Imac 2008 Sierra
Apple iMac 24-Inch 'Core 2 Duo' 2.66 (Early 2009) Specs
- Imac 2008 Sierra 2500hd
- Imac 2008 Macos High Sierra
- Imac 2008 Install Sierra
- Imac 2008 Sierra
- Imac 2008 Sierra Drive
- Imac 2008 Upgrade To High Sierra
Identifiers: Early 2009 - MB418LL/A - iMac9,1 - A1225 - 2267
The iMac 'Core 2 Duo' 2.0 20-Inch (Aluminum) features a 2.0 GHz Intel 'Core 2 Duo' processor (T7300), with two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip, a 4 MB shared level 2 cache, an 800 MHz system bus, 1 GB of RAM (667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, PC2-5300), a 250 GB (7200 RPM) Serial ATA hard drive, a vertically-mounted slot-loading DVD+R. IMac-2009 or later. Mac OS Sierra 10.12 ISO/DMG Installation Guide. While it is easy to download Mac OS Sierra 10.12 DMG or ISO files, the installation process may take a toll on you. But don’t worry. We know how to install macOS Sierra 10.12 ISO and in this section, we’ll guide you through the process, so, let’s move ahead. Includes BETA support for iMac and MacBook Pro systems with NVIDIA graphics Release Notes Archive: This driver update is for Mac Pro 5,1 (2010), Mac Pro 4,1 (2009) and Mac Pro 3,1 (2008) users. The iMac 'Core 2 Duo' (Early 2009) models are quite similar to the 'Early 2008' models that they replaced, with similar external cases - varying only by a 'tapered foot' - and likewise have the same glass cover that 'joins precisely to the aluminum enclosure creating a virtually seamless front surface'.
All iMac 24-Inch Models | All 2009 Models | Dynamically Compare This Mac to Others
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The iMac 'Core 2 Duo' 2.66 24-Inch Aluminum (Early 2009) features a 2.66 GHz Intel 'Core 2 Duo' processor, with two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip, a 6 MB shared level 2 cache, a 1066 MHz system bus, 4 GB of RAM (1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM), a 640 GB (7200 RPM) hard drive, a vertically-mounted slot-loading DVD±R DL 'SuperDrive', NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics with 256 MB of memory shared with the system, a built-in iSight video camera, and built-in stereo speakers underneath the 24' glossy TFT Active Matrix LCD (1920x1200 native) display.
Connectivity includes four USB 2.0 ports, a Firewire '800' port, built-in AirPort Extreme, and Gigabit Ethernet, as well as a Mini DisplayPort, which supports an external display in 'extended desktop' mode.
The iMac 'Core 2 Duo' (Early 2009) models are quite similar to the 'Early 2008' models that they replaced, with similar external cases -- varying only by a 'tapered foot' -- and likewise have the same glass cover that 'joins precisely to the aluminum enclosure creating a virtually seamless front surface'.
Although clockspeeds and configurations are similar as well, there are a few differences -- the Firewire '400' port on the Early 2008 models has been swapped for an additional USB 2.0 port on the Early 2009 models, Mini-DVI has been swapped for Mini DisplayPort, and the 2009 models also have DDR3 memory (rather than DDR2) with twice the official capacity, improved graphics on the higher-end configurations, and by default, shipped with a smaller keyboard that lacks the numerical keypad.
Also see:
- What are the differences between the 'Early 2009' Aluminum iMac Core 2 Duo models?
- How do the 'Early 2009' Aluminum iMac Core 2 Duo models compare to the 'Early 2008/Penryn' models that preceded them?
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- Tech Specs
- Ports
- Global Original Prices
- Popular Q&As
Click on a category for related details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. Asterisks (*) reference data in details fields.
