? for the Mac users here

[chadbag]

Because according to the OP, space is at a premium. As long as you check "Preserve User and Network Settings" during the install, all your personal files will be copied back to the right spot anyway. All that leaves is the old system files which are a waste of space at this point.

But he is getting a new disk so space is no longer at a premium.

The old system folder is not wasted space until you are sure 100% of your applications are working OK and everything is OK... Even then I would wait a month to make sure you have not forgotten something. Much easier to fix broken applications that are missing some file in the system area when you have the old one around rather than futzing with backups or other disks.

[chadbag]

I work with macs every day and usually do a wipe and install for every major OS upgrade.

But you don't need to. I work with Macs every day as well and have been since 1989. I have been using OS X since before OS X 10.0 was publicly released. I am also usually a registered Apple developer (though at the moment it is lapsed but will be renewed as soon as I get my next project released).

In most cases you do not need to do this and it only buys you more work. Almost every one I know just does an upgrade and it works fine. The few who have problems do archive + install. If you have a severely damaged file system somehow, a wipe and install may be useful. But just repair the file system or you probably have a HW problem anyway.

Go to any serious Mac forum where Mac professionals hang out and they will invariably tell you that you do not need to do a wipe and install. An upgrade or at worst an archive and install will work fine.

You can if you want, but it only makes for more work for you to get everything back the way you had it.

[jvencius]

But he is getting a new disk so space is no longer at a premium.

The old system folder is not wasted space until you are sure 100% of your applications are working OK and everything is OK... Even then I would wait a month to make sure you have not forgotten something. Much easier to fix broken applications that are missing some file in the system area when you have the old one around rather than futzing with backups or other disks.

I figure that if I keep the old HD intact in an enclosure, if I do forget anything it'll still be there and accessible vs. if I re-formatted it immediately upon sticking the new drive in my MBP. Either way, the old hard drive is getting R/R'ed since it's just too small anymore so the work to swap it (doesn't look too bad and I already have both #00 Phillips and T6 Torx screwdrivers) is moot.

[chadbag]

I figure that if I keep the old HD intact in an enclosure, if I do forget anything it'll still be there and accessible vs. if I re-formatted it immediately upon sticking the new drive in my MBP. Either way, the old hard drive is getting R/R'ed since it's just too small anymore so the work to swap it (doesn't look too bad and I already have both #00 Phillips and T6 Torx screwdrivers) is moot.

If you do an archive and install I still would not ditch the old system folder stuff until you really need the space. I have had to go back into mine 6 months later to find some obscure file for some app I hardly ever run and it is easier and more convenient than hooking up an external that you forgot which shelf you placed it on.