Buying Macbook Pro 15 and Snow Leopard

[JakeRev]

Hi,

I'm going to buy a Macbook Pro 15 inch with Snow Leopard, not Lion.

Since my college requires me to use SL for software they use, I cannot buy current new generation.

So, what I have found is this

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook...HM0C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321831839&sr=8-1

It is the last model supported SL, but it seems to preinstalled Lion(in the description).

I have Snow Leopard DVD, so can I just install Snow Leopard on it?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

You need at least Mac OS X version 10.6.7, as those MBPs came with a special version of 10.6.6, but as there is no RETAIL version higher than 10.6.4 out there, you might have to find another Mac with 10.6 capability (but no 10.6.5 or higher requirement) and connect an external HDD and install 10.6.4 or lower onto the external HDD, then upgrade it via Software Update and then clone the HDD to the MBP.
http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...-15-early-2011-unibody-thunderbolt-specs.html

Or when you get the MBP, you could contact Apple and ask for REPLACEMENT DVDs for around 15 to 30 USD and may get the correct Snow Leopard version, but just ask Apple about that.

 

[JakeRev]

So, if I install retail version of SL DVD, and upgrade to 10.6.7 or 8. It's not gonna work??

 

[And1ss]

OP, I was in the same boat as you. I got an early 2011 mbp that came with Lion preinstalled in August. I tried to pop in the retail snow leopard disk but it wouldn't work because these new mbps have a different kernal version that isn't compatible with these new macbook pros.

So, what you want to do isn't going to work. You need at least a snow leopard 10.6.6 install image/disk or higher to get snow leopard to work on the machine you looking to buy. Pain in the butt - you could do what the previous poster said.

Luckily, I found an 10.6.6 SL image so I'm good =).

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1159#MacBook_Pro <-- Shows the minimum version you need install on the macbooks.

 

[old-wiz]

As a last resort, you can now run Snow Leopard virtualized under Lion. there was a story about it..

The software is vmware fusion version 4.1

 

[Chodarth]

I was just about to put my 2009 15" MacBook Pro on Ebay. Has a new battery (Picked up at the apple store the other day), 2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo, 250GB 7200rpm HD, 4GB Ram, ExpressCard slot, Removable bottom with access to HD and Battery. Leopard and Snow Leopard. I used it as a desktop mostly so it's in mint condition, no scratches, dings, dead pixels etc. Any idea how much this might go for? I think this was the last model (15") that still offered the ExpressCard slot.