| Introduction Date: | March 3, 2009 | Discontinued Date: | October 20, 2009 |
| Details: | The 'Introduction Date' refers to the date a model was introduced via press release. The 'Discontinued Date' refers to the date a model either was replaced by a subsequent system or production otherwise ended. Also see: All Macs introduced in 2009. |
| Details: | Also see: All models with a 64-Bit processor courtesy of EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Sort. |
| Details: | Geekbench 2 benchmarks are in 32-bit and 64-bit modes, respectively. These numbers reflect an average of user provided 32-bit and 64-bit results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit and 64-bit Geekbench 2 user submissions for Macs with the iMac9,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 2 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Details: | These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 32-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the iMac9,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare 32-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Details: | These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 64-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 64-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the iMac9,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare 64-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Details: | These Geekbench 4 benchmarks are are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. All Geekbench 4 benchmarks are 64-bit. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all single core and multicore Geekbench 4 user submissions for Macs with the iMac9,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 4 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Details: | These Geekbench 5 benchmarks are are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. All Geekbench 5 benchmarks for the Mac are 64-bit. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all single core and multicore Geekbench 5 user submissions for Macs with the iMac9,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 5 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Processor Speed: | 2.66 GHz | Processor Type: | Core 2 Duo (E8135) |
| Details: | All Intel 'Core 2 Duo' processors include two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip. Regardless of speed, all Intel 'Core 2 Duo' processors include two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip. Also see: How much faster are the 'Early 2009' Aluminum iMac Core 2 Duo models than the 'Early 2008' models? |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | Also see: Is it possible to upgrade the processor in the Aluminum iMac models? |
| System Bus Speed: | 1066 MHz | Cache Bus Speed: | 2.66 GHz (Built-in) |
| ROM/Firmware Type: | EFI | EFI Architecture: | 64-Bit |
| L1 Cache: | 32k/32k | L2/L3 Cache: | 6 MB (on chip) |
| Details: | Includes a 6 MB shared 'on chip' level 2 cache that runs at processor speed. |
| Details: | Supports 1066 MHz PC3-8500 DDR3 SO-DIMMs (204-pin). Also see: How do you upgrade the RAM in this Aluminum iMac model? How much RAM does it actually support? |
| Details: | By default, 4 GB of RAM is installed as two 2 GB SO-DIMM modules. No slots free. In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells memory -- as well as other upgrades -- for this iMac. In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells memory and other upgrades for this iMac. In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells RAM and other upgrades for this iMac. In Germany, site sponsor CompuRAM sells memory and other upgrades for this iMac. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit sells memory and other upgrades for this iMac. Also see: Actual Max RAM of All G3 & Later Macs. |
| Details: | This model supports two 4 GB modules -- one in each slot for a maximum of 8 GB of memory. |
| Details: | This model has a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M that shares memory with the system. Also see: What type of video processor is provided by the Aluminum iMac systems? Is it upgradable? |
| Details: | Apple reports that 'memory available to Mac OS X may vary depending on graphics needs' and that the minimum graphics usage is 256 MB with this model. Also see: How does the gaming performance of the 'Early 2009' Aluminum iMac Core 2 Duo models compare to earlier Aluminum iMac models? How much faster are the graphics? |
| Built-in Display: | 24.0' Widescreen | Native Resolution: | 1920x1200 |
| Details: | This model has a 24.0' 'glossy' TFT widescreen active matrix display with a native resolution of 1920x1200. Apple also reports a 'typical' brightness of 385 cd/m2, contrast ratio of 750:1, and viewing angle of 178 degrees horizontal and 178 degrees vertical. Also see: What are the differences between the displays used in the Intel-based 'Aluminum' and 'White' iMac models? What is the viewable angle and the brightness of each? In the UK, site sponsor ALB Repair offers component-level logic board repair, display repair, and other repair services for this iMac. No fix, no fee! In Spain, site sponsor iRepairs provides affordable repair and data recovery services. In-person and by mail repair services include the display, graphics card, motherboard, power supply, and more for this iMac. In Singapore, site sponsor Esmond Service Centre provides highly regarded repairs for the display, graphics card, motherboard, power supply, and more, all with a free estimate and fast turnaround for this iMac. |
| 2nd Display Support: | Dual/Mirroring | 2nd Max. Resolution: | 2560x1600 |
| Details: | Apple reports that this model simultaneously supports the native resolution of the built-in display and up-to a 30-inch external display (2560x1600). |
| Standard Storage: | 640 GB HDD | Std. Storage Speed: | 7200 RPM |
