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New to Apple Mac Pro

R

ricwilli

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 12, 2014
3
0
Hi
My father-inlaw was given a very old Mac Pro without a hard drive. I've never used a Mac before, but would like to start using this. If possible. I was trying to do some research on what OS I can install on it, but it got complicated. I was hoping that someone here can help me out on what OS to install. I already installed the hard drive.
In doing some research, I came across a link that tells you about your computer by entering the serial number. http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html

Hopefully the info below can shed some light on what OS I can install on this computer. Thanks

Nice Name:
Machine Model: MacPro1,1/MacPro2,1
Name: MacPro (First model)
ModelCode: mac_pro
Family name: A1186
Group1: Mac Pro
Group2: nothing
Generation: 1
CPU speed: 2.0GHz/2.66GHz/3.0GH
Colour: Aluminium
Production year: 2007
Production week: 05 (February)
Production number: 2689 (within this week)
Model introduced: 2006
Memory - flavour: DDR2-H-666
Memory - number of slots: 8
Memory - maximum total: 32GB
Memory - largest module: 4GB
Factory: G8 (USA)
 
With a little money spent you should be able to run Mavericks!


http://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/1rsp3q/install_mavericks_on_older_mac_pro_11_21_20062007/


You are going to need a few things though....firstly more RAM is recommended, take it to at least 8GB with that as a starting point if it were me I'd then have a go at the install using the instructions in my link above. It's possible to upgrade graphics cards and HDD, even install an SSD which is where I'd go, but at a later date....get it up and running first, then see how it is.

RAM for these older MP's does tend to be a little expensive, but it's still available.

Let us know how it goes.....I'm a sucker for older Macs bought back to life:)
 
Thanks for the quick response. I will read the links.

The Mac Pro currently has 10GB of memory and a nVidia P345 GeForce 7300 GT video card.
 
This is my first Apple computer. So I don't know what its primary function will be.
I think I already ran into a problem. I will need another apple computer to do the hack. I'm trying to find someone that has one.
 
ricwilli said:
.. Iwill need another apple computer to do the hack. I'm trying to find someone that has one.
Click to expand...

If you buy a copy of 10.6.(3?) on optical disk then you don't. (presuming this was not also stripped of the ODD). Frankly, on better standing anyway if buy the OS. Under the standard user license the OS X was not suppose to be decoupled from the Mac Pro. [ Can perhaps be a commerical license Mac Pro where the license per org/site but ]


All the new OS X distributions at this point are electronic and frankly upgrades ( as of $0.00 Mavericks). The newer Macs can drag down a copy of the OS from the "mothership" over the Internet. That Mac Pro 2007 is from a different era.
 
You are lucky that is still a very powerful machine even though it is from 2007 . I would reccomend installing linux on it if you are do not have the extra cash that way you can have a current OS . There are a lot of versions of linux I would reccomend either Ubuntu , Mint , or if you are a windows user Zorin os . If you have the money you should put windows 7 on it as well .
 
mintfan7200 said:
You are lucky that is still a very powerful machine even though it is from 2007 . I would reccomend installing linux on it if you are do not have the extra cash that way you can have a current OS . There are a lot of versions of linux I would reccomend either Ubuntu , Mint , or if you are a windows user Zorin os . If you have the money you should put windows 7 on it as well .
Click to expand...

when are people going to wake up to the fact that Linux will never cut it as a Desktop OS....you can take Mint and Ubuntu and their mouthwash aint makin' it! its a good server OS (especially for network appliances) but OSX is a far better Desktop OS. OP, install OSX it is definitely worth it.
 
zarf2007 said:
when are people going to wake up to the fact that Linux will never cut it as a Desktop OS....you can take Mint and Ubuntu and their mouthwash aint makin' it! its a good server OS (especially for network appliances) but OSX is a far better Desktop OS. OP, install OSX it is definitely worth it.
Click to expand...

The Reality is that Operating Systems do not matter as much anymore because apps and services are becoming more and cloud based everyday . Linux is a great Desktop OS and it is free . Android is Linux and that is the most popular phone and tablet os in the world . I like Mac and Windows 7 too but Linux is my main os everybody is different though . I do not think linux is the best they are all good .
 
Last edited:
mintfan7200 said:
I would reccomend installing linux on it if you are do not have the extra cash that way you can have a current OS .
Click to expand...

10.6.3 Snow Leopard Server is like $20. If $20 is a huge hurdle, then the Mac Pro probably isn't a good system to be running. If this system could run (without hacks) OS X 10.9 the upgrade is free. There isn't a huge amount of legally acquiring OS cost here. It isn't free but the "free beer" over "free modification/speech" is one of the things holding back Linux on the desktop.

