I have an 8 year old MacBook Air running OS X 10.6.8; can I upgrade to most current operating system or is it maxed out?

I have an 8 year old MacBook Air running OS X 10.6.8. Can it handle an upgrade to Lion and then to Snow Leopard or is hardware incapable. Additionally, I have a 3 year old Mac Mini running same OS X 10.6.8, with new solid state hard drive. Can I upgrade that one?

8 years old? Not likely. The first MBA was released in January 2008. It can be upgraded to Lion although it meets only the minimal specifications to run Lion. Snow Leopard would likely perform better than Lion on that hardware.
Lion System Requirements
Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor
2GB of memory
OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
7GB of available space
Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
An Early 2009 Mac Mini is capable of running Mountain Lion.
Upgrading to Mountain Lion
You can upgrade to Mountain Lion from Lion or directly from Snow Leopard. Mountain Lion can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $19.99. To access the App Store you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or later installed.
If you need to purchase Snow Leopard you can still purchase a copy from Apple's online store's telesales agents.[1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753) or Customer Service and Sales Support at 1-800-676-2775.] Ask for a Sales Representative.
Third-party sources for Snow Leopard are:
Snow Leopard from Amazon.com
Snow Leopard from eBay
After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store.
If you need to purchase Lion call 1-800-692-7753 or 1-800-676-2775. Ask for a Sales Representative. They will check your Apple ID, and email you a code and instructions. The cost is $29.99 (as it was before) plus tax. It's a download.
Be sure your computer meets the minimum requirements:
Apple - OS X Mountain Lion - Read the technical specifications.
Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion
iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
Xserve (Early 2009)
Are my applications compatible?
See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps - App compatibility and feature support for OS X & iOS.
For a complete How-To introduction from Apple see Apple - Upgrade your Mac to OS X Mountain Lion.

Similar Messages

I have a one year old Macbook Air 13. I have a brand new 22" external monitor. When I connect my external monitor it initially provides a nice display - very accurate and no distortions. But, within a few minutes the screen begins a incessant series

I have a one year old Macbook Air 13. I have a brand new 22" external monitor. In turning the Macbook and monitor on, the monitor displays very well, but within a few minutes it begins this incessant blinking (temporary black out of the screen that lasts anywhere from 1-5 seconds). This has been going on for a long time (it also happended with my older monitor which apparantly I threw out when I should have kept it thinking it was the problem). From reading various blogs in the Apple support community, this appears to be a widespread problem, but I don't find a solution, only a lot of speculation. I'm very surprised the Apple folks haven't figured this out. As a new Apple user, heretofor, I have been very impressed with the support and effort to get fixes out to users. This, however, has me frustrated to the point of junking my Mac and going back to a PC. I love the Macbook Air and most of the functionality, but I cannot function without an external monitor. Anybody have any ideas, please help. Frustrated, Jim

Your dsplay is getting extended onto the external monitor. Chcnage the setting to duplicate it or only display on the external monitor and you should be fine,
Let me know if this worked for you.

Handoff does not work on a 2 1/2 year old MacBook Air

As I do a lots of fieldwork I was looking forward to using the new handoff feature in Yosemite which would allow me to transfer my work from my iPad to my 2 1/2 year old MacBook Air. I have now discovered that my laptop is too old for this feature. Why? This smacks of built-in obsolescence.

This is a user-to-user support forum, so we can't usually explain the "why" of many Apple decisions, although you may get some educated guesses from someone here. You can provide feedback to Apples at https://www.apple.com/feedback/ if you like.
May not help, but my MacBook Air is a mid-2012 model that is supposed to support Handoff but I've yet to get it to work in spite of meticulously following all of the instructions.
Also may not help, but I don't really care if I don't get it to work as all it would seem to do is very slightly reduce the number of steps to open a document on the other device. Without Handoff I can start a document in Pages on my MacBook Air, save to iCloud then go to my iPhone and open Pages and resume editing there. You may already be aware of that -- and you may have more need or use of Handoff than I do -- but thought I would point that out just in case you were thinking Handoff provided more capabilities than it does.

