OS X Mountain Lion Officially Drops Support for Some Older 64-Bit Macs

[G51989]

No, there is no need for a two button mouse, they are the first computer manufacturer to offer a touch sensitive mouse or (even better) a track pad as standard, which is far superior to a mouse restricted to two buttons and bunged up track wheel filling with dirt.

Nah, my wireless Laser Mouse, via Microsoft. Has 12 buttons, and is pretty crazy accruate. I'd take it over a track pad anyday, and the track wheel is plush with the top of the mouse, and it never gets any dirt in it, because theres no cracks

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They could probably add support for older Macs if they tried, but they don't want to try. 5 years IS pretty old though, and the OS is only $30.

They could, very easily. Windows 8 will support computers from 10 years ago, the specs it needs to run are crazy low.

Apple knows they can't support their machines for more than a couple of years, because then they won't sell nearly as many Macs.

This is why Apple is dead in the enterprise and corperate world as far as Desktops/Laptops go.

Would you buy the Windows 7 Machine that will be supported till 2020? ( If XP is any indication ).

Or the Mac that will be useless from a security standpoint in 4 years? Maybe Less?

 

[apolloa]

Has anyone got a link to where it states that Apple will drop support for my OSX 10.7 when they launch 10.8? I want to read what it says.

I'm still waiting? Because I don't believe it.

 

[G4DP]

I'm still waiting? Because I don't believe it.

They will continue to provide security updates for 10.7 but pretty much nothing else. Once 10.9 comes along you won't even get that.

 

[apolloa]

They will continue to provide security updates for 10.7 but pretty much nothing else. Once 10.9 comes along you won't even get that.

Yes but WHERE does it say that?

 

[G51989]

It's possible to make that machine run ML with a hack. No question Apple should just support those machines.

http://www.jabbawok.net/?p=47

Uh why would they want to do that? From Apple's prespective, unless someone knows the hack, they are forced to upgrade.

Why are you FORCED to upgrade? Your old OS will work just fine forever right? Wrong.

Apple wont support 10.6, they'll eventually move the bare minimum to being 10.7 for most of their first party software, many 3rd party developers will follow.

You'll end up with a machine that won't get any type of patch, or bug fix, or security update, ever again. Which pretty much makes it useless, if your heavily invested in the OSX Platform, your forced to upgrade.

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Yes but WHERE does it say that?

Look at Apple's recent History, it doesn't need to say it anywhere, its just going to happen.

 

[apolloa]

Look at Apple's recent History, it doesn't need to say it anywhere, its just going to happen.

I haven't experienced this in it's history, so I want proof, can no one supply it to back up there claims? Surely if Apple is going to stop ALL support for 10.7 and earlier once 10.8 or 10.9 come out, it would be documented somewhere?

 

[G51989]

But where do you draw the line? This is exactly why Apple has succeeded with their 'closed' ecosystem. There is massive amounts of effort to test an OS on every configuration out there. By limiting the hardware, Apple can release new versions as quickly as they do. Look at how long it takes Microsoft to release a new OS. There are infinite numbers of hardware configs out there.

Ah yes, 9% Markethare compared to windows 85%. Doing real great on that.

Microsoft only puts an new OS out when they really need to.

Plus, an Apple OS only gets supported for a couple years, a Windows System will be supported for much much longer.

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I haven't experienced this in it's history, so I want proof, can no one supply it to back up there claims? Surely if Apple is going to stop ALL support for 10.7 and earlier once 10.8 or 10.9 come out, it would be documented somewhere?

Oh yes, I'm sure Apple wants to tell their Customers that " oh yeah, in 2 OS cycles. your machine is useless "

 

[cvaldes]

I haven't experienced this in it's history, so I want proof, can no one supply it to back up there claims? Surely if Apple is going to stop ALL support for 10.7 and earlier once 10.8 or 10.9 come out, it would be documented somewhere?

You have experienced it, you just haven't been paying attention.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Os_x_snow_leopard

The release history of OS X 10.6 is toward the bottom of the page, note that the last major update was July 25 last year. That's five days after 10.7 Lion was released. Subsequent security patches typically relate to Safari and Java. Snow Leopard is currently supported although there is no active development.