| Details: | A 1 TB Serial ATA hard drive also was available by custom configuration for an additional US$100. Also see: How do you upgrade the hard drive in the Aluminum iMac models? What type of hard drive do they support? Can you swap the hard drive for an SSD? In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells storage upgrades for this iMac. In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells storage upgrades for this iMac. In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells SSDs and other upgrades for this iMac. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit sells storage upgrades for this iMac. Also see: SSD Compatibility Guide for All G3 & Later Macs. |
Imac 2008 Sierra 2500hd
| Storage Dimensions: | 3.5' (26.10 mm) | Storage Interface: | Serial ATA (3 Gb/s) |
| Details: | This model holds a single 3.5' SATA II (3 Gb/s) hard drive or SSD. |
| Standard Optical: | 8X DL 'SuperDrive' | Standard Disk: | None |
| Details: | Apple reports that the slot-loading 8X 'SuperDrive' with 4X double-layer burning (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) 'writes DVD+R DL discs at up to 4x speed, writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed, writes DVD-RW at up to 6x and DVD+RW discs at up to 8x speed, reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed, [and] reads CDs at up to 24x speed.' Site sponsor Other World Computing offers a 'Data Doubler' mounting kit that may be of interest. It makes it simple to install a second hard drive or SSD in the optical drive bay of this iMac. |
| Standard Modem: | None | Standard Ethernet: | 10/100/1000Base-T |
| Details: | External Apple USB Modem offered for US$49. |
| Standard AirPort: | 802.11a/b/g/n | Standard Bluetooth: | 2.1+EDR |
| Details: | AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR standard. Also see: What is 802.11n? How is it different from 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a? |
| Details: | Four USB 2.0 ports and one Firewire '800' port (7 watts). Apple advertises that this system has 'six' USB 2.0 ports, counting four on the system and two on the keyboard. |
| Details: | In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells a wide variety of external expansion options and hand-picked accessories like external storage, stands, keyboards, cables, adapters, speakers, and more for this iMac. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit offers an extensive selection of external expansion options and accessories like docks, stands, chargers, keyboards, security products, and more for this iMac. |
| Incl. Keyboard: | Apple Keyboard* | Incl. Input: | Mighty Mouse |
| Details: | *By default, this model shipped with a small aluminum 'ultrathin, compact wired keyboard' that lacks the numerical keypad. Also see: How does the 'ultra thin' keyboard provided with the 'Aluminum' iMac Core 2 Duo models compare to a more traditional desktop keyboard? How does it feel? |
| Details: | The 'Early 2009' iMac 'Core 2 Duo' models use an all-in-one 'aluminum and glass' enclosure on an aluminum stand that is essentially the same as the previous 'Aluminum' iMac models, but the 'supporting foot' is tapered toward the front rather than squared off. |
| Apple Order No: | MB418LL/A | Apple Subfamily: | Early 2009 |
| Details: | The Apple order number should be unique to this system. |
| Details: | Please note that these identifiers refer to more than one model. Also see: All Macs with the A1225 Model Number, the 2267 EMC Number, and the iMac9,1 Model Identifier. For more about these identifiers and how to locate them on each Mac, please refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Identification section. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Pre-Installed MacOS: | X 10.5.6 (9G2030) | Maximum MacOS: | X 10.11.x* |
| Details: | *This system fully supports the last version of OS X 10.8 'Mountain Lion' and OS X 10.9 'Mavericks' except for Power Nap and AirPlay Mirroring functionality (which also requires an Apple TV 2nd Gen or later). It also supports the last viersion of OS X 10.10 'Yosemite' and OS X 10.11 'El Capitan' -- including Mac-to-Mac AirDrop capability -- but no other advanced features are supported, including Metal graphics acceleration. It is not capable of running macOS Sierra (10.12) or subsequent versions of the macOS at all. Please note that OS X 'Lion' 10.7 and subsequent versions of OS X are not capable of running Mac OS X apps originally written for the PowerPC processor as these operating systems do not support the 'Rosetta' environment. To run PowerPC applications on this Mac, it will be necessary to use Mac OS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard' or earlier. Also see: Which Macs are compatible with OS X El Capitan (10.11)? What are the system requirements? Which Macs support which features? |
| Minimum Windows: | XP SP2 (32-Bit)* | Maximum Windows: | 7 (32-Bit)* |
| Details: | *Apple's Boot Camp 4 formally supports the 32-bit versions of Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. However, the system does meet Microsoft's minimum requirements for Windows 8 and readers have reported successfully running the 32-bit version of this operating system with appropriate drivers. |
| MacOS 9 Support: | None | Windows Support: | Boot/Virtualization |
| Details: | Also see: Are there any third-party programs to run Mac OS 9/Classic applications on Intel Macs? Site sponsor OHS specializes in heavily upgraded Macs capable of running both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 applications. For more on running Windows on Intel Macs, please refer to the exhaustive Windows on Mac Q&A. |
| Dimensions: | 20.5 x 22.4 x 8.1 | Avg. Weight: | 25.4 lbs. (11.5 kg) |
| Details: | In inches - height by width by depth, (52.0 cm, 56.9 cm, 20.7 cm). |
| Original Price (US): | US$1499 | Est. Current Retail: | US$200-US$300 |
| Details: | Please note that on average the estimated current retail pricing of used systems is updated twice a year (please refer to the date on the bottom of the page for the date last updated). Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. |
Click on a category for additional details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. The icons correspond with the icons for each port on the computer.