I have a 3 year old MacBook Pro with MAC OSX 10.6.8, iPhoto '09 version 8.1.2 and have downloaded two software programs: one is Aperture 3.2 and the other is Photoshop Elements 9 (which I got from a friend who didn't need it). I am totally happy with the

I have a 3 year old MacBook Pro with MAC OSX 10.6.8, iPhoto ’09 version 8.1.2 and have downloaded two software programs: one is Aperture 3.2 and the other is Photoshop Elements 9 (which I got from a friend who didn’t need it).
I am totally happy with the way iPhoto organizes my photos and how I can work with iMovie to create slide shows with music from iTunes, etc.
I have been shooting mostly high resolution jpegs and I continue to learn more and more about photography, post processing etc. I realize that the small adjustments I can make in iPhoto are good, and are adequate most of the time. However, a have started to experiment with shooting RAW images and would like to go the next step, ie. post processing.I am totally technically challenged and need SIMPLE, INTUITIVE programs and am certainly NOT anywhere ready for Photoshop CS whatever!
After having these programs sit on my computer, I decided to try to see if I could figure them out. When I opened Aperture, this is what first comes up.
“Welcome to Aperture 3.2
Your library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of Aperture. Once upgraded, you will not be able to use this library with previous versions of Aperture.
Upgrading a library from previous versions of Aperture 3 generally takes a few minutes or less, though larger libraries will take longer. After that, Aperture 3.2 will upgrade your library's thumbnails, but you can use the application during that time.
Tip: To open a different library, quit Aperture and hold the Option key down while starting Aperture
Current Library Location:
Jadzia (home) -----Pictures------Aperture Library
QUIT UPGRADE”
I have heard horror stories about moving your entire library to Aperture, ending up with 2 libraries, etc. etc. hence my previous reluctance in attempting Aperture. In addition, many of my photography friends are saying: Go with Lightroom 3.....you’ll love it!
So here is my dilemma. I don’t want to mess around with my iPhoto library. All I want to be able to do, is to isolate a few photos, export them to Aperture, Elements, and work on them there, then bring them back into iPhoto.
Can I do this? Should I forget about Aperture and Elements and look at purchasing yet another program like Lightroom?

Export those few photos via the File ➙ Export ➙ File Export menu option with Kind = Original to the Desktop. Then import them into the Aperture library. That would keep one copy in your iPhoto library and another in your Aperture library to edit, etc.
You can use Photoshop Elements 9 from within iPhoto as your editor of choice. However, if you edit a raw file in iPhoto with PSE9 the resulting edited version must be saved outside the iPhoto Library and imported back in as a new file. For editing jpegs just do a Save (not a Save As) and it all will be kept within iPhoto.
Using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements as Your Editor of Choice in iPhoto.
1 - select Photoshop or Photoshop Elememts as your editor of choice in iPhoto's General Preference Section's under the "Edit photo:" menu.
2 - double click on the thumbnail in iPhoto to open it in Photoshop. When you're finished editing click on the Save button. If you immediately get the JPEG Options window make your selection (Baseline standard seems to be the most compatible jpeg format) and click on the OK button. Your done.
3 - however, if you get the navigation window
that indicates that PS wants to save it as a PS formatted file. You'll need to either select JPEG from the menu and save (top image) or click on the desktop in the Navigation window (bottom image) and save it to the desktop for importing as a new photo.
This method will let iPhoto know that the photo has been editied and will update the thumbnail file to reflect the edit..
NOTE: With Photoshop Elements the Saving File preferences should be configured as shown:
I also suggest the Maximize PSD File Compatabilty be set to Always. In PSE’s General preference pane set the Color Picker to Apple as shown:
Note: to switch between iPhoto and PS or PSE as the editor of choice Control (right)-click on the thumbnail and select either Edit in iPhoto or Edit in External Editor from the contextual menu. If you use iPhoto to edit more than PSE re-select iPhoto in the iPhoto General preference pane. Then iPhoto will be the default editor and you can use the contextual menu to select PSE for your editor when desired.
OT

Have a 2 year old macbook pro that won't turn on--logic board?

We have a 2 year old Macbook Pro that will not turn on. A computer repairman said it's probably the logic board. Does Apple warrant that or are we just out $1,700?

When you attach the power adapter, does the led light up? If so, what color?
What happens if you press the external battery check button?
Have you tried a SMC reset?
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
Have you had it evaluated at an Apple store genius bar or an AASP?
Ciao.

I have a 2 year old MacBook Pro and the superdrive has stopped working, it won't take discs in as if there is one already inside but iTunes or the dvd player doesn't recognise that there is a disc inside and if there is it can't be ejected

I have a 2 year old MacBook Pro and the superdrive has stopped working, it won't take discs in as if there is one already inside but iTunes or the dvd player doesn't recognise that there is a disc inside and if there is it can't be ejected, i have tried shutting down and restartinf while holding down the trackpad, as recommended on some forums but that has done nothing
It might be a huge coincidence but the drive was working fine before i installed lion?

