12-29-2007, 05:24 AM
I've been thinking along the same lines, and even bought a MacBookPro just after Leopard was announced because it was still shipping with Tiger installed, and a Leopard drop-in upgrade disk. I want to have the option of running either OS and deciding when is best to transition to Leopard (all the Macs in the family at the same time, maybe next summer).
For this new MacBook, when it first came out I recall people trying to boot 10.4.10 on it, and it didn't work, but I'm guessing that 10.4.11 that came out after Leopard added the support for the X3100 video.
The problem is getting an Intel 10.4 install disk, the retail 10.4 is PowerPC only, and the intel 10.4 was only shipped in the box with new Macs, and it's not included with that new MacBook (except for what seems to be a special educational configuration). But presumably a 10.4.11 boot drive created on another intel Mac would boot it.
There is a licensing issue too, since that MB comes with a 10.5 license but no 10.4 license (my MacBookPro came with both versions of the OS, so a license for either).
As for new HW releases next year, I doubt that they will run 10.4 unless maybe Apple comes out with a 10.4.12 to add support for them. At some point, buying refurbs from the previous generation might be the only way to get a Tiger bootable Mac.
For this new MacBook, when it first came out I recall people trying to boot 10.4.10 on it, and it didn't work, but I'm guessing that 10.4.11 that came out after Leopard added the support for the X3100 video.
The problem is getting an Intel 10.4 install disk, the retail 10.4 is PowerPC only, and the intel 10.4 was only shipped in the box with new Macs, and it's not included with that new MacBook (except for what seems to be a special educational configuration). But presumably a 10.4.11 boot drive created on another intel Mac would boot it.
There is a licensing issue too, since that MB comes with a 10.5 license but no 10.4 license (my MacBookPro came with both versions of the OS, so a license for either).
As for new HW releases next year, I doubt that they will run 10.4 unless maybe Apple comes out with a 10.4.12 to add support for them. At some point, buying refurbs from the previous generation might be the only way to get a Tiger bootable Mac.