| Video (Monitor): | 1 (Mini DisplayPort) | Floppy (Ext.): | None |
| Details: | Supports external display in dual display and mirroring modes. Mini DisplayPort also supports DVI, VGA, and dual-link DVI with optional adapters. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | Four USB 2.0 ports and one Firewire '800' port (7 watts). Apple advertises that this system has 'six' USB 2.0 ports, counting four on the system and two on the keyboard. |
| Details: | No internal modem. External Apple USB modem offered for US$49. Gigabit Ethernet, AirPort Extreme (802.11g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR standard. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | Combined 'optical digital audio input/audio line in minijack.' |
| Details: | Single shared 'headphone/optical digital audio output'. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | 100V-240V, 200W maximum for 20-Inch models, 280W maximum for 24-Inch models. |
Global original prices for the iMac 24-Inch 'Core 2 Duo' 2.66 (Early 2009) in 34 different countries and territories follow; organized alphabetically by region.
For global original prices for Intel Macs in one particular country on a single page, please refer to EveryMac.com's Global Original Prices section.
Original Prices - North & South America
| Mexico: | N/A | United States: | US$1499 |
Original Prices - Europe
| Denmark: | N/A | Finland: | €1399 |
| Ireland: | €1399 | Italy: | €1399 |
| Norway: | N/A | Portugal: | €1399 |
| Switzerland: | CHF 1'899 | United Kingdom: | £1199 |
Original Prices - Asia
| India: | N/A | Indonesia: | N/A |
| Malaysia: | N/A | The Philippines: | N/A |
| Thailand: | N/A | Vietnam: | N/A |
Original Prices - Australia & New Zealand
If you have additional original prices for this model, please get in touch. Thank you.
Ten of the most popular Q&As about the iMac 24-Inch models follow.
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This tip replaces version 2126 originally released on the Discussions Feedback forum.
Find the serial number on:
Plug your serial number in at this link:
Do not use third party links as they may not be secure.
Do not post the serial number on this board, as that is your key to any support you may have left.
Use this tip also to help figure out which portion of the Support Community to post in, as this tip explains:
When you have no serial number, use one of these third party sites to find your model, production year, time in year
(early, middle, late, summer, fall, winter, spring):
Note:
PowerMac, PowerPC, eMac, iMac PPC, iBook (Apple recycled the name iBook for its eBook application on new Macs and iOS devices), Powerbook, Classic all refer to Macs that are older than the present series
of Macs. Posting in those forums about a current Mac, shows you have not researched your Mac sufficiently to get a succinct answer to your query. Apple menu -> About This Mac will tell you the Mac OS version or System version you are running. The X in the version is important, and so is the preceding 10 in the version if it exists.
Questions saying X.1 could refer to Mac OS X 10.13.1, 10.1. Don't truncate the version you see.
There are no iOS forums specific to the operating system found on iPads, iPod Touch, AppleTV, Apple Watch, and iPhones. Figure out the type of portable device you are running to ask a question about that device specifically.
