mac os x leopard based on previous updates

toasterman

Hi,
I'll apologise in advance for how ridiculous this question might sound.

I'm knowledgable when it comes to computers but 95% of my knowledge is in Windows systems.
Anyway - I'm upgrading and I've decided to buy a mac because a friend has one and I love the interface, etc, plus it looks great.
I've given myself months and I still don't really like Vista and as I work fixing Windows PCs during the day, thought it might give me a break when it passes 5pm to be using something different for my sound editing and chatting to my friends.

Given that osx leopard is due for release in October, I've been holding out for the last month or so, thinking its better to wait for the new system.
BUT as nobody in my technical field knows much about macs - does anyone know...are major mac os updates like major windows ones? Am I going to find my printer I bought 6 months ago (which has drivers for os x current version) no longer works on leopard?

I've got that (a Samsung ML-2010), a panasonic digital camera (lumix FZ8) and my k800i mobile. Thats all it'll be connecting to, peripheral wise.

I know its a crazy thing to ask if a product that hasn't been released yet will be compatible with my current equipment - but I've no idea whether macs have problems with driver signing or any of that faff...

P.S. Geek note. I was recently asked to help someone with setting up a new router. They had an old crt-styley 15" g3, and wow was it running faster than i expected. Still nice and usable...it's a good 7-8yo computer, never been defragged, or any sorta maintenance really. Even the resolution..at 800x600 (you don't want higher on 15" screen) it was pulling 95hz and not even slightly out of focus. Unbelievable. I was very impressed. No wonder they're still selling for £50 on ebay.

IconBoy_2

Look at the manufacturers websites for compatibility with your extra gadgets.
From what I have heard from many people and read on forums, many gadgets (esp. mobiles) don't always have support for Mac. If they do, very often, it is limited in comparison to the Windows availability. That is just the very reason I daren't move Macside: I have too many important peripherals that don't have Mac support. YMMV, but hopefully you can get some help and enjoy the transition to Mac. Do a search and see what you come up with.
Hope this helps! :-D

toasterman

http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/technology/64bit.html would seem to suggest it supports all the existing software/drivers on previous recent versions....which sounds cool to me.
Although I'm sure Microsoft promised the same with Vista and didn't deliver on it.

BillScarab

It's not Microsoft or Apple who don't deliver it's the third party companies who can't be bothered to release the drivers to enabel their kit to work with Vista or OS X

toasterman

I don't know. I'm not a mac fanboy (yet) nor a ms hater especially, but microsoft stopping suppliers from purchasing xp oem from early next year is going to be annoying. As its not a straight forward update from one to the other necessarily, they really should leave that buffer in place a while longer where you can buy either.

As you rightly say, driver updates should be with the third party suppliers to sort out, but can we really expect Creative to go back and write vista 64bit drivers for all their old cards? It's not going to happen really is it.
I've had an instance recently where a (not that old) HP printer said it was supported on Vista and didn't need additional drivers, Microsoft say it was too - but it doesn't work. Who is at fault there? Who really cares? It doesn't work is the point.

All I can tell you is that Vista causes me a lot of headaches during the day as companies from Sage, to Intuit, to printer suppliers, don't seem to have gotten things working reliably on Vista yet. Plus I don't like Vista's look, feel, or the fact you have to read everything now as they've taken all the icons out....so I'm giving the Mac route a try while I'm still not fixed into using Windows-only software.

patflanel

As a mac user and having been throught OS6 to OS9 and all the transitions of OSX I can honestly say that some peripherals may not, if they need drivers, always work with the new version of the OS. Manufacturers of these are usually pretty quick to rectify this so the situation might not last for long. As with any major OS revision problems are going to be encountered but they are not insurmountable. Take the plunge. I have friends who are amazed at what a Mac can do and how easily it is to use. No viruses (yet) and no need to defrag etc. Get yourself a mac and increase your time actually using the computer. :beer: :rotfl: :j