Installing Lion would not cause the superdrive to stop working. Are you unsure as to whether or no a cd/dvd is inside? Something may be broken inside and you should consider bringing it in for service.

I am confused about Icloud. I have a 5 year old Macbook, a 2 year old macbook and a 5 year old mac mini. What exactly do I need to do to get all this connected via Icloud. I also have an Iphone 3G. Help please!

I am confused about Icloud. I have a 5 year old Macbook, a 2 year old macbook and a 5 year old mac mini. What exactly do I need to do to get all this connected via Icloud. I also have an Iphone 3G. Help please! Also, I still don't understand exactly what the benefits are. At the moment it seems a lot of hassle to change a system that's been working perfectly well and that I'm very happy with. I'm not at all sure whether the mac mini (1.66 GHz INtel Core Duo) can be brought up to the relevant spec to run ICloud. Any thoughts?

There are two aspects to iCloud. One is simply getting an account, or migrating a mobileme account to iCloud. The second part is using the various features of iCloud to sync contacts, calendars, use music match or photo sharing, and store iWorks documents.
First to get an iCloud account:
If you have a mobileme account, you can migrate by simply logging onto www.icloud.com (ignore any references to Lion and just click through to complete the migration). If you have OS X Lion or an iOS 5 mobile device, you can create an iCloud account on that device using any valid AppleID.
Once you have an account, you can use JUST the mail account if you wishi - it is a standard IMAP account so you would set it up like any other IMAP email account you have, in whatever client program you use to read email.
To use the OTHER feautes of iCloud, your computers will have to be running OS X Lion (10.7). Your iPhone 3G will never be able to use iCloud as it cannot run iOS 5 (you need a min. of an iPhone 3GS to run iOS 5).
The requirements for OS X Lion are here - http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html You need a min. of a Core 2 duo processor so you mini is not capable of running Lion.
So, in your case, the single reasons for iCloud would be if you have a mobileme account, then use the online www.icloud.com to migrate your account so you do not lose your @me.com email address. You can use iCloud email (without using any other iCloud features) by setting it up as IMAP mail with these settings - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4864
If you want an iCloud account and do NOT already have a mobileme account, you will need to upgrade one machine at least to Lion in order to be able to create an iCloud account.

I have a 2 year old macbook pro os x 10.5.8 want to upgrade to lion

I have a 2 year old macbook pro os x 10.5.8 want to upgrade to lion

Mountain Lion Requirements:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5444
App Compatibility:
http://roaringapps.com/
Check both above first. Then call Apple Sales & have them send you a retail Snow Leopard Disk(US $29)...there is no download. Update to 10.6.8, then go to Mountain Lion or Lion if you like(US $19).
Don't know if Apple is still selling Lion...you'll have to ask Apple sales when you call. You need Snow Leopard to get the Mac app store where you can then purchase Mountain Lion...Lion is no longer available in the store.

Hi, I have a 3 year old Macbook Pro 13" and I accidentally cracked the outer screen of my mac book, however the LCD panel is fine and works well. Please advise what to do

Hi, I have a 3 year old Macbook Pro 13" and I accidentally cracked the outer screen of my mac book, however the LCD panel is fine and works well. Please advise what to do. I live in India and I have gone to authorised Apple technicians and they infomed me that I will have to replace the LCD panel as well even though it is not cracked, is this really true or can I just change the outer shell? Also they say that they cannot do it in India... can I do it myself at home?

Since it is 3 years old find a local repair shop that can replace the glass Only. you may have to send it out to a Non Local shop for that but there are some that specialize in doiing that on Mac notebooks.
Apple will ony replace the complete screen enclosure with all normal parts included, LCD, Camera, Aluminum housing and glass as one unit. Which is very expensive. Or you could just use it as a desktop system with external monitor and buy a new notebook.

I have a 5 year old MacBook running OS X v10.5.8 Of course Apple does not provide an OS update and then other software apps won't update because the OS is obsolete. Is there a way of upgrading the hardware so the software can be made current?

I have a 5 year old MacBook running OS X v10.5.8 Of course Apple does not provide an OS update and then other software apps won't update because the OS is obsolete. Is there a way of upgrading the hardware so the software can be made current?

