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When will iMacs ship with Leopard pre-installed?

B

BostonBred1

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 25, 2007
1
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I am switching to Mac from being a Windows user for the past 10 years. I can't wait to get back to using a Mac. I am very excited to purchase my iMac, but I am wondering if anyone knows when they will be shipping with Leopard pre-installed? I know I can get my iMac now with Tiger, but since I am new to all this, I don't want to have to explore two different OS'. I was surprised and a little dissapointed that the computers themselves don't ship on the day of launch with Leopard, but I'd like to know how long I will have to wait.

Thanks!
 
BostonBred1 said:
I am switching to Mac from being a Windows user for the past 10 years. I can't wait to get back to using a Mac. I am very excited to purchase my iMac, but I am wondering if anyone knows when they will be shipping with Leopard pre-installed? I know I can get my iMac now with Tiger, but since I am new to all this, I don't want to have to explore two different OS'. I was surprised and a little dissapointed that the computers themselves don't ship on the day of launch with Leopard, but I'd like to know how long I will have to wait.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Now! They have already started shipping with leopard. (from what ive been hearing) CONGRATS on the switch!:apple:
 
I'm curious about this too. I've chatted with an Apple rep online (twice) and each time they told me that I would have to wait until after 6pm tomorrow to avoid having to pay the $9.99. I figure that I've waited this long - I can wait another 36 hours. Disappointing though - I would think that it would either come pre-installed or on a disc in the box.
 
Mine was ordered on Monday and shipped out Tuesday. It should arrive on Monday. The Apple Store allowed me to order the Leopard Up-To-Date upgrade, so I'm assuming that Leopard isn't pre-installed. If you ordered today, however, I wouldn't be surprised if it's pre-installed, since nobody in the US will receive their computer before Friday.
 
im wondering about this too. only im wondering when an imac will be available in stores with leopard already pre-installed. my cash and credit card are ready. the question is....is my imac and leopard ready?
 
well i hope they do come with leopard pre-installed.

I just put my order in today so that I could get ahead of the rush.

I think that apple must have built up more stock on the iMacs, as the ship date for orders went from 7-10 days to 2-4 days. Hopefully all these come with leopard.
 
Leopard probably won't be pre-installed. It's likely only systems manufactured after the 26th will come with it installed (so it'll be a few weeks till they arrive in stores), but even if you order after the 26th you might still get a Mac which was stocked prior the release of Leopard which has Tiger installed.

If it isn't pre installed you will get the DVD in the box. I just hope they've already started this process since my iMac should be delivered sometime today. I hope the Leopard DVD is in the box.
 
kristofor said:
well i hope they do come with leopard pre-installed.

I just put my order in today so that I could get ahead of the rush.

I think that apple must have built up more stock on the iMacs, as the ship date for orders went from 7-10 days to 2-4 days. Hopefully all these come with leopard.
Click to expand...

once you get your imac....let us know!
 
Topher15 said:
Leopard probably won't be pre-installed. It's likely only systems manufactured after the 26th will come with it installed (so it'll be a few weeks till they arrive in stores), but even if you order after the 26th you might still get a Mac which was stocked prior the release of Leopard which has Tiger installed.

If it isn't pre installed you will get the DVD in the box. I just hope they've already started this process since my iMac should be delivered sometime today. I hope the Leopard DVD is in the box.
Click to expand...

once you get your imac....let us know!
 
Topher15 said:
Will do. No delivery yet. The UPS tracker states its out for delivery for today and on time. Hopefully tomorrow morning.
Click to expand...

this question has been answered. they are shipping with leopard now. i hope yours was able to get it after the change was made!
 
Current Info on Pre-Install

I talked via phone to the online Apple store. I also have been waiting to make the switch until Leopard was pre-installed. So, I was disappointed to hear that at this point online or phone orders will be shipped "either with Leopard pre-installed or with a Leopard disc." I asked when they could guarantee that it would just be Leopard pre-installed. The response was that I could call back day to day. The phone rep also said that the upgrade takes approximately 2 hours.

Meanwhile the Apple Store in Santa Monica, CA says they will be selling all new systems with the disc, and not the pre-install, for "awhile." The store rep qualified that answer to mean early November, 2007.

Should I wait?? I've waited this long, but is it really crucial to have a pre-install. Coming from the PC world, it typically means your computer has a better chance at the outset to run well.

Thanks for all your comments.
 
I talked via phone to the online Apple store. I also have been waiting to make the switch until Leopard was pre-installed. So, I was disappointed to hear that at this point online or phone orders will be shipped "either with Leopard pre-installed or with a Leopard disc." I asked when they could guarantee that it would just be Leopard pre-installed. The response was that I could call back day to day. The phone rep also said that the upgrade takes approximately 2 hours.


