Friend wants to take one for the team, how do I tell which OS comes on refurb mini?

[RAMd®d]

I got my refurb mini just a short time ago, and I'm pretty sure it shipped with Mavericks 10.9.0.

It's since been updated to 10.9.3.

My memory is a little foggy as I did upgrade two other SSDs to Mavericks at the same time.

[Chakravartin]

Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
Okay, the mini has not been updated in so long, none come with Mavericks. It has not been updated in so long, there aren't any left with Lion. Check.

No.

The Mini has not been updated so long that it *may* ship with Mountain Lion, but so what if it does come with ML - or if it comes with Mavericks - it hardly matters.

As has been pointed out, Mavericks is a free upgrade and if you already have a license for Mountain Lion -- which most of us do -- then you can downgrade.

Whichever you prefer.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

He wants 10.8.x, with the option to download the full installer for 10.9.x, with the intention of having both on local install media for setting up a multi-boot hackintosh and deciding on one or the other based on how well each OS works.

[Chakravartin]

Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
He wants 10.8.x, with the option to download the full installer for 10.9.x, with the intention of having both on local install media for setting up a multi-boot hackintosh and deciding on one or the other based on how well each OS works.

Does he have a license for 10.8 for any of his computers at the moment? The license is very broad and would apply to other Macs in his household.

Well... if the Mini comes with 10.9 and he'd like to buy 10.8, he can get a download-code from the Apple Store for $20.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6377Z...ntain-lion

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Currently running 10.5.8, so the Apple download won't work.

It is easiest if it comes with 10.8. I guess it is a crapshoot.

[Chakravartin]

Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
Currently running 10.5.8, so the Apple download won't work.

It will certainly work... When he logs into the App Store to redeem his $20 ML redemption code from his brand new (refurb) Mini running Mac OS X 10.9.

Or if he uses a friend's computer to hit the App Store.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
Currently running 10.5.8, so the Apple download won't work... on his current G5 iMac.

Installing 10.8 from download requires a fair amount of work. If it comes with Mavericks*, the new mini gets registered to iTunes, imaged, booted from the image, nuked, download the 10.8 installer, then installed. It's a couple of hours that is avoided if he could confidently buy a refurb that comes with 10.8.

*or is there an easier way to properly roll back the OS ?

[Chakravartin]

If it comes with Mavericks, set up the Mac with a user account, log into the App Store and download the latest free Mavericks installer app.

Make an installer disk for Mavericks from these instructions:
http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-make-os...n-install/

Buy Mountain Lion from the Apple Store for $20 bucks via web browser and obtain the code via email within an hour or so.

Go back to the App Store app and redeem the code. Download the Mountain Lion installer app.

Follow these instructions to make a Mountain Lion installer disk:
http://osxdaily.com/2012/02/17/make-boot...all-drive/

Yes, it's a few lazy hours to do the downloads (assuming that you've got a slow Internet connection) and it's probably another hour to boot from the installer and do an erase-and-install. (It'll go faster if you use USB 3.0 flash drives or partition an external hard drive and use that for your installers instead of a flash drive.)

But that's the price you pay for being quirky and stuck on last year's operating system.

(Nothing inherently wrong with being quirky that way. I keep an old Mac running 10.5.8 around... But the Mac that I use the most is up to date.)