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Do you re-install OS X before first use?

Do use re-install OS X before using your mac?

  • Yes

    Votes: 32 40.5%

  • No

    Votes: 38 48.1%

  • Sometime

    Votes: 9 11.4%
  • Total voters
    79
Jimmieboy

Jimmieboy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Hey everyone!

I'm holding out for the new MBP (hopefully not long!) and I wanted to make this mac perfect (unlike my iMac which was my first one).

I'm just wondering if you guys re-installed OS X before you first started to use your computers?
 
Jimmieboy said:
Hey everyone!

I'm holding out for the new MBP (hopefully not long!) and I wanted to make this mac perfect (unlike my iMac which was my first one).

I'm just wondering if you guys re-installed OS X before you first started to use your computers?
Click to expand...

Yep I always reinstall when I get a new computer. I get rid of all the printer drivers (I can download and install the most recent from the web), the extra languages, all the demos and most of the iLife suite (except for iPhoto - I have Final Cut Studio and Logic Studio to replace the others).

Saves absolutely tons of space and at least then I know that only what I really want is actually on the computer.
 
Exactly

I like knowing what is on my computer is installed by me. lets me keep a CONTROL type situation over my stuff.
A


Cromulent said:
Yep I always reinstall when I get a new computer. I get rid of all the printer drivers (I can download and install the most recent from the web), the extra languages, all the demos and most of the iLife suite (except for iPhoto - I have Final Cut Studio and Logic Studio to replace the others).

Saves absolutely tons of space and at least then I know that only what I really want is actually on the computer.
Click to expand...
 
Any ideas on how much space I'd save with only installing the english language and not others? The thing is that since I'll have a notebook, free space is a big issue. It's a pain carrying around an external HDD and installing a larger one is more of a job than on a desktop.
 
Jimmieboy said:
Any ideas on how much space I'd save with only installing the english language and not others? The thing is that since I'll have a notebook, free space is a big issue. It's a pain carrying around an external HDD and installing a larger one is more of a job than on a desktop.
Click to expand...

You'll save a couple of GB. I always re-install to get rid of some of the crap. You can save another couple of GB by only installing the printer drivers you need.

All in all I think I saved 5-6GB by choosing what to install. Much easier to do this at the start than trying to remove later.
 
Jimmieboy said:
Any ideas on how much space I'd save with only installing the english language and not others? The thing is that since I'll have a notebook, free space is a big issue. It's a pain carrying around an external HDD and installing a larger one is more of a job than on a desktop.
Click to expand...

You don't save as much space with Leopard as you would have with Tiger, but under Tiger I remember it being around 5-6GB. I think under Leopard it's less, but it's still a few gigs and worth it.
 
Printer drivers alone take up about 3.4GB on the Leopard install, with another 2GB on top for additional languages - so that's around 5GB you can save. Definitely worth doing a reinstall if you're short on HDD space.
 
Indeed. I went straight to the OS installation after the hardware diagnostic with my new first iMac. What better time to go and make some coffee while it installs. Same time you make sure your hardware seem to work ok! And of course, save many GB of disk spaces. Installing OS X is so easy 😛 Better question is, Why not?
 
Have not in the past, but definitely intend to with my new notebook. Saves tons of space by letting you put only what you need on it, not what the entire world does.
 
I've found that with the last two new macs (an ibook G4 and the first rev MBP), all the squirelly behavior (kernal panics, lock ups, etc) I saw stopped with a clean install. I don't think the image they blast onto the drives is very good. A new Mac Pro is heading my way and currently "out for delivery", that will be the first thing I do.
 
Thanks for all the advice.

Hopefully I'll get my MBP soon. WIth the apple store currently down (in the US + Canada, not Aust) there is a chance I'll be getting it soon! And now I will re-install OS X before I use it! YAY!
 
I have every time

It makes me feel better knowing that i am not bloating the system with unnecessary extra stuff to process and load., The extra drive space never hurts either.
Just did a full Install on my new macpro when I got it and saved a few seconds off startup & I am sure it's peppier because it doesn't have to deal with so much bloat.
I never used the extra languages, I also download drivers straight from the net.
 
i do it, especially on a laptop.

things i get rid of:

printer drivers
languages
iDVD
iMovie
Garageband & Loops
other software i won't use.

usually trim the install size down considerably.

is it worth it? sure for some people, others not.
me i'd rather have things clean from the start and not have to dig out all the stuff i want to delete.
 
Unless you are really, really worried about space constraints and want to pick and choose what you specifically want installed, you don't need to worry about doing a custom reinstall. It's a waste of your time.

I never do it. If storage space starts running low...I simply prune and purge. You never know what you may need or want at a later point.
 
Nope, Startup Assistant does everything I want. And I never reinstall the tires when I buy a car, either.
 
I've only owned one mac in my lifetime and I didn't know to do it when I got it. I probably won't do it with my next one because I'm intending to have at least 500GB internally, so it won't be necessary. I might think about it though.
 
Batt said:
Nope, Startup Assistant does everything I want. And I never reinstall the tires when I buy a car, either.
Click to expand...

I think you're missing the point. Removing the tires and putting them back on would do nothing. Now if you were to take out the backseat, a few child restraint locks, some pretty plastic covers over the engine block, and other useless items to shave weight, that would be more like it.
 
I did... (not immediately though) with my macbook (first gen).

The 60Gb hd was already 26~27Gb full when I got it (printers, languages, stupid trial software and games, garageband and some other parts of ilife I don't use...)

I did not do it with my mac pro, as I saw no use doing it...

phjo
 
I had to do it on my MacBook because Apple shipped it with a buggy version of Leopard which didn't include Boot Camp Assistant. The version on the discs was different and included the software.
 
Jimmieboy said:
Hey everyone!

I'm holding out for the new MBP (hopefully not long!) and I wanted to make this mac perfect (unlike my iMac which was my first one).

I'm just wondering if you guys re-installed OS X before you first started to use your computers?
Click to expand...

Yup, it's nice to get rid of all the "iApps" which just clogg up my drive, trash all the default applications like Chess, Stickies, GarageBand and DVD Player which I ain't gonna use, remove useless printer drivers etc. Though, one could install AppZapper and it'll remove whatever application you tell it to uninstall - dragging to thrash is cool, but some applications ain't tidy - they put files everywhere!
 
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