased Macs in the
period of a little over two weeks prior to release. (I think it was
something like release on 4/30, free upgrade if you bought a Mac on
or after 4/10---I remember it being a really strange number of days,
not a full month, but not two weeks either.) In any case, Apple made
an official announcement a few weeks prior to release.

Even if 10.5 doesn't ship until the very end of October, you will
probably only have to wait another couple of weeks to qualify for the
free upgrade.


Tomoharu

On Sep 26, 2007, at 4:04 AM, Ed Goldberg wrote:

> I currently have an original, flat panel G4, 700Mhz iMac using OS
> 10.3.9.
>
> I intend to buy a new Intel-based iMac to replace my G4 iMac. The
> current iMacs come with OS 10.4 (Tiger) installed. Should I hold
> off and buy it when the iMacs contain OS 10.5 (Leopard) installed?
>
> The Apple website talks about 10.5 being available in October. When
> do you think the Intel-based iMacs will come with 10.5 installed?
> --
> If you want to unsubscribe or change your address, use this link:
> http://emperor.tidbits.com/webx?unsub.3c3f6899!u=30672db0
>

In the past, they have offered an upgrade (usually for $10) for
customers who bought in the previous 30 days. And when they announce,
the Mac on the shelf will not have it installed but they supply the
upgrade for the $10 fee, by mail.
__________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Should I wait for OS 10.5 (Leopard) when buying a new iMac?
Author: Ed Goldberg
Date: 9/26/07 1:04 AM -0700

>I currently have an original, flat panel G4, 700Mhz iMac using OS 10.3.9.
>
>I intend to buy a new Intel-based iMac to replace my G4 iMac. The
>current iMacs come with OS 10.4 (Tiger) installed. Should I hold off
>and buy it when the iMacs contain OS 10.5 (Leopard) installed?
>
>The Apple website talks about 10.5 being available in October. When
>do you think the Intel-based iMacs will come with 10.5 installed?
>--
>If you want to unsubscribe or change your address, use this link:
>http://emperor.tidbits.com/webx?unsub.3c3f6899!u=30544730

On Sep 26, 2007, at 1:04 AM, Ed Goldberg wrote:

> I currently have an original, flat panel G4, 700Mhz iMac using OS
> 10.3.9.
>
> I intend to buy a new Intel-based iMac to replace my G4 iMac. The
> current iMacs come with OS 10.4 (Tiger) installed. Should I hold
> off and buy it when the iMacs contain OS 10.5 (Leopard) installed?
>
> The Apple website talks about 10.5 being available in October. When
> do you think the Intel-based iMacs will come with 10.5 installed?

Soon after Leopard's release. If you buy at Apple stores or the
online store. Longer if you buy from a place with a longer supply
chain.

But, check the release details carefully when the Leopard
announcement is made. In recent releases, it has been the case that
one got a "free" upgrade (for Apple's usual $19.95 plus tax free
upgrade price). If you buy in that window, you have your choice of
Tiger or Leopard (you may not care, of course, about having the
choice of running Tiger until, say 10.5.1 comes out).

An example was in the Mac Mini: The early ones came with Panther
installed (and not the latest Panther at that moment), and a coupon
for Tiger. After a couple of months, when I bought, they came with
Panther installed (still the same one) and Tiger upgrade DVD in the
box. And later but still pre-Intel, they came with Tiger installed.
(My mini was drop-shipped from the factory in China.)

At this point, barring failure of your old machine, you shouldn't buy
until after the announcement and you know you can get "free"
Leopard. Beyond that, it's more like "buy it when you want/need it".

