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Should I Install OS X 10.5 on my new Mac-Mini?

V

visvaldis

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 9, 2008
63
3
I have a G4 MDD (Apple processor) with OS X 10.5 and use it for internet.
In December, 2013, I purchased a new Mac-mini (Intel) with Mavericks 10.9 and want to use this for everything.
But problems arise. The Mac-mini will not accept my HP Printer: it “does not support Power PC systems”. I rarely print anything, the printer works fine with the G4, and don’t want to buy a new one just for the Mac-mini.
I am interested for an AT&T offer for a DSL internet hook-up, but their Mac requirements go from 9.2 to OS X 10.6.
I still have the Leopard 10.5. disk. What if I installed the OS X 10.5 on the Mac-mini? Would that solve my problem? Would the printer and internet automatically open the 10.5 instead of the 10.9?
 
If you mean to install 10.5 on your new Mac mini, I would highly advise against it, even if you could get it to work. 10.5 does not have any of the drivers for the new components in your new Mac. It also is no longer supported by Apple, and therefore gets no more security updates.

As for your printer issue, I'm not sure how to help, but all I can say is 10.5 won't work on your Mac, and I would advise against trying.

Also, even though AT&T says it supports up to 10.6 it will work with 10.9 just fine.

What type of printer do you have?
 
Apple will not let you install an operating system 'older' then the system your computer originally shipped with.
So as the previous poster stated, it will not work.
 
visvaldis said:
I still have the Leopard 10.5. disk. What if I installed the OS X 10.5 on the Mac-mini? Would that solve my problem? Would the printer and internet automatically open the 10.5 instead of the 10.9?
Click to expand...
You can't install 10.5 on your new Mini. What model printer do you have? There may be a newer driver available for it.
 
I understand about not being able to downgrade...but as this mini has not changed at all since it came out with OSX mountain lion,would that also not be a choice? And perhaps there's printer drivers for that os....
 
tom vilsack said:
I understand about not being able to downgrade...but as this mini has not changed at all since it came out with OSX mountain lion,would that also not be a choice? And perhaps there's printer drivers for that os....
Click to expand...

If there's not a driver for Mavericks, there's not likely to be a driver for Mountain Lion or Lion either.

If the printer is not supported in Mavericks, the place to turn is HP, not Apple. There's definitely no point changing your OS until you check with HP - you may be no better off after changing.

Just what model HP printer are you using?
 
I'm surprised your printer won't work, we are using some pretty ancient HP printers (eg USB connectors only none of this new fangeled wifi stuff). The only issue we have had is that the HP software doesn't work with Mavericks so scanning we do via Preview.
 
Don't bother with the disks that came with your printer, just plug it in and add it in system preferences. Use the OSX gutenprint driver. What model is it? I'd be very surprised if you can't get it to work.

As for the internet, it shouldn't matter what version you have. That was probably just the minimum requirements when that material was printed.
 
Thanks to all responses.
I thought I'd better ask on this forum before installing the downgrade and then having whopping problems.
I bought the HP ink-jet printer in 2004. On the cover it says: hp psc 1350 all-in-one. Printer/Scanner/Copier.
I'll try to plug in the printer USB and see what happens. Next week I plan to get the DSL.
 
On just the topic of getting the printer to work, you can probably just use a generic "HP _____ Series" driver to get it to work, you may lose some printer specific features or the quality will be crap, but it will likely be able to "print things on a page".

As for "downgrading" the Mini, I have first hand experience just last month. I also purchased a Mini new so despite it being a "Late 2012" model, it came installed with Mavericks and has 10.9 down to the restore partition. As 10.9 is nowhere near professionally ready, I tried to install 10.8 on it. Officially it is not supported but I managed to get it installed with another Mini lying around.

1) boot new Mini into target disk mode
2) plug it to another old Mini running 10.8 with thunderbolt cable
3) on old Mini, use disk utility, wipe drive on new Mini, format as GUID, HFS extended journaled
4) reboot old Mini into recovery mode, from there install 10.8.x (whichever it came with)
5) once you get to the point where it asks you which drive to install on, choose the new Mini drive which is essentially behaving as an external drive for the old Mini
6) install, it will take like an hour since it is downloading OS X packages from the internet
7) after it's done, shutdown & unplug everything, boot up new Mini, if you are greeted with the choose language screen like on any new mac, you are good.

So obviously this method requires an existing Mini that shipped with 10.8, which may be hard to find if you don't have friends or colleagues who use macs. I have read that using an Appstore or retail version of 10.8 installer works also, but it is no longer available through Appstore. If you can manage to get the file, there are many tutorials on the internet about how to copy it onto a bootable USB thumb drive, which should be able to install 10.8 to your new Mini. I actually initially tried this method but I had difficulty getting the tuumb drive bootable, at that point I switched to using an existing Mini, so I don't have experience with the thumbdrive method, but you can try.

If all things fail, I think you could always boot the new Mini back to internet recovery where you can install 10.9, there shouldn't be any risk in bricking it. Also it should be obvious by now, every time you format a drive and install OS X it wipes data, so back up first before trying anything.
 
visvaldis said:
Thanks to all responses.
I thought I'd better ask on this forum before installing the downgrade and then having whopping problems.
I bought the HP ink-jet printer in 2004. On the cover it says: hp psc 1350 all-in-one. Printer/Scanner/Copier.
I'll try to plug in the printer USB and see what happens. Next week I plan to get the DSL.
Click to expand...

