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How to buy the right Leopard Install disk?

E

Eraxxer

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 10, 2008
23
0
Orlando, Florida
Hi Everyone,
I bought a macbook pro that is about a year and a half old. Came with Tiger. Would like to upgrade to Leopard. I bought on Ebay the Leopard install dvd's for macbook pro. They would boot the laptop but says that it's "incompatible with this macbook." i lost 40.00 dollars. I didn't know there was different types of macbook install cd's for macbook. i thougt these install cd's would work on any macbook pro but i was wrong.

Does anyone know what do i need to look for buying these cd's again since i'm looking for these install cd's but can't tell the difference.

thanks,

cm:confused:
 
The restore DVDs you bought are specific to the model and revision, meaning that MacBook DVDs will not work for MBPs, and a 2007 MBP's DVDs wont work in a 2008 MBP.

You can always sell them again.

In your case, only a retail DVD will get you Leopard, as the restore DVDs will all have Tiger on them.
 
You will need to buy the Leopard retail CD's. I have the CD from my previous machine, drop me a note if you are interested.
 
How to buy the right Leopard Install disk?

Hi,
I bought a used macbook pro 17 that's about a year and a half old that came with Tiger. I want to upgrade to Leopard so i bought a set of Leopard install disk for macbook pro. They didn't work. They boot but do not install the OS. Says "Leopard not compatible with this version of macbook" So i lost 45.00 dollars.

How do i know which macbook pro disk to buy for my macbook pro?
please help!!:confused:
 
Did you buy them off ebay? Where the discs 2 discs and gray, or was it one disk and a big purple x with a black background?
 
I guess he posted a repeat see it seems he bought it off ebay and they were the restore discs for not the right model, guess youll have to go to the apple store and buy it online/store, next time please dont double post.
 
Yes, they are two grey disk. And yes i bought them on ebay. When i went back to ask for the right ones or a refund he disagreed. So back to square one.

About the first post. I'm new to the forum and could not find my first post. Sorry.

Thanks for your help.

Carlos
 
That's one reason why I wouldn't buy Leopard off of eBay. Unless the eBay description said Leopard install discs for Macbook Pro and your specs weren't the same.
 
Sorry for your troubles... The seller was mildly dishonest in that they weren't labeled as system recovery or restore discs. The seller did clearly state, however, "I do not know what units these are compatible with, so please don't ask."

I personally would have red flagged that auction and not bought from that person under any circumstances. System restore discs are completely useless if you don't know to what Mac they belong.

Also, you should understand more about why it was obvious this wouldn't work, because it might help you in the future. OS X system restore discs are locked to a model / generation. What this means is that there's only one edition of restore discs that work for your computer. If your computer shipped with Tiger on it, there are most likely no system restore discs anywhere on the market that would install Leopard on that computer. The only restore discs you could buy would be another set of Tiger ones.

Anyway, though:

- Black disc with a big X on it.
- Should have come originally, if it does not now, in a retail / store box

Those are your two bogeys. If it has those two things, it should install on your Mac (FWIW, only retail discs for Leopard and later will ever install on an Intel Mac, because all prior are PPC only, but that's a side issue).
 
Eraxxer said:
Hi Everyone,
I bought a macbook pro that is about a year and a half old. Came with Tiger. Would like to upgrade to Leopard. I bought on Ebay the Leopard install dvd's for macbook pro. They would boot the laptop but says that it's "incompatible with this macbook." i lost 40.00 dollars. I didn't know there was different types of macbook install cd's for macbook. i thougt these install cd's would work on any macbook pro but i was wrong.

Does anyone know what do i need to look for buying these cd's again since i'm looking for these install cd's but can't tell the difference.

thanks,

cm:confused:
Click to expand...

the disks you bought were "Restore Disks". Restore disks are the disks that come with your mac when you buy it. In most cases, restore disks are model specific, meaning that they will only work with the type of mac you purchased (iMac, MacBook, MacPro etc.). For a universal installer of Leopard, you will need to buy the official Retail Disks, which will work with any mac. Also, it looks like you've been scammed, the picture in the ebay link shows the retail disks, the ones you got arent.
 
sOwL said:
the disks you bought were "Restore Disks". Restore disks are the disks that come with your mac when you buy it. In most cases, restore disks are model specific, meaning that they will only work with the type of mac you purchased (iMac, MacBook, MacPro etc.). For a universal installer of Leopard, you will need to buy the official Retail Disks, which will work with any mac. Also, it looks like you've been scammed, the picture in the ebay link shows the retail disks, the ones you got arent.
Click to expand...

From the looks of the posts, I think the OP knows that now.
 
Eraxxer said:
Ok, Black box with big X on it.

I think i should be on the right track now. I live in orlando, florida and there is someone locally that has a set like this, check it out.

http://orlando.craigslist.org/sys/893500698.html


It's have the price of a new set at Apple store.

what do u guys thinks of these?
Click to expand...

Those are not restore discs, they are the real thing. I'm not going to be the one to tell you to get it, but it looks legit.
 
themoonisdown09 said:
Those are not restore discs, they are the real thing. I'm not going to be the one to tell you to get it, but it looks legit.
Click to expand...