Apple has these identifying articles as well:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3255 - MacBook Air
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1635 - MacBook
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4132 - MacBook Pro
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3476 - Mac Mini
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6069 - Mac Pro
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1758 - iMac
http://support.apple.com/kb/sp96 and http://support.apple.com/kb/sp37 - PowerMac G5
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA25585 and http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3082 - PowerMac G4
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA22033 - PowerMac G3
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3065 - Powerbook G4
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2395 - eMac
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2287 - Powerbook G3
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1772 - iBook
Macs generally will not run an older Mac OS X operating system than shipped with them.
The one exception is virtualizing 10.6 Server on 10.7 or later, which is described later.
Also important to note is that the Apple App Store only has 10.7, 10.8, and 10.12, except for those who purchased in between systems, and have a Mac that shipped with in between systems. For all others if you need an in between system, and your Mac is older, contact the App Store tech support.
A quick upgrade guide has been posted on
These dates are important for recognizing what Mac OS X will run on Macs. Macs released on or after (including their model #s or name
where known):
September 30, 2018 will only run 10.14 or later
• MacBook Air 8,x
• Mac Mini 8,x
September 25, 2017 will only run 10.13 or later.
- iMac Pro 1,1
- MacBook Pro 15,x (2018 model)
June 5, 2017 Mac models (all 2017 Models except iMac Pro) will only run 10.12.5 or later
• MacBook Pro 14,x
• MacBook Air 7,2
• MacBook 10,1• iMac 18,x
September 20, 2016 will only run 10.12 or later.
- MacBook Pro with touchbar (instead of physical F keys)
- MacBook Pro 13,x
- iMac 18,x
- MacBook Air 7,2 see this article on which ones could only run 10.12 or later.
September 30, 2015 will only run 10.11 or later. These Macs are the first Macs that can be upgraded directly to
Mac OS 10.14 without installing any other software.
- iMac 16,x and 17,x
- Macbook 9,x (these Macbooks came with the USB-C, instead of the USB 2 or USB 3 connector. USB 3 and 2 look identical on the outside, use System Profiler to determine which you have)
October 16, 2014 will only run 10.10 or later (10.10 is only available for Macs that shipped with it).
Imac 2008 Macos High Sierra
- MacBook Air 7,1 and 7,2 (some models could only run 10.12 or later).
- Mac Mini 7,x
- iMac MF885LL/A came with 10.10.2. All other 15,x came with 10.10.0
- MacBook 8,x - the oldest that can run Mac OS 10.14 with this model name after installing 10.11 or later.
- MacBook Pro 11,4 and 11,5
October 22, 2013 will only run 10.9 or later (10.9 is only available for Macs that shipped with it).
- Macbook Pro 11,1 through 11,3
- Mac Pro 6,x
- MacBook Air Early 2014
- Mac Mini 6,x
- iMac 14,4
June 25, 2012 will only run 10.8 or later. 10.8 through 10.11 are supported by these Macs [indicate machine ID found in profiler], and newer models may run some variety of 10.9, 10.10, or 10.11):
- MacBook Pro with Retina EMC 2557 from 2012 and 2013 and later models.
- MacBook Air (2013 or newer) [6,1]
- MacBook Air (Mid 2013 or newer) [6,1]
- Mac mini (Late 2012 or newer) [6,1] - the oldest that can run 10.14 after installing 10.11 or later.
- iMac (Late 2012 or newer) [13,1]
- Mac Pro (Late 2013) [6,1]
These models above are the first models that can be upgraded directly to High Sierra 10.13 without other prior upgrades.
The oldest MacBook Air and iMac that can run Mac OS 10.14 after installing 10.11.
• MacBook Air 5,1
• iMac 12,1
These Macs which are older can also be upgraded to 10.12 by upgrading to 10.7.5 first, and 10.13 by upgrading to 10.8 first:
- MacBook (Late 2009 or newer) 6,1
- MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer) 6,1
- MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer) 3,1.
- Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer) 4,1
- iMac (Late 2009 or newer) 10,1
- Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer) 5,1
The Macs are compatible with 10.8 and later from prior 10.8's release
- Mac Pro (Early 2008 with AirPort Extreme card, or Mid 2012) [3,1]-[5,1] (Earlier Mac Pros are discussed on the 10.8 upgrade tip).
- MacBook Late 2008 [5,1] to mid 2010 [7,1] with no Pro or Air in the name.
