Can I install 10.4 over a later OS

[Surfrider]

I have a HP Laserwriter that only seems to want to work thru an ethernet cable.

It workds fine with 10.4. My computer that had 10.2.8 dies.

If I buy something with 10.5 or higher, can I install 10.4 over it?

If so, anything special I need to do?

[WHiiP]

The general rule of thumb is that you cannot go backwards on a machine that came with its OS. Obviously, you could buy a used machine that has OS X.6 on it, but it originally shipped with OS X.4, then YES you can go backward to OS X.4, but NOT OS X.3

[Surfrider]

Thanks

[ka jowct]

2006 or earlier ought to work.

[bik]

If the machine supports 10.4, you can install it. But, you will not be able to install it OVER 10.5 or later, like an upgrade. You will need to do a clean install - nuke and pave.

So, before buying any machine, check that it can run 10.4.
In general, Macs up to 2007 should work. Models from 2008 and later will almost surely not work.
http://www.everymac.com

[GGD]

WHiiP wrote:
The general rule of thumb is that you cannot go backwards on a machine that came with its OS. Obviously, you could buy a used machine that has OS X.6 on it, but it originally shipped with OS X.4, then YES you can go backward to OS X.4, but NOT OS X.3

One catch is that if it's an Intel Mac from 2006/2007 that shipped with 10.4, you'll need the install disks that shipped with it. The retail 10.4 disks were PowerPC only.

[ka jowct]

GGD wrote:
[quote=WHiiP]
The general rule of thumb is that you cannot go backwards on a machine that came with its OS. Obviously, you could buy a used machine that has OS X.6 on it, but it originally shipped with OS X.4, then YES you can go backward to OS X.4, but NOT OS X.3

One catch is that if it's an Intel Mac from 2006/2007 that shipped with 10.4, you'll need the install disks that shipped with it. The retail 10.4 disks were PowerPC only.
Yes. Those install discs crop up on eBay from time to time.

I transferred a 10.4.11 system from my G5 to my replacement Wayback Machine, a 2006 Mac Pro, by making a cloned backup of it, then cloning it back onto the drive, after it was GUID-formatted and installed in the Mac Pro, and applying the Tiger-for-Intel updates to it. It actually works in the Mac Pro. Pretty amazing, when I consider that some stuff on that particular drive probably began life in my MDD 867 in 2002.

[mattkime]

is that an appletalk printer?

[decay]

mid-2007 iMacs came with 10.4.10 initially.

http://support.apple.com/kb/sp16

[Chakravartin]

Why don't you just set a static IP address on the printer in the same network-range as your Macs have on your LAN and then use almost any computer you could possibly want to print to it?