Newest OS for 2006 iMac? And how to get...

[Rob.G]

A friend has an old 2006 iMac (Core 2 Duo) and it won't boot anymore and needs an OS reinstall. My best guess is it'll run Snow Leopard but nothing newer.

How is the best way to get her a copy of the OS to install? Is this Mac too old to boot off of a USB jump drive? I.e. will it have to be on a DVD? Assuming its SuperDrive is a DVD.

Help please?

Thanks.

Rob

 

[redheeler]

Lion is the newest officially (provided the iMac has 2 GB or more RAM), but Mountain Lion can be installed unofficially using MLPostFactor. It can boot off a USB formatted properly with an installer.

 

[Rob.G]

She's not a power user at all so I'm thinking whatever is supported so we'll stick with Snow Leopard.

BUT... whichever one we pick, how do we go about getting it? Will the App Store still let us download it? I'll have to look up how to make the USB drive bootable. Can that even be done on Windows or do I need to do it and send it to her, since she has a Windows laptop but no access to another Mac.

 

[AppleNewton]

Apple used to have Snow Leopard available at http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard
You may need to call them to order it instead. otherwise it may no longer be sold.

For Lion, it used to be linked here: http://www.apple.com/shop/product/D6106Z/A/os-x-lion

But again currently OS X Mountain Lion is the last one available for purchase: http://www.apple.com/shop/product/D6377Z/A/os-x-mountain-lion


You may just have to source an installed CD from Amazon or eBay for Snow Leopard. Or Amazon has Lion Install USB Sticks from Apple as well.

10.6 https://www.amazon.com/version-Leop..._SR160,160_&psc=1&refRID=BSXNRERTMTKDHRZ100TW
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AMHWP..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=41BWMGRPAFA8J2FCTWCW
Part number for the USB is: MD256Z/A

 

[CoastalOR]

The Snow Leopard DVD's are still available on Amazon or eBay. Apple has removed Snow Leopard from their site, but even when it was for sale it was for the physical DVD's. It was never available as a download.

 

[varian55zx]

Looks like you're right in the window where you can still relive the glory days of Snow Leopard.

Snow Leopard was a wonderful OS X iteration, and its interface still brings back memories.

With a machine that's that old, why upgrade? Surely performance would suffer anyway.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Don't go beyond SL on that machine.