Even if move to OS X 10.7 is $30 range ( if can get Mac App Store to present it ). The USB drives are harder to get and cost a bit more.
 
mintfan7200 said:
The Reality is that Operating Systems do not matter as much anymore because apps and services are becoming more and cloud based everyday . Linux is a great Desktop OS and it is free . Android is Linux and that is the most popular phone and tablet os in the world . I like Mac and Windows 7 too but Linux is my main os everybody is different though . I do not think linux is the best they are all good .
Click to expand...

I have Linux boxes, Ubuntu and mint and they are cool for what they do. But as a desktop OS for all round usability and features, especially for the novice and those that don't want to faff around with terminal commands none of them can hold a fig leaf to a decent desktop OS like OSX and Windows 7. Granted they run very quick on hardware what Apple and Microsoft stuff struggles on but I would never consider running one as my primary OS, certainly not on a 1/2,1.

As for the cloud - after the NSA stuff and privacy issues of the past year I quite like having a lot of my data stored locally under my roof away from the rain :D

I would get a SL 10.6 DVD for starters and that will give you relatively pain free options for installing Windows if you wish at a later date. With an SSD in a sled the tower will be more than capable of running OSX perfectly fine and fast!

An NWT AdaptaDrive will fit a 2.5 inch SSD perfectly in the sled and works on all the later models if you catch the Mac Pro upgrade bug :D
 
Last edited:
deconstruct60 said:
10.6.3 Snow Leopard Server is like $20. If $20 is a huge hurdle, then the Mac Pro probably isn't a good system to be running. If this system could run (without hacks) OS X 10.9 the upgrade is free. There isn't a huge amount of legally acquiring OS cost here. It isn't free but the "free beer" over "free modification/speech" is one of the things holding back Linux on the desktop.

Even if move to OS X 10.7 is $30 range ( if can get Mac App Store to present it ). The USB drives are harder to get and cost a bit more.
Click to expand...

The thing is that Apple is not going to support the older Mac Pros that much longer , they want people to buy a new Mac when the one they have works fine and when apple ends support for your machine it is time to try Linux or even Windows if you want to stay up to date with a modern os and modern apps . If you can run a current Mac OS X version that still receives updates then yes use it but when apple drops support its time to look for alternatives . Linux is not for everyone but it has gotten much better over the years and it is easier than ever to use . Mac OS X is the best option if your Machine is still supported but when that support ends get Linux or Windows .
 
deconstruct60 said:
Under the standard user license the OS X was not suppose to be decoupled from the Mac Pro
Click to expand...

I Am Not A Lawyer but the only tie-in on the OS X EULA is that it must be installed on an "Apple branded computer". If you want to be completely legit, Snow Leopard, the last version on DVD is $20 from the Apple Store http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard - from there you will be able to upgrade to Lion if you want.


mintfan7200 said:
Linux is a great Desktop OS and it is free . Android is Linux
Click to expand...

Technically wrong: Linux is not a desktop OS - it is an operating system "kernel". In itself, that doesn't make a usable operating system. Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora etc. are desktop OSs that combine the Linux kernel with a huge collection of other open-source projects (the GNU command line tools, the X.Org windowing system, Samba file sharing, various desktop systems such as GNOME or KDE etc...) to make a complete desktop OS.

So far, so pedantic, everybody calls Ubuntu etc. "Linux", but you then go on to say "Android is Linux". It isn't: it uses the Linux kernel, but that is pretty much where the similarity stops at least as far as users are concerned (systems-level programmers will, obviously, see the similarity, but most android Apps use a virtual-machine based system unlike anything in desktop "linux").

OS X and iOS are, likewise, two different operating systems based on the same kernel (Darwin) with rather different software stacks sitting on top. They're probably more alike than Ubuntu etc. and Android.
 
Get it up and running using an older version of Mac OS X, preferably using a DVD install disk borrowed from someone. Don't install more memory, don't upgrade the video card, don't upgrade the hard drive. Do not spend a cent on it until you *like* the way it looks and how it operates.

Once you can obtain the install DVD for a version of Mac OS X that is known to work on that particular system, reformat the hard drive using the included Disk Utility (an option when you boot from the DVD, just look around for it), format as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as one large volume and give it any name you want. I like to name mine for the operating system that they contain, so my boot drive is currently named "Mountain Lion."

Mavericks brings with it some annoying changes, like an annoying-looking dock (I always put mine on the right side because it makes a helluva lot more sense to eat into ample horizontal space rather than precious little vertical space), labels that are useless for quickly finding things "visually" on the screen (before: which folder? Oh yeah, the one that's all red, including the text under it; after: they all now look the same)… I gave Apple very choice feedback and immediately reverted to Mountain Lion (10.8.5) when I couldn't take any more. Sadly, I'll be forced to use it when my new Mac Pro comes in later this month. I am not looking forward to that aspect of the new computer.
 
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