Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Upgrade from Mac OS X Leopard with Snow Leopard, a simpler, more powerful, and more refined version of Mac OS X. It delivers a wide range of enhancements, next-generation technologies, out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange Server, and new accessibility features. It's the world's most advanced operating system, finely tuned from installation to shutdown.
To upgrade your Mac to OS X Lion, you must be running OS X Snow Leopard. If you have OS X v10.5 Leopard, purchase OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard now and install it on your Mac. Then buy OS X Lion as a digital download from the Mac App Store. Learn more>
Overview
Better, faster, easier 
Snow Leopard enhances your entire Mac experience. In ways big and small, it gets faster, more reliable, and easier to use.
- Activate Exposé right from the Dock.
- Wake from sleep and shut down your Mac faster than before.
- Install it more quickly and get back 7GB of disk space.
- Enjoy dozens more refinements for everything from iChat to Preview and more.
Next-generation technologies 
New core technologies in Snow Leopard unleash the power of today's advanced hardware and prepare Mac OS X for future innovation.
- 64-bit support, the next big step for the Mac. All key system applications are now 64-bit so they can take advantage of all the memory in your Mac.
- Grand Central Dispatch, a revolutionary new way for software to get the most from multicore processors.
- OpenCL, a new technology that unleashes the power of graphics processors to accelerate application performance.
QuickTime X
As the next generation of media players, it's built on new core technologies and advances modern media and Internet standards.
- Watch your videos in a clean, uncluttered interface with the new QuickTime Player.
- Record audio or video using the built-in iSight camera and microphone in your Mac.
- Trim your media to the perfect length.
- Easily publish your media to MobileMe or YouTube.
Out-of-the-box
support for Microsoft Exchange
Mac OS X Snow Leopard delivers built-in support for the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server, something even Windows PCs don't have.
- Use your Mac at home and at work and have all your messages, meetings, and contacts in one place.
- Easily set it up using the Autodiscovery feature in Exchange.
- Use Mail, iCal, and Address Book to access your work email, calendars, and the Global Address List alongside your personal accounts.
- Take advantage of powerful Mac OS X features such as Spotlight, Quick Look, data detectors, and more.
Safari 4
The latest version of Apple's blazing-fast web browser delivers up to 50 percent faster JavaScript performance and is more resistant to crashes than ever.
- Use Top Sites to view your favorite websites at a glance, see which ones have been updated, and visit them in a click.
- Complete search queries as you type with built-in Google Suggest.
- Flip through full-page previews of your browsing history in Cover Flow the same way you flip through album art in iTunes.
Universal Access
Every Mac comes with built-in technologies designed to help people with disabilities experience it. Innovations in Snow Leopard advance accessibility even further.
- Control your Mac using gestures on your Multi-Touch trackpad. And when you drag your finger across the trackpad, VoiceOver speaks the items you touch so you know how they're arranged on the screen.
- Snow Leopard includes support for over 40 braille display models, including Bluetooth models.
- New accessibility features make web browsing easier, faster, and more enjoyable.
Most Useful Reviews
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Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
OS 10.6 Snow Lepoard
- Written by CS from CANTERBURY
- 19-Jun-2010
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Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Solid Upgrade
- Written by DM from ALTRINCHAM
- 19-Apr-2010
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Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Snow Leopard destroys systems
- Written by MH from colchester
- 21-May-2010
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Most Recent Reviews
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Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
DON'T DO IT
- Written by NF from warrington
- 15-Jan-2012
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Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Good Experiences with Snow Leopard with slight snag!
- Written by AR from Edinburgh
- 06-Jan-2012
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Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Possibly the WORST Apple Product Ever ?
- Written by CP from Didcot
- 29-Dec-2011
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Most Interesting
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Can we buy the leopard to Snow Leopard upgrade online and Download without a need of CD?
- Asked by OA from Beijing
- 24-Apr-2010
Best Answer
Nope, you need the disc.
- Answered by HC from Woodland Hills
- 05-Apr-2011
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hey do i realy need the mac box set to upgrade from mac os x 10.4.11
- Asked by DR from Ipswich
- 25-Feb-2010
Best Answer
It is recommended that you do but is not required.
- Answered by AS from Shreveport
- 03-Jun-2011
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I have Mac OS X 10.5.8. Do I upgrade to MAC OS X 10.6 in order to use Facetime?
- Asked by DM from Weymouth
- 26-Oct-2010
Best Answer
Yes, that's what I'm going to do. In order to use Facetime, you must have Snow Leopard. I'm going to buy the $29 Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. …More
- Answered by BR from Brooklyn
- 28-Dec-2010
Recently Answered
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Does snow leopard support appleworks 6? (leopard does) thanks dc
- Asked by DC from San Francisco
- 08-Jan-2011
Answer
10.4 is the last OS to run Appleworks. Using 10.5 or 10.6 slows it down. 10.7 kills it.
- Answered by RR from Taylorsville
- 08-Feb-2012
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If I have os x 10.4.11, what should I upgrade with?
- Asked by JM from Springfield
- 07-Feb-2012
Answer
You need to make sure your Mac supports the newer OSX versions.
Snow Leopard requires a Mac with any Intel Processor and at least 1GB of memory; Lion requires a Mac with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor plus at least 2GB of memory. Snow Leopard must already be installed if you wish to upgrade all the way to Lion.
When I upgraded from 10.4.11 to Snow Leopard, here are the steps I took:
1) First, keep (or clone to an external bootable drive) your old bootable partition with the old OS on it. This allows you to have a backup and still be able to start up with OS 10.4.11, if you wish to, after Snow Leopard is installed.
2) Start doing a clean install of Snow Leopard to a fresh partition. In order to do a clean install with the $29 DVD, you will have two options when you start up from the DVD... "Utilities" or "Continue". Select "Utilities" and when the Mac restarts, select "Disk Utilities" from the "Utilities" menu. Do a format of your "fresh" partition and then QUIT "Disk Utilities".
3) Now Snow Leopard will begin installing. During the install, it will search your Mac for all other partitions with an older OS and then ask you if you want to import your OS Settings, Applications and Files from one of those other partitions. Do this for a very smooth upgrade transition to the new OS. (If you decide to not import, then you will end up with a clean install of Snow Leopard instead.)
4) After restarting with the newly installed Snow Leopard, go to the Apple Menu and do Software Updates to bring your system up to OS 10.6.8.
5) All my Apps from OS 10.4.11 continue to work in Snow Leopard, but some of my printer drivers and scanner utility did not. Until I found those upgrades, I was still able to start up from the OS 10.4.11 partition to use my printers and scanner. To change the Start Up partition, either use the Start Up Disk in System Preferences... or press and hold "option" while your Mac starts up. …More- Answered by EW from Vancouve
- 07-Feb-2012
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Answer
You need to upgrade to Snow Leopard, and then go to Lion.
You will need to make sure that you have enough RAM.... a minimum of 2GB is required for Lion. …More- Answered by RW from Niddrie
- 07-Feb-2012
Featured Question
How should a single user set up an account to avoid access level problems?
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- 31-Jan-2012
