Mac OS X Mountain Lion Upgrading to OS X Mountain Lion

Upgrading to OS X Mountain Lion

Selecting OS X Mountain Lion

If you're thinking about upgrading to Mountain Lion, you'll need to make sure that your computer meets all of the software and hardware requirements. Here are the things you'll need to have:

• Apple Macintosh Computer (Mac): Generally, you'll need to have a Macin order to install OS X Mountain Lion. Installing Mountain Lion on a PC is possible, but it requires more advanced techniques.
• OS X Snow Leopard or Lion: If you are using an older version of OS X such as Leopard, you will need to upgrade to Snow Leopard (version 10.6.8) or Lion before upgrading to Mountain Lion.
• Internet Access: To install Mountain Lion, you will need to download it from the Mac App Store, which requires a working internet connection. Mountain Lion is not available on CD or DVD.
• Apple ID: Your Apple ID is used to sign into the Mac App Store, iTunes Store, and more. It's okay if you don't have an Apple ID yet - you'll be able to create one when you download Mountain Lion.
• Hardware Requirements: Your Mac will need to meet certain processor, memory, and hard driverequirements to install Mountain Lion. Below are the models that can be upgraded.
  • iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
  • MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
  • MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
  • MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
  • Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
  • Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
  • Xserve (Early 2009)

For a full list of hardware requirements, view the OS X Mountain Lion Technical Specifications.

If you've recently purchased a Mac, it may have come with an earlier version of OS X. However, you may be able to upgrade for free. For more information, view the Up-to-Date Program page on the Apple website.

Viewing Information About Your Mac

To upgrade to Mountain Lion, you'll need to know what kind of hardware your Mac has, as well as which version of OS X you are using. Then, you can compare it with the requirements above to decide whether you'll be able to upgrade. On a Mac, all of your system information is visible from the About This Mac window.

1. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner of the screen and select About This Mac.
   
   Selecting About This Mac
2. A window will appear that shows information about your hardware and software.
   
   Viewing hardware and software infohttp://www.gcflearnfree.org/macosxmountainlion/1