‘The latest version of iTunes has left Mac and iPod customers fuming because much of their highly expensive hardware no longer works’
So begins an article in Saturday’s Guardian Money section. It’s an alarming statement. iTunes 10 rendering Macs useless? Turning MacBook Pros into expensive paperweights? Mac minis into doorstops?
None of the above, as it happens. What Apple has done, like all manufacturers of hardware, is specified a minimum requirement for its latest iPods, iPads, and iPhones. That requirement is iTunes 10. If you buy a new iPod or iOS device and aren’t already using iTunes 10, you’ll have to download it. The problem, for some users, is that iTunes 10 requires at least Mac OS X 10.5, meaning users of earlier versions of the OS will have to upgrade.
If you’re one of those who have just bought a new iPhone, iPod or iPad and can’t run iTunes 10 on your current set-up, here’s a guide to getting up and running.
1. Why must I have iTunes 10 to use my new device?
iTunes 9 is not able to sync with the current crop of iOS devices and iPods because it hasn’t been updated to support the new operating systems on those devices. Apple hasn’t said why this is the case.
2. Which Mac operating systems does iTunes 10 need?
iTunes 10 will run on either Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard).
3. I have a four-year old MacBook with Tiger on it, why can’t I run iTunes 10 on that?
You can, but you’ll need to update the OS. Apple, like all software developers, has to draw the line somewhere when deciding which operating systems to support. In this case it drew the line at Leopard, which has been shipping since October 2007. A recent survey by Net Applications found that only 8% of Mac users run versions of the OS that are older than Leopard. So Apple has probably found a reasonable balance between supporting the vast majority of its customers and keeping costs down.
4. What about Windows? The Guardian Money article said that iTunes 10 supports the ten-year old Windows XP?
It was wrong. iTunes 10 on Windows requires Windows XP SP 2. That shipped in 2004. That’s still significantly older than Tiger, but the proportion of Windows users who run Windows XP is far higher than the proportion of Mac users who use Mac OS X Tiger or earlier. Applying the same balancing act to Windows in terms of costs and customer satisfaction, it makes sense to support Windows XP SP 2.
5. OK. So what’s the cheapest way to upgrade from Tiger to Leopard?
The only legitimate way to upgrade to an OS capable of running iTunes 10 is to buy the Mac Box Set 11. That includes a version of Snow Leopard that can be installed on a machine running Tiger. Retail versions of Snow Leopard on its own are prohibited from being installed on Macs running anything other than Leopard (although we’ve read reports that say there’s no technical limitation and it works fine).
Mac Box Set 11 also includes iWork 09 and iLife 11. The cheapest price we’ve been able to find for it is £105.75 from More Computers
6. Will my Mac run it?
As long as it has an Intel processor, 1GB Ram, 5GB free disk space and a DVD drive, yes. If you have a MacBook Air, you’ll either have to use a USB DVD drive or the Remote Disc feature.
7. An Intel processor? But my Mac has a PowerPC.
You can still upgrade to Leopard, though not Snow Leopard. And you will be able to run iTunes 10, with some limitations. Finding a copy of Leopard to buy could be trick; if you do see copies advertised, check that they’re not restricted, for example, to education users. In your case, it really might be time to think about a new Mac soon.
UPDATE: We’re told Apple does retail Leopard on its own for £86, available by calling 0800 048 0408.
Tagged as:
iTunes,
Snow Leopard
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How to install iTunes 10 on an ‘obsolete’ Mac
by Kenny Hemphill on May 23, 2011
So begins an article in Saturday’s Guardian Money section. It’s an alarming statement. iTunes 10 rendering Macs useless? Turning MacBook Pros into expensive paperweights? Mac minis into doorstops?
None of the above, as it happens. What Apple has done, like all manufacturers of hardware, is specified a minimum requirement for its latest iPods, iPads, and iPhones. That requirement is iTunes 10. If you buy a new iPod or iOS device and aren’t already using iTunes 10, you’ll have to download it. The problem, for some users, is that iTunes 10 requires at least Mac OS X 10.5, meaning users of earlier versions of the OS will have to upgrade.
If you’re one of those who have just bought a new iPhone, iPod or iPad and can’t run iTunes 10 on your current set-up, here’s a guide to getting up and running.
1. Why must I have iTunes 10 to use my new device?
iTunes 9 is not able to sync with the current crop of iOS devices and iPods because it hasn’t been updated to support the new operating systems on those devices. Apple hasn’t said why this is the case.
2. Which Mac operating systems does iTunes 10 need?
iTunes 10 will run on either Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard).
3. I have a four-year old MacBook with Tiger on it, why can’t I run iTunes 10 on that?
You can, but you’ll need to update the OS. Apple, like all software developers, has to draw the line somewhere when deciding which operating systems to support. In this case it drew the line at Leopard, which has been shipping since October 2007. A recent survey by Net Applications found that only 8% of Mac users run versions of the OS that are older than Leopard. So Apple has probably found a reasonable balance between supporting the vast majority of its customers and keeping costs down.
4. What about Windows? The Guardian Money article said that iTunes 10 supports the ten-year old Windows XP?
It was wrong. iTunes 10 on Windows requires Windows XP SP 2. That shipped in 2004. That’s still significantly older than Tiger, but the proportion of Windows users who run Windows XP is far higher than the proportion of Mac users who use Mac OS X Tiger or earlier. Applying the same balancing act to Windows in terms of costs and customer satisfaction, it makes sense to support Windows XP SP 2.
5. OK. So what’s the cheapest way to upgrade from Tiger to Leopard?
The only legitimate way to upgrade to an OS capable of running iTunes 10 is to buy the Mac Box Set 11. That includes a version of Snow Leopard that can be installed on a machine running Tiger. Retail versions of Snow Leopard on its own are prohibited from being installed on Macs running anything other than Leopard (although we’ve read reports that say there’s no technical limitation and it works fine).
Mac Box Set 11 also includes iWork 09 and iLife 11. The cheapest price we’ve been able to find for it is £105.75 from More Computers
6. Will my Mac run it?
As long as it has an Intel processor, 1GB Ram, 5GB free disk space and a DVD drive, yes. If you have a MacBook Air, you’ll either have to use a USB DVD drive or the Remote Disc feature.
7. An Intel processor? But my Mac has a PowerPC.
You can still upgrade to Leopard, though not Snow Leopard. And you will be able to run iTunes 10, with some limitations. Finding a copy of Leopard to buy could be trick; if you do see copies advertised, check that they’re not restricted, for example, to education users. In your case, it really might be time to think about a new Mac soon.
UPDATE: We’re told Apple does retail Leopard on its own for £86, available by calling 0800 048 0408.
Tagged as: iTunes, Snow Leopard