10.6.8 Combo Updater
The 2 places I’ve seen recommended most to buy reliable RAM are below. I have purchased RAM several times from Other World Computing and have always been very satisfied with the product and service. They have on-line instructions on how to replace the RAM. OWC has also tested RAM above what Apple states is the maximum. I now have 6GB installed on a early 2008 iMac supposedly limited to 4 GB and noticed an improvement.
Crucial
Other World Computing

My 5 year old MacBook Air is telling me it "cannot save information about your mailboxes because there isn't enough space in your home folder. Quit mail, delete files you don't need, then reopen mail." What is "home folder," and which files to delete?

My 5 year old MacBook Air is telling me it "cannot save information about your mailboxes because there isn't enough space in your home folder. Quit mail, delete files you don't need, then reopen mail." What is "home folder," and which files to delete? Thanks.

The home folder is where all of your personal files are kept.
Best candidates to delete are movies, videos, music and photos since they generally take the most space.
Don't forget to empry the Trash after you delete the file because the space is not returned until the Trash is emptied.
Allan

I am trying to install Firefox to be my browser..got a message saying " Sorry not enough resources" have a 2 year old computer and using windows 7...what can I do?

I want to install Firefox to be my browser. I get a message "Sorry, not enough resources". I have a 2 year old computer and am using Windows 7. What can I do?
== User Agent ==
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.1; Trident/4.0; SLCC2; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30729; Media Center PC 6.0; Media Center PC 5.0; SLCC1; WinNT-PAI 09.07.2009; MS-RTC EA 2; Tablet PC 2.0; OfficeLiveConnector.1.5; OfficeLivePatch.1.3; BO1IE8_v1;ENUS)

Hello Janet.
Are you sure that's what the error message says? Can you provide a screenshot of it?
If it says you don't have enough privileges, it's because you are on a guest-style account. Contact your system administrator for support on that, or change into an administrator account to install Firefox.

I am operating a 2009 desktop Mac OsX 10.5.8. How do I upgrade to a current operating system? Do I need to purchase Snow Leopard? I have clicked update my software but see now changes.

I am operating a 2009 desktop Mac OsX 10.5.8. How do I upgrade to a current operating system? Do I need to purchase Snow Leopard? I have clicked update my software but see now changes.

You first must upgrade to Snow Leopard. In order to upgrade to Lion, Mountain Lion, or Mavericks you first must upgrade to Snow Leopard. Your model should be able to run Mavericks which you can download for free.
Upgrading to Snow Leopard
You can purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.
After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download Mavericks if your computer meets the requirements.
     Snow Leopard General Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel processor
       2. 1GB of memory
       3. 5GB of available disk space
       4. DVD drive for installation
       5. Some features require a compatible Internet service provider;
           fees may apply.
       6. Some features require Apple’s iCloud services; fees and
           terms apply.
Upgrading to Lion
If your computer does not meet the requirements to install Mavericks, it may still meet the requirements to install Lion.
You can purchase Lion at the Online Apple Store. The cost is $19.99 (as it was before) plus tax. It's a download. You will get an email containing a redemption code that you then use at the Mac App Store to download Lion. Save a copy of that installer to your Downloads folder because the installer deletes itself at the end of the installation.
     Lion System Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7,
           or Xeon processor
       2. 2GB of memory
       3. OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
       4. 7GB of available space
       5. Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
Upgrading to Mavericks
You can upgrade to Mavericks from Lion or directly from Snow Leopard. Mavericks can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for FREE.
Upgrading to Mavericks
To upgrade to Mavericks you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Download Mavericks from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Mavericks is free. The file is quite large, over 5 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
    OS X Mavericks- System Requirements
    Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mavericks
         1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 7,1 or later
         2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 5,1 or later
         3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 2,1 or later
         5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         7. Xserve (Early 2009) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.
     Are my applications compatible?
         See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps.
Remember to do the following before starting the upgrade process:
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Restart the computer from the Apple menu.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.

Is Mountain Lion the most current operating system for MacBook Pro?

I am wondering if Mountain Lion is the most current operating system for the MacBook Pro. I am under the impression that 'Mavericks' is for the desktop Mac, am I correct? Thank You.

Actually, Mavericks is the current version of OS X replacing Mountain Lion. Mavericks will be replaced later this year by Yosemite. The upgrade to Mavericks is free. You can download the installer from the App Store.

I have a 5 year old MB Pro running OSX 10.7.3. How do I get iCloud instead of MobileMe on this device?

How do I get iCloud on my 5 year-old MB Pro running OSX 10.7.3? It only shows MobileMe in system preferences.

If your mac is running 10.7.3 and there is no iCloud panel in system preferences, then you need to re-install Lion.

I have an 8 year old MacBook Air running OS X 10.6.8; can I upgrade to most current operating system or is it maxed out?

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