Installing Snow Leopard now VS. after the update - please help

[jon08]

Ok, so I've had a sealed copy of Snow Leopard and a sealed new HDD that I plan to replace my internal HDD in MBP with collecting dust in my drawer for the past 3 weeks. The dilemma was whether I should just upgrade right away and take a risk with 10.6.1 or wait till 10.6.2 gets released.

So I decided for the latter because I thought that by now it would have been released already. But from the look of things, it could take another one or two or three or four weeks till 10.6.2 sees the light of day. I'm anxious to try out my new HDD but at the same time skeptical about 10.6.1, since there have been so many complaints about it.

My question is: since I want optimal performance in SL, I thought it would be best to wait till 10.6.2 and then do a clean install of OS + install all updates right away, before installing anything else in OS. Is my theory correct?

Or would it not matter if I first installed OS, then 10.6.1 and then did whatever work I do on my MBP for days, and when 10.6.2 got released, finally install 10.6.2? If I did that, are there more chances that the update could mess up some of my existing apps VS. installing the update PRIOR TO installing any apps whatsoever?

To put it short: is doing a clean install with all updates BEFORE installing anything/doing anything to OS the same as doing a clean install with 10.6.1. + installing whatever programs, do work for days, and on top of that finally install 10.6.2 whenever it gets released? (Could be after weeks..)

(Because I know on Windows it's recommended that after install you run updates first, THEN install programs or and whatever else.. Does this apply to Mac? Or not at all?)

 

[quidire]

(Because I know on Windows it's recommended that after install you run updates first, THEN install programs or and whatever else.. Does this apply to Mac? Or not at all?)

As far as I am aware, this really doesn't matter at all in OS X. One of the reasons is that Windows users observe a difference is the practice of 3rd party apps spewing files into the OS directory tree (/Windows/System, etc). As most/all Mac apps either keep their files in their bundles, or put them in app-specific Application Support subdirectories, you really oughtn't be able to notice any difference, however you proceed from here.

 

[MisterMe]

... Because I know on Windows it's recommended that after install you run updates first, THEN install programs or and whatever else.. Does this apply to Mac? Or not at all?...

MacOS X is not a different version of Windows. It is a completely different OS built from a completely different design. Your concerns about Windows have no application with MacOS X.

FWIW, I bought a new 17" MacBook Pro last Spring. It shipped with Leopard. When Snow Leopard became available, I bought it and did a simple upgrade. No problems. When MacOS X 10.6.1 was released, I used Software Update to apply the update. No problems. Is a pattern beginning to emerge here?

 

[jon08]

MacOS X is not a different version of Windows. It is a completely different OS built from a completely different design. Your concerns about Windows have no application with MacOS X.

FWIW, I bought a new 17" MacBook Pro last Spring. It shipped with Leopard. When Snow Leopard became available, I bought it and did a simple upgrade. No problems. When MacOS X 10.6.1 was released, I used Software Update to apply the update. No problems. Is a pattern beginning to emerge here?

Well, good for you then. I just wanted to hear what the verdict is on this updating matter.

 

[swissmann]

Who really knows? I've got some superstitions on the subject. I've done clean installs then the OS updates then everything else after that. I've also realized that the process is lengthy so more recently I try to multitask and install as many things as once (OS updates, apps, app updates, etc.) all at the same time. I can't tell if one is better than the next.

I do know that after a while doing an erase and install to start fresh surely helps things out which would suggest that you wait for 10.6.2 then install, update, then install everything else.

So basically I don't have a good answer for you but I hope it's better than no answer at all. If I were you I'd wait for 10.6.2 if you can. I'd wait for 10.6.9 if you can. Of course you probably can't/don't want to because you want to use Snow Leopard as soon as possible.

My 10.5 was all slow and such so I jumped on the SL bandwagon with 10.6.0 and will probably do another clean install in 6-12 months putting us around 10.6.6 or so.

I don't have any real problems with 10.6.1 by the way.