If you're still running Leopard (10.5) - meaning you haven't updated in six years and probably aren't even reading this from your cave in the Himalayas where there's no Wi-Fi - then you have to buy Snow Leopard first, which will cost $19.99. If you're running a version of Snow Leopard older than the 10.6.8 version, then you have to update to the latest version of Snow Leopard before you can install Mavericks. Once you've checked your hardware, it's time to check your software.Īpple says you can upgrade to OS X Mavericks directly if you're running Snow Leopard (version 10.6.8), Lion (10.7) or Mountain Lion (10.8). So a little patience might save some anxiety later. Now one family member quietly resents me and seethes every time she uses her iPhone. And once you update, it's hard to unwind it. In my house, we installed iOS 7 right away on our iPhone 4, causing it to seriously slow down. One tip for people who have some of the oldest machines that are still eligible: You might want to wait just a few weeks before installing Mavericks and check to see what kind of experience people are having with it. Still, Apple's official list of machines that can run Mavericks is as follows: iMacs bought as far back as mid-2007 MacBooks as old as the late 2008 aluminum model or newer MacBook Pro models from mid- to late 2007 or newer MacBook Air models from late 2008 or newer Mac Mini models from early 2009 or newer Mac Pro from early 2008 or newer and Xserve from early 2009. Chances are that it is, since Apple seems to be trying to make it as widely available as possible. And along with new features such as iBooks, some stalwarts like Safari, Maps and Calendar all get some snazzy improvements.īut before you hit the download button, there are a few things you might want to know about Mavericks and your own machine.įirst, you'll want to check that your Mac or MacBook is actually compatible. There's a fresh, new look along with potentially longer battery life. And there are certainly some nice goodies that would make this a worthwhile update.

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