how much lighter than latest macos than latest ubuntu on imac 2009

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That’s an excellent question, as the difference in “lightness” will be even more pronounced on a 2009 iMac!

Here’s a breakdown of how much lighter the latest Ubuntu (24.04 LTS) will be compared to the latest macOS that a 2009 iMac can officially run:

1. Latest macOS for a 2009 iMac:

A 2009 iMac’s official macOS support ended with macOS High Sierra (10.13). It cannot officially run anything newer like Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, or Sonoma.

  • macOS High Sierra (10.13) Installed Size:
    • Minimum recommended free space for installation: 14.3 GB
    • Actual installed size after a clean install can be around 15-20 GB, possibly more once essential apps and updates are added.
    • Memory Requirement: Apple recommended at least 2 GB of RAM, but 4 GB or more was highly recommended for decent performance.

2. Latest Ubuntu on a 2009 iMac:

The latest Ubuntu LTS version is Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat).

  • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Desktop Installed Size:
    • Recommended free disk space for installation: 25 GB (this allows for future updates and user data).
    • Actual installed size after a clean install (core OS + default GNOME desktop and essential apps) is typically in the range of 10-15 GB.
    • Memory Requirement: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS minimum is 2 GB RAM, but 4 GB is recommended for a smooth experience with the default GNOME desktop.

Direct Comparison of “Lightness” (Approximate):

When we say “lighter,” we’re generally talking about:

  • Disk Space Usage:

    • macOS High Sierra: ~15-20 GB
    • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS: ~10-15 GB
    • Difference: Ubuntu is about 25% to 50% lighter in terms of initial disk space occupied.

  • RAM Usage: This is where the biggest performance difference will be felt on a 2009 iMac.

    • macOS High Sierra: While it could technically run on 2GB, High Sierra (and even El Capitan before it) would feel very sluggish with less than 4GB, and ideally 8GB for a truly comfortable experience. The macOS operating system, with its many background processes, consumes a significant amount of RAM.
    • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (with GNOME): With 4GB of RAM, Ubuntu 24.04 will be much more responsive. If your 2009 iMac has only 2GB, the default GNOME desktop might still feel a bit slow, but it would likely still be more usable than High Sierra on the same RAM.
    • Even Lighter Ubuntu Flavors: If your 2009 iMac has only 2GB or even less (some 2009 models might have shipped with 2GB, though many could be upgraded), installing a lighter Ubuntu flavor like Xubuntu or Lubuntu would make a dramatic difference.
      • Xubuntu/Lubuntu installed size: Can be as low as 8-10 GB.
      • Xubuntu/Lubuntu RAM usage: Can run comfortably on 2 GB of RAM and feel very fast.

Overall Impact on a 2009 iMac:

You will likely find that installing Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (especially Xubuntu or Lubuntu) on a 2009 iMac makes the machine feel significantly faster, more responsive, and more “modern” than running its last officially supported macOS High Sierra.

  • Boot-up times will be faster.
  • Application launch times will improve.
  • General responsiveness of the desktop environment, web Browse, and common tasks will be noticeably better due to lower RAM and CPU overhead.
  • You’ll also get modern web browsers and security updates that are no longer available for macOS High Sierra.

In short, installing Ubuntu on a 2009 iMac is an excellent way to extend its usable life and get a much better user experience than clinging to an outdated macOS version.

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