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1.83GHz C2D Mini - ok to upgrade to Leopard?

S

stevo1

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 18, 2007
65
0
UK
My parents have one of the C2D Mac Minis that were released August last year. It's the basic model: 1.83 GHz and only 1 GB RAM. They're running Tiger.

Would upgrading it to Leopard make it run quicker or slower? I don't want to slow their machine down, but at the same time, there are some features of 10.5 they could benefit from - not vital, but it would be useful to upgrade. I just don't want to install Leopard then find everything has become sluggish for them.

Currently they use their Mini for basic stuff - web, email, basic photo editing, some scanning, and that's about it.

TIA
 
stevo1 said:
My parents have one of the C2D Mac Minis that were released August last year. It's the basic model: 1.83 GHz and only 1 GB RAM. They're running Tiger.

Would upgrading it to Leopard make it run quicker or slower? I don't want to slow their machine down, but at the same time, there are some features of 10.5 they could benefit from - not vital, but it would be useful to upgrade. I just don't want to install Leopard then find everything has become sluggish for them.

Currently they use their Mini for basic stuff - web, email, basic photo editing, some scanning, and that's about it.

TIA
Click to expand...

I think it should be fine, although, you may want to slap another gig of RAM in the Mini. Mine runs Leopard just fine, granted I have 3 GB of RAM!
 
Thanks MacBass.

If only adding RAM to a Mini was as easy as "slapping it in" :D

So in everyday use - opening folders/copying files, launching Mail/Firefox - are they likely to see a speed increase or decrease with Leopard, do you think?

(Or is it not as simple as that?)
 
I did not time anything, but I did not really notice a significant difference when I installed 10.5 on a similar mini. I'm still at 1GB because I did not want to rip the thing apart.
 
stevo1 said:
Thanks MacBass.

If only adding RAM to a Mini was as easy as "slapping it in" :D

So in everyday use - opening folders/copying files, launching Mail/Firefox - are they likely to see a speed increase or decrease with Leopard, do you think?

(Or is it not as simple as that?)
Click to expand...

I have Leopard on a Core Duo 1.66GHz Mini - works fine. There's no noticeable speed increase or decrease, but I much prefer Leopard to Tiger.

Updating the RAM is pretty easy. I used a cake slicer to open mine. Just remember that horrible cracking sound isn't anything breaking.
 
Runs fine on my C2D 2.0. Should do the same on a 1.83.

However, don't even try to install it on a Mac Mini G4... it's awful. The 32 MB video card buckles under the new desktop graphics, and nearly freezes when it tries to handle simple animations like Dock magnification etc.

I find this ironic, considering that one of the cornerstones of Vista mockery on the part of the Mac community is that Vista runs poorly on old hardware...
 
Thanks all, that's great to know.

I want to stick an extra Gig in there, but not sure I want to risk doing it myself (actually if it was my machine I'd probably have a go, but I don't want to risk damaging theirs!)
 
I use a 1.83C2D mini Leopard. I run it with a 23" cinema display, and a second 1280*1024 display though a USB card.

I upgraded the RAM and HDD twice, it is not difficult, you just have to be patient.

I am currently using Leopard. Right now, I am on Safari, Camino, Firefox, Flock, iTunes, Logic, Audacity, IE5 (don't ask...), iChat, NeoOffice, Max, and Terminal. It has been up for 12 days. It runs the above simultaneously on two screens with no lag/problems.

I have 4GB RAM and a 7200rpm HDD, but before that was 2GB RAM and 5400rpm and everything was fine.

I would certainly upgrade the RAM, but other than that, everything else is ready for what you can throw at it.
 
I have 1 GB RAM on my C2D 2.0 Mini and I really don't see why these relatively menial jobs would require another GB. Granted, I mostly use mine as a glorified Apple TV, it's plugged in to a 42" LCD TV and plays DivX movies via Front Row... but I have used it for some heavier stuff as well and never once have I seen it cough and groan due to RAM shortage.
 
Lord Zedd said:
It was "ok" to upgrade to Leopard from the day it was released.
Click to expand...
There were a few other reasons why I didn't do it on day one (bugs, drivers/other hardware compatibility), but now that they're all resolved, I plan on taking their up-to-date Leopard disc over next time I see them and doing an archive and install.
 
stevo1 said:
(bugs, drivers/other hardware compatibility)
Click to expand...
Thats a myth, it has not had any significant issues. I've been using Leopard since the WWDC preview in 2006 and I have not had any problems with it.

My only gripe with Leopard is the new dock. Because of the awful Stacks "feature", I must use alias files to make folders open in the finder with one click (and losing drag and drop with that method.)
 
Lord Zedd said:
stevo1 said:
Originally Posted by stevo1
(bugs, drivers/other hardware compatibility)
Click to expand...
Thats a myth, it has not had any significant issues. I've been using Leopard since the WWDC preview in 2006 and I have not had any problems with it.
Click to expand...
By hardware I meant their scanner, printer and camera - wanted to be 100% sure that all their stuff was supported before upgrading. Eg. I know quite a few people with my particular HP printer have been unable to get the driver working in Leopard, whereas it was working in Tiger.

And bugs - well that's just the usual bunch of things that come with any .0/.1 release.

Anyway bottom line is, I'm happy to upgrade them now... :)
 
I have been with Leopard since 10.5.0.

10.5.1 fixed the toolbar transparency and docks - a huge thing for me.

10.5.4 (or .3, never used it) fixed NFS problems I had with my NAS, which prevented backups and required me to boot into Tiger on occasion to backup.

I did have to hack the driver for our old HP AIO to get scanning to work - took 30 sec to follow somebody's post.

Seems good now.


BTW 1GB was OK if I just ran one app at a time. With 4 or 5 things open I would notice slow downs when changing apps. With 4GB my C2D mini seems very speedy.
 
I'm running leo on a core solo 1.5 (along with CS3, etc). You'll be fine.

And the ram isn't THAT hard to add. The toughest part is getting the case open. Do that and the rest is a breeze.
 
Core Solo

munckee said:
I'm running leo on a core solo 1.5 (along with CS3, etc). You'll be fine.

And the ram isn't THAT hard to add. The toughest part is getting the case open. Do that and the rest is a breeze.
Click to expand...

I was going to say... I have a Core Solo with 1 gig and run 10.5.4 fine, some of my video crunching gets slower since I've updated. But your not doing that so I say go for it. :D

Hugh
 
Considering that a MacAir ships with a 1.6 C2D and leopard I think you will be more than fine. Of course more RAM never hurts and considering how cheap it is, I would pop in another gig.
 
stevo1 said:
My parents have one of the C2D Mac Minis that were released August last year. It's the basic model: 1.83 GHz and only 1 GB RAM. They're running Tiger.
Click to expand...

I have one with Leopard. Same model you are referring to. Works fine with 1GB ram, but runs better with 2GB.
 
We use that model at work exclusively with Leopard and Leopard Server - no issues.
 
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