What are the "pros and cons" of upgrading to MacOS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard"? Is it "worth it"? Is there any reason not to upgrade?

Like any other purchase, only you can decide if MacOS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" is "worth it", but you can evaluate the "pros and cons" of the operating system and see if it meets your needs.

This summary may be helpful in making a decision:

Pros:

• For "Leopard" users, very inexpensive compared to most operating system upgrades.
• Modestly improved performance compared to "Leopard" on Intel-based Macs.
• Saves an Apple-estimated 7 GB of hard drive (or SSD) space compared to "Leopard".
• 64-bit support, Grand Central Dispatch, and OpenCL promise to lead to substantial future performance increases.
• Continues to support PowerPC applications via the "Rosetta" framework.
• Native Microsoft Exchange support.
• Improved VoiceOver for the visually impaired.

Cons:

• Officially a US$169 "Box Set" bundled with iLife '09 and iWork '09 is required for those upgrading from an Intel-based Mac running "Tiger".
• Does not support PowerPC Macs, even those sold barely over three years ago, providing significantly less support than typical.
• Some Intel-based Macs with hardware capable of booting in 64-bit mode apparently blocked in EFI.
• Like "Leopard", "Snow Leopard" does not support MacOS 9/Classic software at all.
• Some existing MacOS X software and peripherals are not compatible.

Essentially, for those using PowerPC-based Macs -- assuming that your current Mac continues to meet your needs -- there is no immediate reason to rush out and buy a new Mac just to run "Snow Leopard". The new operating system delivers improved performance and a handful of new features, but any new computer will provide superior performance compared to one that is a few years old and to the majority of users the new features are unlikely to be enough to justify a new hardware purchase.

Any upgrade decisions for PowerPC users should be weighed carefully, particularly if you have expensive software or hardware that is not compatible with the new operating system or newer Macs. For many, even when the time to buy an Intel-based Mac comes, it still will be necessary to keep a "legacy box" for access to older applications and documents, and perhaps specialized peripherals as well.

On the other hand, for those using Intel-based Macs -- with the possible exception of those saddled with the woefully underpowered Mac mini "Core Solo" 1.5 -- there is little reason not to upgrade to "Snow Leopard" (assuming that one's software and hardware all is compatible), as it offers a modest speed boost and an estimated 7 GB of hard drive storage savings. Some users initially reported crashes, but with several "bug fix" updates released, it has become considerably less risky to install the new operating system on even a "mission critical" computer.

For Intel-based "Leopard" users, the operating system only costs US$29, and there are people in this world who think nothing of spending US$29 on breakfast and others to whom US$29 represents a month of backbreaking work, but for most readers the price likely is "worth it" for the speed boost and storage savings alone.

Other "Leopard" users, no doubt, will find any one of the more major features -- native Microsoft Exchange support, improved VoiceOver for the visually impaired, or handwritten Chinese input support -- or even minor improvements -- "Exposé" arranging open windows on an orderly grid, the ability to copy a single column of text from a PDF file, or QuickTime X's fast and easy uploading to YouTube -- to be worth US$29. The formal decision "Tiger" users must make whether or not to buy the "Box Set" -- including iLife '09 and iWork '09 as well as "Snow Leopard" -- for US$169 may prove to be more of an ethical dilemma for some.

Some long-term Mac users may be understandably miffed as the last PowerPC-based Macs -- the Power Macintosh G5 models -- were only discontinued on August 7, 2006, and historically, Apple has supported hardware with the latest version of the operating system for considerably longer than three years. Likewise, "hacker types" may be irritated that Apple has apparently blocked booting in 64-bit mode even on some Intel-based Macs that have capable hardware. Both of these actions appear to be an effort to boost company profits by accelerating the "upgrade cycle" -- requiring existing users to buy new Macs more frequently -- and there probably will be users upset enough that they will "dig in their heels" and refuse to upgrade or even abandon Apple hardware entirely.

Nevertheless, for the majority of Intel-based Mac users, "Snow Leopard" represents an excellent value and provides a solid foundation for future improvement.

Site sponsor PowerMax sells MacOS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" as well as new and used Macs free of sales tax.

Site sponsor Operator Headgap Systems specializes in heavily upgraded refurbished Macs capable of running both MacOS X and MacOS 9/Classic applications as well as products to help with "legacy" use.