   --John

On 9/26/07 2:06 PM, "Big Steve" <bigstevemactampabay.rr.com> wrote:

>> I intend to buy a new Intel-based iMac to replace my G4 iMac. The current
>> iMacs come with OS 10.4 (Tiger) installed. Should I hold off and buy it when
>> the iMacs contain OS 10.5 (Leopard) installed?
>
> Nah. I'd hold off and wait for 10.6, at least. Maybe even 10.8

I assume you wrote that incorrectly - waiting for "10.6, at least. Maybe
even 10.8" means waiting at least 18 months....
--
Shawn King
Host/Executive Producer
Your Mac Life
http://www.yourmaclifeshow.com


[As the one who moderated that message through, I'll mention that I assumed it was facetious. -Andrew]

>I intend to buy a new Intel-based iMac to replace my G4 iMac. The
>current iMacs come with OS 10.4 (Tiger) installed. Should I hold off
>and buy it when the iMacs contain OS 10.5 (Leopard) installed?
>
>The Apple website talks about 10.5 being available in October. When
>do you think the Intel-based iMacs will come with 10.5 installed?

Yes, I'd wait, to save yourself $129. Leopard will be pre-installed
on all Macs quickly, and you can just ask when you buy it, or make
sure it's listed that way in the product description.

cheers... -Adam

--
Adam C. Engst, TidBITS Publisher <http://www.tidbits.com/adam/>

On 26-Sep-2007, at 02:04, Ed Goldberg wrote:
> I currently have an original, flat panel G4, 700Mhz iMac using OS
> 10.3.9.
>
> I intend to buy a new Intel-based iMac to replace my G4 iMac. The
> current iMacs come with OS 10.4 (Tiger) installed. Should I hold
> off and buy it when the iMacs contain OS 10.5 (Leopard) installed?

You should wait until 10.5 is at least released, at which point you
get 10.5 with the machine.

> The Apple website talks about 10.5 being available in October. When
> do you think the Intel-based iMacs will come with 10.5 installed?

Hard to say, weeks or maybe even a month later? Before taht you will
get a 10.4.10 (or .11) machine with a 10.5 DVD in the box.


--
RTFM replies are great, but please specify exactly which FM to R

Yes, you should. It is less than 2 months away if not by 15 Oct.

Anyse
anyse1mac.com

Shawn King took time out of his busy schedule to write:

> I assume you wrote that incorrectly - waiting for "10.6, at least. Maybe
> even 10.8" means waiting at least 18 months....

Really? So you're telling us that 10.8 is coming out in 18 months? In that
case, I'm definitely not going to bother with .6 or .7...
>
> [As the one who moderated that message through, I'll mention that I assumed it
> was facetious. -Andrew]

Thank you, Andrew. Of course, he should have seen it before you moderated
it!

Cheers
Steve

At 1:04 AM -0700 9/26/07, Ed Goldberg wrote:

>I currently have an original, flat panel G4, 700Mhz iMac using OS 10.3.9.
>
>I intend to buy a new Intel-based iMac to replace my G4 iMac. The
>current iMacs come with OS 10.4 (Tiger) installed. Should I hold off
>and buy it when the iMacs contain OS 10.5 (Leopard) installed?
>
>The Apple website talks about 10.5 being available in October. When
>do you think the Intel-based iMacs will come with 10.5 installed?

Ed:

Consider buying a new Mac with Tiger installed but Leopard in the box
or other free upgrade rather than Leopard installed.

That way you save the cost but can wait a bit to install Leopard.
With every OS release, there are probably more bugs in the .0
version. And there is a good chance that some program or some
external hardware you want to use hasn't been updated yet for
Leopard. Wait to see what the early Leopard users have to say in the
usual online places. Then decide.

--Jim

Am I right that at some point after 10.5 is released, new iMacs will
no longer be able to run 10.4? So that if you have any doubts that
all your essential apps will work as you want them to in 10.5, there
could be an advantage to getting a new machine before this happens,
and updating to 10.5 when you know your apps will work right?

On 9/27/07 8:26 AM, "Big Steve" <bigstevemactampabay.rr.com> wrote:

> Shawn King took time out of his busy schedule to write:
>
>> I assume you wrote that incorrectly - waiting for "10.6, at least. Maybe
>> even 10.8" means waiting at least 18 months....
>
> Really? So you're telling us that 10.8 is coming out in 18 months?

Nope - I said "at *least* 18 months". :)
--
Shawn King