It is likely that 10.7.5 will be the last major update to Lion and that it will be released within two weeks of Mountain Lion.

I will leave it as an exercise for you to research the version history of older versions of OS X. It's all there.

 

[apolloa]

Oh yes, I'm sure Apple wants to tell their Customers that " oh yeah, in 2 OS cycles. your machine is useless "

Well I have NEVER rad or heard about it, so I want proof, and if this is true like you guy's are implying then I am more then sure it would be documented some where and common knowledge that Apple only supports it's OS for 2 years.

 

[G51989]

Well I have NEVER rad or heard about it, so I want proof, and if this is true like you guy's are implying then I am more then sure it would be documented some where and common knowledge that Apple only supports it's OS for 2 years.

2 OS cycles, not 2 years.

Snow Leopard, 2 OS's ago. Support is being dropped. Not even security patches from what I understand, I'm pretty sure they did the same thing with 10.5 when 10.7 came out.

 

[Codyak]

Well I have NEVER rad or heard about it, so I want proof, and if this is true like you guy's are implying then I am more then sure it would be documented some where and common knowledge that Apple only supports it's OS for 2 years.

You reek of troll, why not just Google what you are looking for?

 

[techsmith]

Read the article title, the machines being dropped ARE 64 bit. This is just about video drivers and EFI, neither of which has anything to do with having a 64 bit cpu or being able to run 64 bit OS or 64 bit apps.

I did read the article. Did you read my post? Nowhere in there did I say that all the discontinued machines could not physically support 64 bit...

 

[arkmannj]

Well I have NEVER rad or heard about it, so I want proof, and if this is true like you guy's are implying then I am more then sure it would be documented some where and common knowledge that Apple only supports it's OS for 2 years.

It's not so much 2 years as 2 OS release cycles. I can't say I've seen any official docuimentation but I think it is considered fairly common knowladge through experience.

• Current version -0 = Fully Supported
• Current version -1 = Security updates, major bug patches and current Apple apps likely still run on it
• Current version -2 = Minimal support, some major security issues get patched, current Apple Apps no longer supported
• Current Version -3 = No support.

It may not be officially documented, but that's how it is generally viewed from past experience.

 

[tech4all]

Sorry, but this seems a bit harsh to me. It seems nuts to me that you could have a computer you bought in 2008 and have it not work with the latest OS. Anything less than 5 years is too much.

I dislike how early Apple drop support for Macs.

Really??? So the Mac Pro is given the same treatment as the Generic "Macbook" line? And is given worse support than the iMac and MBP? I feel sorry for Mac Pro buyers... Apple really hates you. I'm pretty sure the Mac Pro has only been refreshed once since it's "Early 2008 or newer"

Edit: ok twice. And no, I don't count that "update" last month...

Agree on all points. I love Apple as much as the next guy/girl on these forums, but comon Apple dropping support for a Mac Pro from 2008 that's only four years old? Ok 4 1/2 but still...

Apple decided that one button was already one too many, so they've gone to the no-button mouse, instead.

Next up: the keyless keyboard

Siri? Voice to text...

People can't legitimately expect to receive the newest updates on machines that are 3+ years old.

lol. Why the heck not? I mean I realize technology advances quickly, but three years isn't that old. Five I could see, but three is just stupid. Well smart on the business side which 'forces' people to upgrade.

 

[G51989]

Some people need to stop living in the past.

No one can really expect a company continue to support a product that is five years old now can they?

Microsoft supports an OS thats going on 10 years +.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Very true, but the security updates from Apple (seemingly becoming more important over the last year or two) will stop for Snow Leopard at the end of this month (Mountain Lion release, Apple only supports the 2 most recent releases) even though Lion was only out for a year.

Security updates for those stuck on Lion (myself included with a Mac Pro quad core) will presumably end next year (as it seems Apple is now doing yearly OS releases like they do for iOS) - security updates for 2 years and out.

I honestly hope that this isn't the case and they change their policy. In the past we had about every 2 years an OS update which led to 4 years of support ahead at the time of release. With a yearly update cycle we would have just two if only the two last OS are supported.

As I said - I hope they change their policy. I am not happy with yearly OS updates.

