PowerMac G5 OS

[pfisher]

On the PowerMac G5, can I install any future versions of the Mac OS? For example, I know I can install OS 10.3, 10.4, 10.5 but can I install 10.6 on this particular model? So, as long as the model meets the OS requirements then I can install any future OS's on this model? I know OS 10.6 is the latest and greatest.

Thanks.

 

[flopticalcube]

10.5 is the last OS you can install. From 10.6 onward, all versions of OSX will be Intel only.

 

[spinnerlys]

Mac OS X10.6 Snow Leopard is for Macs using the Intel CPUs, thus limiting it to Macs, which have been released since 2006. The Power Mac G5, using IBM CPUs, can only take up to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.

 

[sysiphus]

With all this said, Leopard makes the most sense for your hardware, FYI. So long as you have 1GB+ of RAM, it'll perform almost as well as Tiger, with many more features (and much better software support--there are lots of UBs for new software, but many of them are only good for 10.5+). The only good reason to keep a G5 on 10.4 is if you need Classic support.

 

[pfisher]

Thanks guys for clearing it up for me. It makes perfect sense.

 

[mr1970]

Probably also worth saying that I noticed far less of a jump going from Leopard to Snow Leopard than I did going from Tiger to Leopard. SL is fractionally quicker (presumably because they've tidied it up by ditching all the PPC code) and has some minor UI enhancements but Leopard brought a bunch of good stuff including, critically for me, Time Machine.

I have a maxed out G5 (4GB RAM and 1.5TB) running Leopard and a new MBP and other than the fact that the MBP is a bit quicker I really don't notice the OS differences.