That printer is supported in 10.9. Just connect it, and add the printer. Your computer will automatically download the proper driver from Apple.
You can ignore the messages about how to backdate the operating system on your Mini as it is completely unnecessary to do so in order to use this printer.
 
The minimum on the 2011 Mini is Snow Leopard, the minimum on the 2012 Mini Mountain Lion.
But if you want, you can buy Snow Leopard Server at the Apple Store (phone only!) for 20 bucks and run that virtual in Virtual Box.
 
visvaldis said:
I have a G4 MDD (Apple processor) with OS X 10.5 and use it for internet.
In December, 2013, I purchased a new Mac-mini (Intel) with Mavericks 10.9 and want to use this for everything.
But problems arise. The Mac-mini will not accept my HP Printer: it “does not support Power PC systems”. I rarely print anything, the printer works fine with the G4, and don’t want to buy a new one just for the Mac-mini.
I am interested for an AT&T offer for a DSL internet hook-up, but their Mac requirements go from 9.2 to OS X 10.6.
I still have the Leopard 10.5. disk. What if I installed the OS X 10.5 on the Mac-mini? Would that solve my problem? Would the printer and internet automatically open the 10.5 instead of the 10.9?
Click to expand...

Engineered obsolescence. The power PC platform as nice as it was is no longer of any concern to Apple. Unfortunately as technology progresses older equipment sometimes becomes unusable. I met someone once who knows how to program computers using punch cards. I't was a great conversation and great skill for 1960, unfortunately today, not so useful for programming.

As for AT&T DSL will work just fine on your new Mac Mini don't worry about that.
 
Go to the HP site to see if there's drivers for your printer. If not, keep it hooked up to the G4 and hook it up to your Intel Mac Mini via ethernet. You can enable printer sharing and use the G4 as a print server.
 
Last edited:
barkmonster said:
Go to the HP site to see if there's drivers for your printer. If not, keep it hooked up to the G4 and hook it up to your Intel Mac Mini via ethernet. You can end LE printer sharing and use the G4 as a print server.
Click to expand...

As I posted above, that printer works with Apple's HP printer drivers in Mavericks.

----------
blanka said:
The minimum on the 2011 Mini is Snow Leopard, the minimum on the 2012 Mini Mountain Lion.
But if you want, you can buy Snow Leopard Server at the Apple Store (phone only!) for 20 bucks and run that virtual in Virtual Box.
Click to expand...

Again, not necessary to solve the OP's problem.
 
barkmonster said:
Because it's so much easier to upgrade your whole OS than download a printer driver from HP themselves.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

The OP isn't upgrading the OS, the OP has a new Mac Mini which already has Mavericks on it and wants to use the old printer with the new computer.
 
chrfr said:
The OP isn't upgrading the OS, the OP has a new Mac Mini which already has Mavericks on it and wants to use the old printer with the new computer.
Click to expand...

So your suggestions are useless. I mean, it doesn't work in mavericks so they do need to download "HP" drivers for their "HP" printer from the "HP" website (as opposed to "Apple HP drivers" from Mavericks which is already established as not working).
 
barkmonster said:
So your suggestions are useless. I mean, it doesn't work in mavericks so they do need to download "HP" drivers for their "HP" printer from the "HP" website (as opposed to "Apple HP drivers" from Mavericks which is already established as not working).
Click to expand...
Sorry, you're wrong here.
The OP tried to use the original disk from the printer, which contains only a PowerPC installer. The Apple drivers DO work. When the printer is connected and added through the Printers preference pane, the computer will download the correct drivers automatically.
HP's directions to use this printer with Mavericks even tell the user to use Apple's drivers.
 
As mentioned by chrfr above
Your printer works with OS X Mavericks:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...&dlc=en&lc=en&os=4159&product=306888&sw_lang=

visvaldis said:
I have a G4 MDD (Apple processor) with OS X 10.5 and use it for internet.
In December, 2013, I purchased a new Mac-mini (Intel) with Mavericks 10.9 and want to use this for everything.
But problems arise. The Mac-mini will not accept my HP Printer: it “does not support Power PC systems”. I rarely print anything, the printer works fine with the G4, and don’t want to buy a new one just for the Mac-mini.
I am interested for an AT&T offer for a DSL internet hook-up, but their Mac requirements go from 9.2 to OS X 10.6.
I still have the Leopard 10.5. disk. What if I installed the OS X 10.5 on the Mac-mini? Would that solve my problem? Would the printer and internet automatically open the 10.5 instead of the 10.9?
Click to expand...

visvaldis said:
Thanks to all responses.
I thought I'd better ask on this forum before installing the downgrade and then having whopping problems.
I bought the HP ink-jet printer in 2004. On the cover it says: hp psc 1350 all-in-one. Printer/Scanner/Copier.
I'll try to plug in the printer USB and see what happens. Next week I plan to get the DSL.
Click to expand...
 
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