someone recommended to me that i re-install OSX immediately upon getting a new mac, that it's always better than going with the factory install. is this common practice?
<strong>someone recommended to me that i re-install OSX immediately upon getting a new mac, that it's always better than going with the factory install. is this common practice?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes. Do this every time you buy a new machine. If you want to be really thorough - zero the drive first (now that 10.2.3 can do that) - if that fails then you know right off the drive itself is bad. It does take a long time, though (hours).
This is all precautionary stuff. It's to save hassle if there does appear to be a problem. I guarantee that if you call Apple with a machine that is a week or two old and it's acting crazy, the #1 recommendation of any good tech at that point is "erase the drive - then see what happens." This is because the system hasn't been in use so long that backing it up isn't a Herculean task, and guarantees a good system install.
Apple does a good job with pre-installing, and 99% there's nothing to worry about - but you don't want to be in that 1% when it would have only taken 10 minutes to avoid a lot of potential headaches.
<strong>someone recommended to me that i re-install OSX immediately upon getting a new mac, that it's always better than going with the factory install. is this common practice?</strong><hr></blockquote>
When I got my TiBook I had to installl the OS with 4 supplied CD's. I didnt think the software came installed?
If you want to be really thorough - zero the drive first (now that 10.2.3 can do that)
Nothing,
the installed software isn't 10.2.3 so do i have to download the update before i zero out the drive. how exactly do i zero out the drive. then, how do i set it up so i can run 10.2 AND 9 full version. i'm not sure it comes with a full version 9 cd, but i have an old one anyway. do i need to partition and install software that i will be using in both os's twice? i really want to keep it as simple as possible.
Either my PowerBook 667 and iMac 17" came with any software pre-installed. They had a screen asking me to put in Restore Disc 1... But I did press "C" to start up with the OS X CD. I never used to restore discs.
But when I got my iBook 500, it had been pre-installed by the shop. I think Apple herself has never pre-installed any software in the machines unless the shop did that, right?
<strong>Either my PowerBook 667 and iMac 17" came with any software pre-installed. They had a screen asking me to put in Restore Disc 1... But I did press "C" to start up with the OS X CD. I never used to restore discs.
But when I got my iBook 500, it had been pre-installed by the shop. I think Apple herself has never pre-installed any software in the machines unless the shop did that, right?</strong><hr></blockquote>
It's quite strange to hear that machines are sold without system software. All US machines come with it preinstalled.
With a totally new install, you can choose to NOT install foreign language files. These take up a huge amount of space. This will make your System File smaller. (In theory this will result in faster disk access, but who knows if It'll be noticeable)
I think that, by default, the machines come delivered with EVERYTHING (except developer tools) installed in the OS ... I have found that there is a LOT of stuff there that I don't need.
In reality though, the new machines run fast enough, and have such huge HardDrives, that you probably won't see any difference.
<strong>In reality though, the new machines run fast enough, and have such huge HardDrives, that you probably won't see any difference.</strong><hr></blockquote>
And when the day comes that you meet the woman of your life and she happens to be Norwegian, or Chinese, or whatever, you'll have access to some nifty features in her mother tongue. Or some other case of course, it is always hard to decide up front what you'll be needing in about a year's time.
Caveat: Your old version of OS9 may not work with a new machine...
...but your new Mac should have come with a full OS9 version anyway.
Side note: Recently (like since last January), Macs have been coming with full version OS Install discs that work on any modern Mac, despite being labeled specifically for the machines which they accompanied.
<strong>someone recommended to me that i re-install OSX immediately upon getting a new mac, that it's always better than going with the factory install. is this common practice?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Um, there is no difference between the factory install and the default OS X install.
You get 2 CDs with any new Mac and 10.2 Retail, Jaguar system install and applications install. With a new system, you get bunch of system-specific CDs.
Apple installs Jaguar for you, and you then have to install the system-specific software. Wiping the disc just restarts the process un-necessarily.
Caveat: Your old version of OS9 may not work with a new machine...
...but your new Mac should have come with a full OS9 version anyway.
Side note: Recently (like since last January), Macs have been coming with full version OS Install discs that work on any modern Mac, despite being labeled specifically for the machines which they accompanied.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Thats true, they are the standard Jaguar install discs.
Also, your system-specific disks (which you are prompted for in the "Welcome" screen) contain a "Classic System" disk image which is installed. You all will be r00ted when Panther arrives, because when you do a clean install you will lose 9.
to the first question: should you reinstall os x everytime you get a new machine instead of using the factory install...
it REALLY depends on YOUR experience and your experiences.
choose for yourself: are you likely to make _wrong_ decisions in installation? i personally never had problems with factory installs, although of course i _do_ reinstall after some time, anyway - but i have good backups, so the machines are back up in no time... so my experience tells me that apple does a good job here. and if you're sure that you do a better job than apple, then go ahead, reinstall. but if not, don't.
Apple does a good job with pre-installing, and 99% there's nothing to worry about - but you don't want to be in that 1% when it would have only taken 10 minutes to avoid a lot of potential headaches.</strong><hr></blockquote>
1 bad pre-installation out of 100. You must be kidding. No way. Maybe 1 out of 10000.
When I bought my new MDD dual 1 GHz, I used the pre-installed OS X, I didn't reformat or reinstall. And it's been working perfectly for months, it hasn't crashed once.
"When you get a new Mac, reformat and reinstall the OS" sounds like a Windows-ism. I've never had to do that on any of the Macs I've bought.
The possibility of getting a bad pre-installation from Apple is as big as doing a bad installation yourself. Why bother, if you have no evidence that something actually is wrong?
I'd agree that a re-install is not necessary (like i said earlier: fast processors and big HD's) ... I did the pared-down install of Jag on my iMac266 because it has only a 6Gig hard-drive.
