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Tekserve donated the full proceeds of the first 100 copies sold to the Snow Leopard Trust.
Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard," builds upon and refines the features of Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard," as well as overhauls the underlying technologies that we rely on every day. The key word this time around is "refinement" – everything under the hood has been enhanced, and the improved efficiency and ease of use are well worth the $29 upgrade. Here's just a few of our favorite new features.
Faster, Faster, Faster (And Lighter, Too)
Almost every aspect of Snow Leopard is faster and more responsive:
- Time Machine is now up to 50% faster and the time it takes to complete your initial backup has been reduced.
- Shutting down is up to 75% faster.
- Waking up from sleep is up to twice as fast if you have screen locking enabled for added security.
- Joining wireless networks over AirPort is now up to 55% faster.
- The entire upgrade process has been simplified and is up to 45% faster. (Plus, Snow Leopard now checks your applications to make sure they're compatible, setting aside any programs known to be incompatible.)
- Also, Snow Leopard takes up less than half the space of Leopard, freeing up about 6GB of hard drive space for you to use however you like.
Faster, Improved Finder
All aspects of the Finder have been improved, leaving it more responsive and with snappier performance throughout. With a new icon view, you can thumb through a multipage document or watch a QuickTime movie directly in the Finder, without launching an application. Spotlight has been enhanced, too, now allowing customizable search options to better pinpoint the files you're looking for.
Faster, More Stable Safari
With Snow Leopard, Safari 4 delivers up to 50 percent faster JavaScript performance (thanks to 64-bit support). In addition, Safari is even more resistant to crashes. The number one cause of crashes in Mac OS X is browser plug-ins, so the engineers at Apple redesigned Safari to make plug-ins run separately – now if a plug-in crashes on a web page, Safari will keep running.
How Much?
If you're a current user of Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard", you can upgrade your Mac to Snow Leopard for only $29 – or $49 for the Family Pack, which allows installation on up to five Macs. Users of Mac OS X versions prior to 10.5 Leopard can upgrade with the Mac Box Set for only $169, or $229 for the Family Pack. The Mac Box set contains Snow Leopard, iWork '09, and iLife '09 (includes iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, and Garage Band).
I'm ready to upgrade to Snow Leopard, what do I need to know?
The first step is to make sure your Mac is compatible with Snow Leopard. Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard requires:
- Mac computer with an Intel processor (if you have a PowerPC G4 or G5 Mac, read about your upgrade options)
- 1GB of memory, Tekserve recommends 2GB of memory for the best experience with Snow Leopard and we can upgrade your RAM while you wait
- DVD drive for installation
- 5GB of available disk space
Next you'll want to check that the software you use on your Mac is compatible with 10.6 Snow Leopard. During installation, Snow Leopard checks your applications to make sure they're compatible, setting aside any programs known to be incompatible. Some software will work with a new operating system and some will need to be upgraded to continue working. Go to the website of your software manufacturer to see if an upgrade is necessary to run on the latest operating system. (You can also check the wiki list of Snow Leopard Application Compatibility.) Some software manufacturers may charge for updates and some older software may not be available for a new operating system at all. You also need to check for new drivers for your printers, scanners, and any other third-party peripherals you plan to continue using.
Finally, read our step-by-step instructions on how to upgrade Mac OS X from the Mac FAQ. We'll walk you through backing up, cleaning up, running the update, and important options many Mac users don't know about.
 | Mac Snow Leopard Box Set Family Pack: includes Snow Leopard (OS 10.6), iWork 09, iLife 09 | $229.00 | In StockShips in 1-2 business days |