- iMac (Early 2009 to mid-2011) [9,1] to [12,1]
- Mac mini (Mid 2010 to mid 2011) [4,1] to [5.1]
- MacBook Air (Late 2010 to mid-2012 [3,1]-[5,2]
- MacBook Pro Late 2008 [5,1] to Retina 2012 that are not EMC 2557.
July 20, 2011 will only run 10.7 or later. The model IDs (x,x) and EMC that fit this description until June 25, 2012 release of 10.8 (excluding the ones which will run only 10.8 or later earlier mentioned) :
iMac of an EMC of 2496; 13,x and later.
Mac Mini 5,x and later.
Macbook Air 4,x and later.
MacBook 8,x and later (no Pro no Air in the name)
Mac Pro 5,1 with EMC 2629 - the oldest that can be have Mac OS 10.14 installed after installing 10.11 or later, those without that EMC number came with 10.6 and can also be updated to 10.14 the same manner; 6,x and later.
MacBook Pro with EMC 2555, 2563; 9,x and later.
Note all the Macs that can only run 10.7 and later, may be able to run 10.6 Server with Parallels, if you need compatibility with an older operating system:
Beyond this point Macs released during certain date ranges also have a maximum operating system, and/or
minimum retail operating system and system specific operating system requirement (when I say up to 10.9 that includes all incremental updates):
Note: images shown below for retail operating system are those that have no 'Update, Dropin, or OEM' wording on them.
March 15, 2010-July 19, 2011 will only run prebundled 10.6 installer disc, and not retail, but also able to be upgraded to 10.9. Note this tip
if upgrading to 10.7 or later: https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6271
August 28, 2009-March 14, 2010 will only 10.6 or later up to 10.9. And will at minimum be able to use
10.6.3 retailto install 10.6. Note this tip if upgrading to 10.7 or later: https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6271
During 2000 to 2009, the serial number also made it easier to identify the Macs, as the 3rd, 4th, and 5th character of the serial number referred to the week
and year of the shipment date. Thus for serial numbers where x can be any letter or number, xxABCxxxxx serial numbers would refer to an A which is the last digit of the year, and BC=week of the year. xx905xxxx is the fifth week of 2009. You can then use Wikipedia to figure out what date the release was, and if it was after a specific retail release of an operating system to determine which pre bundled disc it came with, and which later retail discs the Mac could work with.
December 15, 2008-August 28, 2009 will only run prebundled 10.5 installer disc, and 10.6 retail https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/43236040snow.jpg, and if on https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3761
will also run up to Mac OS X 10.11 if you follow this tip: https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6271
October 28, 2007 -December 14, 2008 will at minimum be able to use the 10.5.6 retail, and install up to 10.9 if included on https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3761 if you follow this tip https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6271
January 10, 2006-October 27, 2007 will at minimum be able to 10.5 retail, and if
on Which 10.5 systems can upgrade to 10.8 or 10.9?or Are there 10.4 systems that can upgrade to 10.8 or 10.9? are
able to run 10.9. Core2Duo and Xeon can upgrade to a minimum of 10.7.5. Otherwise if they only have a CoreDuo, CoreSolo Intel
processor only be able to upgrade to Mac OS X 10.6.8. G5, G4, and G3 processors are not Intel.
Earlier dates are covered on this tip:Can I download my Mac OS upgrade?
Using the dates from the above documents, and the dates according to Wikipedia when specific retail
operating system systems were released, you can find which retail releases were newer than the Macs and the ones immediately older.
i.e.:
An October 24, 2011 Macbook Pro will only run 10.8 retail, and 10.9 retail downloads, but needs an
AppleCare requested 10.7 installer to install 10.7. An exception exists in 10.6 Server, as indicated here:
A pre-October 26, 2007 MacBook Pro will only run the system specific Mac OS X 10.4 installer
that shipped with it, which can be ordered from AppleCare, or newer retail installer versions
of 10.5, 10.6 compatible with its hardware, and 10.7 if it is at least a Core2Duo.
CoreDuo, nor is CoreSolo is not compatible with 10.7.
For PowerPC Macs, Mac OS X 10.4.11 and earlier offer Classic compatibility, and on certain 2003 and earlier Macs dual booting on Mac OS X 10.5 & Mac OS 9:
No Mac may run an older version of Mac OS 9 than was prebundled with it.