By deleting much system stuff, I freed up over 800 MB on my disk (a substantial portion on such a small drive)
Also ... I already met the woman of my dreams ... and she speaks English.
Comments
<strong>someone recommended to me that i re-install OSX immediately upon getting a new mac, that it's always better than going with the factory install. is this common practice?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes. Do this every time you buy a new machine. If you want to be really thorough - zero the drive first (now that 10.2.3 can do that) - if that fails then you know right off the drive itself is bad. It does take a long time, though (hours).
This is all precautionary stuff. It's to save hassle if there does appear to be a problem. I guarantee that if you call Apple with a machine that is a week or two old and it's acting crazy, the #1 recommendation of any good tech at that point is "erase the drive - then see what happens." This is because the system hasn't been in use so long that backing it up isn't a Herculean task, and guarantees a good system install.
Apple does a good job with pre-installing, and 99% there's nothing to worry about - but you don't want to be in that 1% when it would have only taken 10 minutes to avoid a lot of potential headaches.
<strong>someone recommended to me that i re-install OSX immediately upon getting a new mac, that it's always better than going with the factory install. is this common practice?</strong><hr></blockquote>
When I got my TiBook I had to installl the OS with 4 supplied CD's. I didnt think the software came installed?
Nothing,
the installed software isn't 10.2.3 so do i have to download the update before i zero out the drive. how exactly do i zero out the drive. then, how do i set it up so i can run 10.2 AND 9 full version. i'm not sure it comes with a full version 9 cd, but i have an old one anyway. do i need to partition and install software that i will be using in both os's twice? i really want to keep it as simple as possible.
[ 12-22-2002: Message edited by: appdezine ]</p>
But when I got my iBook 500, it had been pre-installed by the shop. I think Apple herself has never pre-installed any software in the machines unless the shop did that, right?
<strong>
When I got my TiBook I had to installl the OS with 4 supplied CD's. I didnt think the software came installed?</strong><hr></blockquote>
As far as I know, the OS only comes installed on US Macs, or maybe some other ones too but not the Macs for all countries.
<strong>Either my PowerBook 667 and iMac 17" came with any software pre-installed. They had a screen asking me to put in Restore Disc 1... But I did press "C" to start up with the OS X CD. I never used to restore discs.
But when I got my iBook 500, it had been pre-installed by the shop. I think Apple herself has never pre-installed any software in the machines unless the shop did that, right?</strong><hr></blockquote>
It's quite strange to hear that machines are sold without system software. All US machines come with it preinstalled.
With a totally new install, you can choose to NOT install foreign language files. These take up a huge amount of space. This will make your System File smaller. (In theory this will result in faster disk access, but who knows if It'll be noticeable)
I think that, by default, the machines come delivered with EVERYTHING (except developer tools) installed in the OS ... I have found that there is a LOT of stuff there that I don't need.
In reality though, the new machines run fast enough, and have such huge HardDrives, that you probably won't see any difference.
<strong>In reality though, the new machines run fast enough, and have such huge HardDrives, that you probably won't see any difference.</strong><hr></blockquote>
And when the day comes that you meet the woman of your life and she happens to be Norwegian, or Chinese, or whatever, you'll have access to some nifty features in her mother tongue. Or some other case of course, it is always hard to decide up front what you'll be needing in about a year's time.
<strong>
i'm not sure it comes with a full version 9 cd, but i have an old one anyway.
[ 12-22-2002: Message edited by: appdezine ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
Caveat: Your old version of OS9 may not work with a new machine...
...but your new Mac should have come with a full OS9 version anyway.
Side note: Recently (like since last January), Macs have been coming with full version OS Install discs that work on any modern Mac, despite being labeled specifically for the machines which they accompanied.
<strong>someone recommended to me that i re-install OSX immediately upon getting a new mac, that it's always better than going with the factory install. is this common practice?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Um, there is no difference between the factory install and the default OS X install.
You get 2 CDs with any new Mac and 10.2 Retail, Jaguar system install and applications install. With a new system, you get bunch of system-specific CDs.
Apple installs Jaguar for you, and you then have to install the system-specific software. Wiping the disc just restarts the process un-necessarily.
Barto
<strong>
Caveat: Your old version of OS9 may not work with a new machine...
...but your new Mac should have come with a full OS9 version anyway.
Side note: Recently (like since last January), Macs have been coming with full version OS Install discs that work on any modern Mac, despite being labeled specifically for the machines which they accompanied.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Thats true, they are the standard Jaguar install discs.
Also, your system-specific disks (which you are prompted for in the "Welcome" screen) contain a "Classic System" disk image which is installed. You all will be r00ted when Panther arrives, because when you do a clean install you will lose 9.
Barto
Barto
it REALLY depends on YOUR experience and your experiences.
choose for yourself: are you likely to make _wrong_ decisions in installation? i personally never had problems with factory installs, although of course i _do_ reinstall after some time, anyway - but i have good backups, so the machines are back up in no time... so my experience tells me that apple does a good job here. and if you're sure that you do a better job than apple, then go ahead, reinstall. but if not, don't.
<strong>
Apple does a good job with pre-installing, and 99% there's nothing to worry about - but you don't want to be in that 1% when it would have only taken 10 minutes to avoid a lot of potential headaches.</strong><hr></blockquote>
1 bad pre-installation out of 100. You must be kidding. No way. Maybe 1 out of 10000.
Where did you get these numbers from?
"When you get a new Mac, reformat and reinstall the OS" sounds like a Windows-ism. I've never had to do that on any of the Macs I've bought.
By deleting much system stuff, I freed up over 800 MB on my disk (a substantial portion on such a small drive)
Also ... I already met the woman of my dreams ... and she speaks English.