Snow Leopard is Coming!
Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard
Mac OS 10.6 otherwise known as “Snow Leopard” is coming and the word around the blogosphere is that it may be coming earlier than expected. Some were expecting September (and some October), but the date that keeps getting tossed around is August 28th. Which is earlier than Apple’s own published time of September 2009 and would beat Windows 7’s expected release by a few weeks.
Earlier this week, the Snow Leopard Box Set made a very quick appearance on Apple’s official online store. It has since been taken down but it was up long enough for someone to get a screenshot of it.
You may be wondering what the requirements are for Snow Leopard to run and what is the difference between the different versions. Well unlike the Windows 7 upgrade chart upgrading to Snow leopard is going to be very easy. First, if you have an intel-based mac then you are eligible. Sorry, Legacy users, the reign of the Power PC stops at 10.5 Leopard. Second, if you have one mac then all you need is Single User Snow Leopard and it will only cost $29! If you are someone who has multiple Macs in the home then getting the Snow Leopard Family Pack is the way to go. With the Snow Leopard Family Pack, you can upgrade up to 5 Macs. Even if you have 2 Macs at home to upgrade you will save money because the Family Pack is only $49.
If you are someone who for some reason decided to skip Leopard (Mac OS version 10.5) and stick with Tiger (Mac OS 10.4) then to upgrade to Snow Leopard you will need to get the Snow Leopard Box Set which will be $169. The reason why this costs so much more is because the box set basically brings you up to date on the latest OS, iLife, and iWork. Which is pretty cool considering the last OS upgrade was $129 and only included the OS. And again if you have multiple Macs to upgrade there is also a Snow Leopard Box Set Family Pack available to upgrade up to 5 macs.
If you have purchased a Mac computer after June 8, 2009, then you are eligible to utilize Apple’s Up-To-Date program. In which case, you only have to pay $9.95 for your upgrade. That’s a very nice option for those you who upgraded this summer.
All in all, these are great values because the OS you get has all the bells and whistles. There are no slimmed down versions that are missing key features. I mean why would you sell an OS that does not have the ability to play DVDs, handle light photo editing, or even listen to music?
So if you’re wondering “Why upgrade?”, sit tight. We will talk about the point of upgrading in the next article. Still have questions? Want to talk about upgrading? Please use the comment field below.
Update: Snow Leopard is shipping on August 28!
Update 2: Amazon’s prices for pre-ordering Snow Leopard have dropped and are as follows:
Mac OS 10.6 Single User $24
Mac OS 10.6 Family Pack (5 User) $43
Mac OS 10.6 Single User Box Set $149
Mac OS 10.6 Family Pack (5 User) Box Set $199