Upgrade from OS 10.4 to OS 10.5? How to do it?

[yoyoma02]

Let me start off by saying I don't know much about laptops, but the few questions I've asked on these forms, have given me lot's of good answers.

I'm using an old OS 10.4.

I own an iPhone 4.

When I try to plug the iPhone into my Macbook, iTunes says I need to upgrade.

When I download the upgraded iTunes, it says I need to upgrade my computer to 10.5.

So... is this the case? Is there anyway to get around upgrading my comp so I can sync my iPhone up with my Macbook? If not, what's the best way to upgrade from a 10.4 to a 10.5 so I can download the new iTunes?

Mac Specs:
1.83 GHz
2 GB


Suggestions?

 

[msjones]

You would be better off buying the Snow Leopard disk (10.6). You can buy this very cheap from apple.

Back up all your data to an external and do a fresh install of 10.6 and just run the system update, that will upgrade the OS to 10.6.6 and iTunes to the latest version.

 

[logana]

Agreed - ignore 10.5 and go straight to 10.6.

10.6 is around $25. Retail copies of 10.5 are hard to find and will be $100 upwards.

The 10.6 retail says that it is an upgrade but it is not.

If you don't have an external drive to backup then be careful that you do not lose your files. Choose the "upgrade" option and NOT the clean install....

 

[Yaris]

Buy Leopard and Snow Leopard, then just install Snow Leopard.

 

[yoyoma02]

Gotcha. I'll be sure to upgrade to 10.6. I can handle the $25.

Now, once I get it... how do I install it?

 

[msjones]

For a fresh install make sure all your files are backed up somewhere either on discs or ideally and external drive.

Insert your 10.6 disc and reboot. Once you hear the chime hold the 'C' key to tell your mac to boot from cdrom. Then disk utility to format the drive and just follow the instructions.

For an upgrade I'm not sure I have never done one. I assume you insert the disc and use the launcher from the desktop to start the upgrade. But I'm sure someone else can confirm.

What is the size of your hard disk? It may be worth while also upgrading that if its been in the machine from new. I assume yours maybe around 80GB with the spec of your machine?