A more precise timeline of Mac OS X follows (in U.S. date notation. Links to relevant articles up to 10.7 are included, as 10.7 drops PowerPC applications on Intel):
4/8/2015 10.10.3 (with supplemental on 4/16/2015)
1/27/2015 10.10.2
11/17/2014 10.10.1
10/16/2014 10.10 Yosemite
9/17/2014 10.9.5
6/30/2014 10.9.4
5/15/2014 10.9.3
2/25/2014 10.9.2
10/22/2013 10.9 (10.9 & 10.9.1 should be skipped due to security issues) Mavericks
10/3/2013 10.8.5 supplemental update
9/25/2013 10.8.4 iMac Late 2013
6/10/2013 10.8.4 MacBook Air mid 2013
6/4/2013 10.8.4
3/14/2013 10.8.3
11/29/2012 10.8.2 Mac MIni Late 2012
10/4/2012 10.8.2 supplemental update
10/4/2012 10.7.5 supplemental update
8/23/2012 10.8.1
7/25/2012 10.8 Mountain Lion
5/9/2012 10.7.4
2/1/2012 10.7.3
10/12/2011 10.7.2
8/16/2011 10.7.1
7/25/2011 10.6.8 v1.1
5/4/2011 10.6.7 Early 2011 MacBook Pro
3/21/2011 10.6.7
1/6/2011 10.6.6
11/10/2010 10.6.5
6/15/2010 10.6.4
4/13/2010 10.6.3 v1.1
Imac 2008 Install Sierra
4/1/2010 10.6.3 retail installer presently sold at the online Apple Store.
8/28/2009 10.6 retail installer (Snow Leopard)
12/15/2008 10.5.6 retail installer (Last PowerPC installer)
6/30/2008 10.5.4 retail installer
Imac 2008 Sierra
11/15/2007 10.5.1 retail installer
10/26/2007 10.5 retail installer (Leopard)
8/7/2006 Mac Pro (Intel, first Snow Leopard compatible professional desktop) replaces PowerMac G5 (the last PowerPC Mac and Mac capable of running Classic)
5/16/2006 The MacBook replaces the iBook (the last consumer notebook capable of running Classic)
4/3/2006 10.4.6 retail PowerPC only.
Imac 2008 Sierra Drive
2/28/2006 First Intel Mac Mini (not capable of running Classic, first Mac)
1/10/2006 First Intel iMacs, MacBook Pro replaces Powerbook (first Macs not capable of running Classic, first Mac capable of running Snow Leopard)
Imac 2008 Upgrade To High Sierra
10/31/2005 10.4.3 retail PowerPC only.
8/9/2004 10.3.5 retail
12/17/2003 10.3.2 retail
12/19/2002 10.2.3
Some hints about operating systems:
- Mac OS X 10.8 or later are required to sync with iOS 9.2 or 9.2.1.
- No PowerPC Mac can run Mac OS X 10.5.8 or higher, or sync with iOS 6 or higher.
- No PowerPC Mac can run Boot Camp
- No Mac can run Classic (side by side Mac OS 9 with Mac OS X without reboot) on the same partition as Mac OS X 10.5 or higher.
- No Intel Mac can run Classic.
Cara upgrade os yosemite to high sierra. - All Intel Macs can run at least Mac OS X 10.6.8 as long as they are older than Mac OS X 10.7's release.
- PowerPC applications need Mac OS X 10.6.8 or earlier to run on Intel Macs.
- Boot Camp needs Mac OS X 10.5 or later on Intel Macs. Note other virtualization tools are available for Mac OS X 10.4.11 or earlier on Intel Macs.
- Mac OS X 10.7.3 is needed for the latest Java and minimum iCloud.
- The same minimum system requirements exist for Mac OS X 10.8, 10.9, 10.10, and 10.11.
- 10.6.6 is the minimum for the Mac App Store, and upgrading to 10.7 without erasing the drive you install 10.7 on if the hardware supports it.
- 10.6.8 is the minimum for 10.8 or later upgrades if the hardware supports it.
- Apple has a 10.6.8 to 10.11 updateon the App Store.
- Some Macs that shipped with 10.6 can install up to 10.12 if they are upgraded to 10.7.5 first.