Upgrade To Snow Leopard: All You Need To Know

Is it possible to have more hype and hoopla over a $29 software upgrade? By all accounts, and the accounts are noisy with fact, hyperbole, and comparisons, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard is a big hit. It’s fast. It’s only $29.

How can anyone possibly know all there is to know about Snow Leopard? Easy. Click. Information. That’s what the internet is all about. There’s no shortage of opinions on Snow Leopard from Mac users all over the world. There’s also no shortage of places to click to find out the inside scoop. Here’s my list of places to go to get all you need to know.

First off, what runs on Snow Leopard? Nearly everything on your Mac is likely to run on OS X 10.6. But not everything. Apple has a list of Incompatible Software.

What’s not to like in Snow Leopard? Macworld has a list of SL Annoyances. What’s all the noise about a $29 upgrade to Snow Leopard for Leopard users, but $169 to upgrade for Tiger users? It’s just noise. Tiger users should buy the $169 upgrade package of Snow Leopard, iLife ‘09, and iWork ‘09 because it’s a good deal, and because, well, Apple really needs the money. But the $29 upgrade package will upgrade a Tiger equipped Mac.

How good is Snow Leopard? It’s like totally rad, and totally disruptive, according to Forbes. What’s the difference between 32-bit SL and 64-bit SL? CNET gives you the surprising scoop.

Wherever you gather 10 news publications you’re bound to get 27 different opinions. I say hype and hoopla, Fortune calls it a low key launch. What? You can’t afford the $29 upgrade to Snow Leopard? That’s OK. It’s free on the internet, according to Silicon.com. Complete with malware.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. OK, what’s a video worth? Macworld has a video of Snow Leopard’s tricks. But not all of them. Oh, and in case you’re wondering whether the $29 upgrade fee is worth it, don’t ask Newsweek, because they don’t think so, what with all the unimpressive reports.

It’s a good thing that Andy Ihnatko of the Sun-Times doesn’t read Newsweek. He thinks it’s fast. My money is on Andy. What else is a Mac fanboy good for but fanning the flames?

Always good for detail are the folks at TidBITS, with a healthy list of What’s New in Snow Leopard. Editor Adam Engst kinda sorta predicting Snow Leopard’s low price back in early spring.

Did you know that Snow Leopard also carries hidden malware protection? Jim Dalrymple tells us all about it, though parts of the technology used was also in OS X 10.5. How much will Snow Leopard increase the Mac’s market share? None, says PC Mag’s Dan Costa.

In an attempt to deliver more advertising, eWeek takes the approach that Apple’s attention to malware protection in Snow Leopard is proof that OS X and Windows are equally insecure.

Any new release of Mac OS X brings a few incompatibilities here and there. Printers and scanners are not sacred, you know. Apple gives SL users a nice page with links to printer and scanner hardware makers so you can find out what works and what doesn’t without actually trying it out first, though you’re likely to do it anway.

Apple’s Kustomer Kindness™ initiative doesn’t end there. Microsoft Exchange compatibility is built-in to Snow Leopard, so Apple gives you tips to connect. We’ve used the term iceberg to describe Snow Leopard. BusinessWeek uses the term camouflage. It’s what’s hidden that counts.

Our British friends at the Telegraph seem to like Snow Leopard, but wonder if it’s enough to lure more people away from Windows. I dunno. Panther did. Tiger did. Leopard did. Snow Leopard is less expensive.

The Mac Observer shows you how to get prepared to install Snow Leopard. So does The Unofficial Apple Weblog. Apple lackey Walt Mossberg says Snow Leopard is fine, fast, and fun but didn’t have enough time to do an in depth review.

I know the feeling because I still have 27 more Snow Leopard articles to read. Mac|Life describes how Boot Camp in SL plays nicer with Windows. It’s a one way relationship, trust me.

In case you’re the Mac party type, InformationWeek springs the news that Apple dealers are planning to party it up during Snow Leopard’s launch. Cool is easily the most overused term in the 20th and 21st century so far, but SlashGear says SL is still cool.

All is not good, though Macintouch whiners readers report plenty of problems with Snow Leopard even before it’s delivered. The Associated Press says Snow Leopard is not all that. InfoWorld shows you what’s wrong with SL. And, for PowerPC Mac users, ApplePeels points out that Snow Leopard marks the end of an era.

Isn’t that just everything you need to know about Snow Leopard? Hey, it’s $29. Why not?