Why can't I install Tiger OS X 10.4 on my Mac?

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I have a PowerPC G4 Macbook (or Powerbook, or whatever—it's a laptop). I have OS 10.3.9 running on it now. I borrowed disks from a friend of mine to install the Tiger operating system, and as soon as I started I got an alert saying "You cannot install this software on this computer." Why would that be? Does this software only work on Intel-based Macs? I read on the wikipedia page for this OS that Apple released an older version of the software and an intel-based version later on. Nowhere on the disks that I borrowed does it say anything on them about system requirements, so I'm guessing that that's it.

Could that be the problem, or do we have any experts here who have a better idea of what it is?

Thanks.

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@kickycan,

I found this in Wikipedia

Quote:

Tiger was initially available in a PowerPC edition, with an Intel edition released beginning at 10.4.4 all (Is not available for retail sale anymore); there is no universal version of the client operating system, although Tiger Server was made available on a universal DVD from version 10.4.7. While Apple shipped the PowerPC edition bundled with PowerPC-based Macs and also sold it as a separate retail box, the only way to get the Intel version was bundled with an Intel-based Mac. However, there were still unofficial places to buy the Intel version such as eBay, although the only Intel discs produced were the gray-colored "restore" DVDs supplied with new Macs that will only install on the model of Mac that they are intended for, unlike the retail DVD that can be used on any Mac supported by Tiger.

The system requirements of the PowerPC edition are:[10]

* A PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor running at 500 MHz or faster
* Built-in FireWire (Firewire 800 Recommended)
* At least 256 MB of RAM, 128 MB can run it unofficially though (512 MB or 1 GB recommended)
* At least 3 GB of available hard disk space; 4 GB of disk space including the Xcode 2 Tools, 2 GB for the minimal install
* DVD-R drive (CD-ROM exchange was available; offer ended on March 20th, 2007)

You might have a disk that will only operate on your friend's Mac model or you may have an intel based disk.

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Yeah, I think that must be it then. My friend must have an intel processor. Damn it, I don't really want to spend $150 to upgrade. Oh well.

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@kickycan,

That isn't it. I just talked to my friend about it and he said his computer is not an intel-based computer and this is the software that came with it. He has a G5. He also said he installed it on his wife's ibook, which is also not an intel-chip based computer.

Could it be that my hard drive is just messed up somehow, and that alert message came up because of some diagnostic test the system runs before installation that found a problem? I had some problems about a year ago or so where the computer would freeze and then it wouldn't want to restart. It would just keep making these grinding noises inside, like the hard drive was having some problem. But that hasn't happened in a long time, so I thought things were fine now. But maybe that's it. Maybe the hard drive just isn't right somehow and that's why it gave me that message.

******* computers.

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maybe thay track hardware ID on which OS X was updated? As far as I know you can update it on one mac only - your friend has already done this - that can be the reason..

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@bartfrt,

Hey, thanks. That might be it.

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Why can't I install Tiger OS X 10.4 on my Mac?

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