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California King

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 20, 2007
1,066
8
I received my brand new iMac today and came shipped with 10.8, so I need to upgrade to Mavericks myself. Are the any advantages to doing a clean install? Also, I noticed iLife came with it pre-installed and iWork is a free download in the App Store. Once I do a clean install, will iLife and iWork be free in the App store?
 

rkaufmann87

macrumors 68000
Dec 17, 2009
1,760
39
Folsom, CA
I received my brand new iMac today and came shipped with 10.8, so I need to upgrade to Mavericks myself. Are the any advantages to doing a clean install? Also, I noticed iLife came with it pre-installed and iWork is a free download in the App Store. Once I do a clean install, will iLife and iWork be free in the App store?

On a new machine, there are no advantages to a clean install. Just upgrade Mavericks and get on with it. iLife has always been free, iWorks is new. If you don't have it in the App Store, simply give AppleCare a call and they will direct you.
 

jg321

macrumors 6502
Aug 29, 2012
313
10
UK
On a new machine, there are no advantages to a clean install. Just upgrade Mavericks and get on with it. iLife has always been free, iWorks is new. If you don't have it in the App Store, simply give AppleCare a call and they will direct you.

Agreed. I've just done the same with mine, had my iMac a couple of weeks and upgraded. Also recently clean-installed ML on my MBP, upgraded that too. My GFs MBA is a few months old now (got it when the Haswell ones came out) and that got an upgrade. All went without a hitch and working perfectly.
 

richard13

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2008
834
197
Odessa, FL
On a new machine, there are no advantages to a clean install. Just upgrade Mavericks and get on with it. iLife has always been free, iWorks is new. If you don't have it in the App Store, simply give AppleCare a call and they will direct you.

I sort of agree. There won't be any "user created cruft" caused by installing and uninstalling apps and there shouldn't be much from the system either. However, you are presuming that the updater is perfect and doesn't leave any legacy, unnecessary files and settings behind. This is why some people prefer to do a clean install. That said, a few years ago I did an upgrade vs clean install comparison on OS X (don't remember which versions) and found them mostly the same.

OP, you should be good either way regarding OS. For the apps, I'm pretty sure you can reinstall them via the App Store. I'd be very surprised if Apple would only put them on your system with no way to reinstall them. If you are really worried you can call Apple Care and ask.
 
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