I had this exact same conversation above about 30 minutes ago. No definite answer except to just call back every couple of days. DUH !!!

I went to my Apple store today and they said that all the Imacs have the drop-in disc right now and they have no idea when they will get pre-installed machines. The girl told me that they have to get low on their Imac supply before they will get new ones. She also said they have "a lot" of computers in the back that have the drop-in discs. She said it would probably at least 2-4 weeks before the get preinstalled systems in. This sucks.

I am in the same boat that I don't want to mess with the upgrade. If I am going to buy a new computer, I don't want to have install a new system right away. That's like buying a brand new car and switching engines before you can take it home. It takes away that "new" feeling to me.
 
I chatted with a representative on Apple's website after came back from the launching party yesterday, and she said that all BTOs come with Leopard "PREINSTALLED" now.
 
I was at the Apple store today and they couldn't believe I was asking if it Leopard was preinstalled or not...
They tried to tell me that I am crazy and that nobody else asks questions like that. i.e. what they are selling is the best so I should not worry about anything. I did not like their attitude at all.

They kept arguing that it does not matter. Well, reading these forums some says i make a difference because iLife is not on the Leopard DVD. Is that true?

Then they said some iMac are preinstalled some are not. Asking if I could open the box before paying to check if it is preinstalled, they told me I can not do that. They basically said that it is a matter of luck.

Will the Leopard preinstalled iMac have a different picture on the box? It would then make it easy to spot in the back of the store the preinstalled ones... But they would not let me have a look.

Also, why is the following link at the bottom showing a box with a Tiger picture and mention Tiger in the included OS. Is it because they have not made the change yet?
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...a/wa/RSLID?nnmm=browse&node=home/desktop/imac
 
contentfooter_buynow20071026.jpg


vs.

overview-box.jpg


Has anyone seen the box on top in real life yet?
 
iphnct said:
contentfooter_buynow20071026.jpg


vs.

overview-box.jpg


Has anyone seen the box on top in real life yet?
Click to expand...

no. because it doesnt exist. this makes no sense to me.

i mean, i understand the whole selling out your stock. but they SHOULD be shipping with leopard. apple should been prepared for this.
 
The people in the Apple store were real buttholes to me today too. I was asking them questions like "What if I wanted to reinstall leopard 6 months down the road for a fresh start, wouldn't I have to install Tiger first and then reinstall leopard."

It was like I was talking a different language to them. I asked them a lot of questions that I have been reading on here (Ilife08) and they had stupid answers for me. Basically it just came down to that I was the dumbest person alive b/c I wasn't running out of the store with my new Imac and a leopard disk.
 
I also asked about the Apple store's stock to get some idea of how long it would be before they got a new shipment in and they let me look at their back room and there were a TON on imacs back there. And apparently all of them had the drop in disks. The girl said it would be at least three weeks untill they got the new ones in.

DUH !!!!!!

This is like McDonald's releasing a new sandwhich and when you go through the drive-through to get it, they hand you a back with the beef patties and a bag with the bun and tell you that this is the new, great sandwich but you have to put it together yourself.
 
carlhnz said:
Compare:

http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html (shows Leopard)

http://www.apple.com/nz/imac/specs.html (shows Tiger)

Looks like I'm waiting a couple of weeks before ordering my new iMac!
Click to expand...

A friend here in Japan just got a new iMac 24 inch shipped with Tiger installed and a Leopard upgrade DVD.

Incidentally the Macs are still showing Tiger on the specs pages at the Apple website in Japan as well but on the Apple Store they have Leopard on the screen and then there is the banner "Every Mac now ships with Leopard". If you click on that banner at the New Zealand Store you get the following:

Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard launched on Oct. 26, 2007, delivering more than 300 new features and innovations. And now every Mac we ship includes Leopard.

It is hard to define exactly what they mean by "includes" but if my friend's case is any example it might be upgrade discs until existing stock is depleted.

I don't see what the big deal about upgrading is anyway. On a clean factory install it will have no problems whatsoever and might take 30 minutes tops. I would hardly consider it any reason to hold off ordering now. I bought my 24" aluminum iMac on 8/7, the machine's release date and unfortunately didn't qualify for the Up-To-Date Program and had to buy a copy at retail price.
 
Nstryker said:
Should I wait?? I've waited this long, but is it really crucial to have a pre-install. Coming from the PC world, it typically means your computer has a better chance at the outset to run well.

Thanks for all your comments.
Click to expand...

It will take you all of 30 minutes and should give you no more problems than a machine that came pre-installed.

I came from the PC World too a few years ago and can tell you this phenomenon of better-running machines with the target OS pre-installed does not exist in Appleville.
 
Chances are that after the 26th any Macs shipped will have Leopard pre installed. By the time these Macs get to the store it will be about 3 weeks.

If you buy an iMac now though, you'll get an upgrade disk.
 
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