Yeah, hmmm, the "drop in" box is a special case. Normally there are only two kinds of discs -- the grey ones and the black retail box. They work essentially the same, except that the grey ones can also install software that comes with the system but isn't part of OS X (e.g. iLife), and only work on the computer they came with.

The Drop In box is a special case. As far as I understand it, they work just like the retail box discs. I'm not 100% sure on whether they are licensed to only ever be used on the Mac in question, although we've generally permitted their resale for use on other Macs in our sales forum.

As far as I know, they work on any compatible Mac. But I'd try some searching on the drop in boxes or wait for someone to chime in who's used them, because I've never had a pair (I have had drop in iLife discs; those work just like any other iLife retail discs).
 
mkrishnan said:
Yeah, hmmm, the "drop in" box is a special case. Normally there are only two kinds of discs -- the grey ones and the black retail box. They work essentially the same, except that the grey ones can also install software that comes with the system but isn't part of OS X (e.g. iLife), and only work on the computer they came with.

The Drop In box is a special case. As far as I understand it, they work just like the retail box discs. I'm not 100% sure on whether they are licensed to only ever be used on the Mac in question, although we've generally permitted their resale for use on other Macs in our sales forum.

As far as I know, they work on any compatible Mac. But I'd try some searching on the drop in boxes or wait for someone to chime in who's used them, because I've never had a pair (I have had drop in iLife discs; those work just like any other iLife retail discs).
Click to expand...

Looking at the ad, it includes the Drop-in disc and the two Leopard retail disks.

The Following is included in the package:

Mac OSX Leopard CPU Drop-in DVD
Mac OSX Install Disc 1
Mac OS X Install Disc 2
Set of Apple Stickers (The cool ones you see on Apple owners cars!)
Mac mini Users Guide
Click to expand...
 
themoonisdown09 said:
Looking at the ad, it includes the Drop-in disc and the two Leopard retail disks.
Click to expand...

See, no, this is the part where it can be very confusing. If you look at the picture and read the text, this is what's included:

- One Leopard install disc, which is from the drop in box (and which I think, both legally and practically, works on any compatible Mac).

- The other two discs are grey -- they're the Mini's system restore discs. Most likely, since the drop in is Leopard, they also restore the Mini to Tiger and not Leopard, anyways (that's why there's a drop in disc -- this came from a Mac that had Tiger installed on it but was sold right after Leopard came out, so it comes with Tiger on its system discs and pre-installed, plus the Leopard disc as a free upgrade).
 
mkrishnan said:
See, no, this is the part where it can be very confusing. If you look at the picture and read the text, this is what's included:

- One Leopard install disc, which is from the drop in box (and which I think, both legally and practically, works on any compatible Mac).

- The other two discs are grey -- they're the Mini's system restore discs. Most likely, since the drop in is Leopard, they also restore the Mini to Tiger and not Leopard, anyways (that's why there's a drop in disc -- this came from a Mac that had Tiger installed on it but was sold right after Leopard came out, so it comes with Tiger on its system discs and pre-installed, plus the Leopard disc as a free upgrade).
Click to expand...

I did go back and look at the picture and you're right. Sneaky sneaky.

To the OP: I would just buy Leopard from Apple. It might cost a little more, but you get the peace of mind that it will work.
 
Thanks, you guys are very efficient. I would of bought the second set of leopard and end up with no leopard again.

I think i will take ur advise and just save up the extra cash and buy the retail version of leopard at the apple store.

thanks again.

carlos
 
LOL that is good advice. :p (Or else just buy something that's clearly the retail box, with the physical retail box for Leopard included along with the black disc and everything) ... the retail box looks like this:

1829977135_de02ed937a.jpg


EDIT: ... If Apple ever decides that grey is the new black, and starts making their OS X retail discs grey, the whole system will be thrown into utter chaos. :D
 
About that set on craigslist- bad idea (as you have been told already) since it is a "drop in" disk vs. a retail Leopard disk, but I thought I would expand on that just a bit!

The drop in disks are only made to for resellers (including Apple themselves) to literally slip into a box of a new machine that is already loaded with the previous OS from the factory and remains in stock when a new OS is released.

In that case it was a disk that was slipped into a Mac Mini box where the Mini had Tiger preloaded.

Now that is all fine, BUT-- at least in the previous version change drop in disk (when Tiger was introduced that is), the one labeled "Drop In Disk" in fine print on the face of the disk was not a full copy-- instead it was only usable as an "upgrade" disk for the preinstalled OS. So if you needed to reinstall Leopard on that Mini for example and were using that set, you would have to reinstall Tiger and then upgrade the new installation to Leopard. No direct reinstall to Leopard would be possible.

One of the G5s my office bought was in that situation. The OS installed on the unit was 10.3 and it was sold a couple of days after 10.4 was released- so the reseller then just slit the box tape a little and "dropped in" the 10.4 disk. I am assuming the same would be true for a 10.5 drop in disk.
 
Thanks for your advise Sickmacdoc. I'm glad that i was able to get with you guys and clarify this before i had spent another 65.00 to find out i'm dead in the water again.

thanks man,

cm:cool:
 
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