upgrade vs erase install on (near) new mac?

[wackymacky]

I've had my new iMac for only 3 weeks and only installed a few things on it (inc MS office 2004, firefox and other free software), and maybe a dozen tracks in iTunes with almost all my documents still on a external USB HD

(from when my PC gave up the ghost last month).

Given I haven’t done much to the iMac do people think a upgrade install is enough or would they "ease install" (I don’t really want the bother of having to re-install Office and iLife etc if I can avoid it.

Given Apple are sending a "up-to-date" back. will I have a choice anyway?
or will it only do a "upgrade install"?

 

[rmh]

You'll be fine with just upgrading. The main reason I'm doing a clean install is because I'm adding a new HD to my mini, and I need to fix my MacBook's install.

 

[mrpeepers]

I have had my Mac since August 2007... I have Office, iWork, Firefox, Adobe CS3 installed as the applications I used most often.

Should I Erase and Install (clean install) or will I be OK with an upgrade?

 

[djnardu]

All i'm doing is archiving my main Apps onto a DVD and the just installing them into a fresh copy of Leopard.

 

[mrpeepers]

All i'm doing is archiving my main Apps onto a DVD and the just installing them into a fresh copy of Leopard.

again, i'm new to mac... are you saying that if i make a copy of my application directory on a DVD, and then do a clean install (erase), that when I want to put my applications back all i have to do is essentially copy them from the DVD and paste them in the new leopard application folder?

 

[djnardu]

Just right click an Apps you want to keep, you should have an option called "Create an Archive". This basically makes a .zip file of w/e App. Just throw those .zips onto a dvd or USB and open them up in a clean copy of Leopard, they should install right away.

 

[crees!]

Just right click an Apps you want to keep, you should have an option called "Create an Archive". This basically makes a .zip file of w/e App. Just throw those .zips onto a dvd or USB and open them up in a clean copy of Leopard, they should install right away.

This is not entirely true. It depends on the app if this will work. Doing an upgrade for those of you with new Macs will be just fine. I actually once did an upgrade on a G3 iMac with Tiger and it took just fine.

If you're going to reinstall apps, use their installer.

 

[freewill]

Noob Question: what's the diff?

So what is the practical difference between updating on the one hand vs. "install and archive" on the other? I've read that install & archive saves an old copy of the system folder under "Previous System Folder", but is that the only difference? Why would that matter? I just don't get the practical difference....

 

[meh]

I just got my iMac on October 7th. Mac newb here.

I just got my iMac on October 7th. Mac newb here.

Installed just about everything I want and still learning how to use OSX, so hardly any system tweaks have been done.

All my apps and files are backed up.

Is it even worth it for me to do a fresh install?

This is not windows, upgrading will not leave behind an invisible mess that will slowly come back to haunt me and eventually cause me to do a fresh install anyway.
correct?

 

[emptyCup]

So what is the practical difference between updating on the one hand vs. "install and archive" on the other? I've read that install & archive saves an old copy of the system folder under "Previous System Folder", but is that the only difference? Why would that matter? I just don't get the practical difference....

The practical difference is that there can be a great deal of data in the System Folder (preferences, etc.) which you may need to extract later. Archiving insures that it is all preserved. If you have a backup drive, and you should, just make a backup and upgrade. That gives you the most security, in case of trouble, and the easiest upgrade path. Many people here disagree, but this is my opinion based on previous experience.