8/31/09 MacMedics Alert on Apple's Snow Leopard OS X: 10.6

Apple released Snow Leopard to the public on August 28. This new version of OS X leaves behind support for the Power PC and it will only run on Intel based Macintosh computers. It's faster, smaller in size, and much cheaper then previous Apple operating systems. At $29 it's a good value and well worth the investment. It's $29 for the single user, $49 for a 5 user family pack, and Tiger users can upgrade via the Mac Box Set which includes iLife '09 and iWork '09 as well as Snow Leopard.

Our initial reactions to Snow Leopard have generally been good, and most of the MacMedics are running it now and have been using it and testing it for some time. While we are excited for it, we have not yet begun to install it for clients just yet.

As noted below, MacMedics also strongly recommends you have a tested and fully functional back up in place BEFORE you install any Apple system software update. Something could go wrong, and you could have a major problem on your hands. Whenever Apple releases a major update to OS X we usually see 4 or 5 clients' hard drives die that first day. If your hard drive is dying or already unhealthy, the extra hard drive activity needed to install a major update is often all it takes to kill a hard drive. Please see our web page on the subject of hard drive failures.

We'll post new info on this page and our blog as it becomes available. We will also Twitter about anything you need to know in the meantime.

For more detailed information on installing Apple system updates, please see details below.

Upgrading to Snow Leopard and/or installing any Apple OS X software update

Running a software update from Apple (or elsewhere) as soon as it pops up is not always the best plan. In our travels we very frequently see clients who have run a software update without planning ahead for it, and as a result end up with annoying issues, sudden incompatibilities, and even data loss. One thing to consider is how healthy your hard drive is overall before running an update. Never try to solve an issue such as system lock ups or crashing by installing the latest update, as symptoms like those can be exasperated by applying a software update.

Here's our safety checklist for running software updates or installing a system upgrade.

1. Back up your data, and double check your back up before installing any update. [Don't forget to unplug that back-up before installing an update]
2. Repair permissions - It's not going to hurt anything, so a quick permission repair is always a good idea.
3. Disconnect any USB or FireWire hard drives, devices, or hubs.
4. Make sure you have enough free space on your hard drive - A safe bet is to have 10% of your total hard drive free.
5. Quit all applications while running software updates. The updates should be the only process running.
6. Consider the possibility that major applications and/or features might be affected by an Apple software update or system upgrade.

Don't run a software update on a production machine while on a deadline. You want to be certain that the update will not cause more problems than it was designed to fix. If your machine is working, let it continue working as is, and plan to install the update after you know it's not going to cause any issues for you. We install the updates on our test machines here at MacMedics as soon as they are released to Apple Developers, and again when they are released to the public. Let us be the guinea pigs. We'll let you know how we feel about the update in our weekly e-mail to MacMedics clients.

Can your hard drive handle Leopard?

Installing a new OS is like taking your hard drive to the gym. It can be quite a workout for an older hard drive, and whenever a new OS comes out, we always see a few dead hard drives as a result. No matter what you do, make sure you have a back up of your data before you begin!

Prices have dropped significantly on hard drives over the last year or so. MacMedics now recommends retiring hard drives after three years in desktops, and two years in laptops. Be sure to check out new web page to find out why you should retire your older hard drive and to learn about our 5 rules of data protection and preservation. Why take a chance with your data when faster, larger, and generally more reliable drives are available. Moving to Leopard is a great opportunity to get a new drive, while at the same time insuring your data is safe.

Download our PDF with some prices for new drives and facts about retiring your old hard drive and maybe turning it into a backup system as well.

Twitter: Get the lastest info on MacMedics advice and activity as it happens

Can't wait until our newsletter arrives to read the latest news on software updates and what's going on in the of Macintosh and MacMedics? Want to find out what updates we recommend, and what we're staying away from? We've got a clever new way to stay in touch. Follow MacMedics on Twitter.com. Twitter is one of the latest social networking web sites that asks the question what are you doing right now? Twitter is free, and takes about 30 seconds to sign up. Twitter can be configured to send new messages to your instant messaging client or your mobile device. So as soon as we discover something you need to know, we'll post it to our Twitter page. You sign up to follow us, and that alert is delivered right to your desktop. The Twitter badge below will show you our latest alert, and you can scroll though past alerts.