​How and when to download OS X Yosemite

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Apple

Apple’s latest version of its OS X operating system is now available as a free download for iMac and MacBook owners. OS X Yosemite delivers a more modern look to Apple’s desktop operating system, with a redesigned dock, improved Notification Center and better integration with iOS, among other new features. Here’s what you need to know before installing OS X Yosemite:

System requirements

All Macs that are capable of running OS X Mavericks will be able to update to OS X Yosemite. Meaning if your Mac has at least 2GB of RAM, 8GB of available storage, and is running at least at least OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard, you should be good to go. You can find a complete list of Macs compatible with OS X Yosemite below:

  • iMac (Mid-2007 or newer)
  • MacBook (13-inch, late 2008 aluminum, early 2009 or newer)
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, mid-2009 or newer)
  • MacBook Pro (15-inch, mid/late 2007 or newer)
  • MacBook Pro (17-inch, 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)

Not all features will be available to all compatible devices, however. Apple has said that to take full advantage of all of the features in Yosemite, such as the new Handoff feature, Macs must include support for Bluetooth 4.0.

Updating

As mentioned above, OS X Yosemite is free and updating to it is quite simple. I recommend having your computer connected to a charger. Then, on a compatible Mac head over to the top-left corner of the screen and click on the Apple logo. Select Software Update from the pull-down menu and click the Update button in the App Store. Once it has been downloaded, restart your system and wait as Yosemite installs. And that’s it.

Don’t see it in the update menu? Try searching for “OS X Yosemite” in the Mac App Store or you can click this link.