ARCHIVED: Should I upgrade my Macintosh to Mac OS X?

Note: At Indiana University, UITS strongly recommends upgrading to the latest version of Mac OS X available. For minor updates, you can do this through the Software Update system preference, but if you have any version of Mac OS X 10.0, you will need to upgrade to a newer version of Mac OS X. For more information, see For Mac OS X, how do I obtain and install system software updates?

Whether you should upgrade your Macintosh to Mac OS X depends on your needs. Mac OS X has many advantages over previous versions. The operating system is highly resistant to system crashes and does not become unstable when an application crashes. It also introduces preemptive multitasking, multithreading, symmetric multiprocessing, and protected memory, potentially improving performance considerably. Additionally, Apple will not be updating versions of Mac OS prior to Mac OS X, and is rapidly phasing out support for these older versions.

However, a few programs have not been revised to take advantage of these capabilities in Mac OS X, and some older applications and peripherals don't work at all. Also, the interface is significantly different, so you must account for the time it will take you to adjust to it. Before upgrading, research all the applications and peripherals you depend on and find out if Mac OS X supports them.

If you do decide to use Mac OS X, first check that your computer meets the system requirements; see For Mac OS X 10.6, what are the system requirements?

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