 

[mpb2000]

That's disappointing. So much for upgrading my 2008 black macbook. I upgraded the memory myself when I bought it, but other than that, I haven't changed a thing on it and it runs just like it did the day I bought it. And I bought it after the aluminum macbooks were announced because they took away firewire on some of the models. I was all ready to buy one of the new ones when they came out until Apple made that decision, which they of course reversed at the next refresh. Well, I was slow getting around to upgrading to Lion and decided to just wait for ML. I guess I'll stick with Snow Leopard. It still runs great, that's just the end of new features.

 

[G51989]

Five years is the accepted life of a computer. Apple is developing up to that point...it's very acceptable. This is from a guy that has a 2007 Macbook that wont be supported. I understand and agree. A five year old machine shouldn't be.

Tell that to the millions of people still running Windows XP, and still getting supported.

 

[iMikeT]

LOL
The apple fanboy arrogance is astounding.

I may own and use Apple products but I do not consider myself a fanboy.

Seriously, can you expect a technology company to support a product five years after it was produced?

 

[RMo]

People can't legitimately expect to receive the newest updates on machines that are 3+ years old.

Ten years ago, maybe--but my late-2008 unibody MacBook, now approaching four years old, is doing just fine. Hardware hasn't advanced that much. I'm glad Mountain Lion will work on it, but unless the next OS X is really revolutionary, I hope this isn't the end of the road for it. Of course, even if it is, I'll be perfectly happy for a while--but I hope the suspected reasons for this move are true, at least more so than the fact that they're simply "old."

 

[Rychy]

Glad the early 2008 Mac Pro made the cutoff ... wouldn't be overjoyed being stuck with Lion.

 

[gnasher729]

Microsoft supports an OS thats going on 10 years +.

Microsoft's business is not Apple's business. Microsoft's customers are not Apple's customers.

Microsoft also loves to sell annual contracts to companies for their software, and while that provides regular income, it means Microsoft has to support versions that it doesn't actually want to support anymore.

 

[G51989]

By then your computer will be at least five years old, if not six. That's a pretty good run to have the latest and greatest OS, no?

Eh, considering Windows 8 will be able to run on Machines almost 10 years old.

Not really.

I hope ML puts the " great " back in OSX. Because 10.7 is a pile of crap.

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makes sense, Macs or PCs that are 6+ years old i would prefer using a OS thats a few generations old, for instance a 6 year old PC i would install XP, not windows 8


Why would you want to use XP over 8? 8 uses WAY less resources than Windows 7, almost down to an XP Level, and it'll support most newer software, you'd have a totally up to date OS, and as long as your hardware isnt totally horrible for the time period, a good number of newer programs will still work.

On the Apple side, your machine is more than capable of running ML, they just want you to buy a new Mac.

 

[lifeinhd]

2 OS cycles, not 2 years.

Unfortunately, with Apple moving to a "1 OS/year" cycle, 2 OS cycles and 2 years are the same thing

I haven't experienced this in it's history, so I want proof, can no one supply it to back up there claims? Surely if Apple is going to stop ALL support for 10.7 and earlier once 10.8 or 10.9 come out, it would be documented somewhere?

Where's the downvote button?

Read between the lines! Look at the pattern! Every release, the OS from two releases is deprecated. There's no reason to expect this trend to not continue.

 

[G51989]

Microsoft's business is not Apple's business. Microsoft's customers are not Apple's customers.

Indeed, as far as the OS market goes....theres well. Not that many Apple Customers.

If I was an Apple customer, and I am. And I only used Apple's, I'd be pissed as hell that my **** is getting bricked ( No security Updates = bricked ).

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Saying Apple is evil because they won't support older machines is just FUD and really shows how some people (a) are disappointed and let their emotions get the best of them and/or (b) have no common business sense.

Nah, not evil. It just makes them suck. This is one of the reasons why the enterprise market will never embrace the Mac, they like things like well....compatibilty and....seceruity updates over long periods of time.

Despite me posting specs on my monster workstation, in the paper pushing area of our company, its almost 100% those old P4 Dell Optiplex Slim Line.( first generation with the metal case side panel, very late P4s, early Core Dou's )

Sure, old, not very fast. Some of them are almost 10 years old. But hey, they are still supported, and still do their job.

If they were all G4 and G5 Macs....well. Lol.

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Has anyone got a link to where it states that Apple will drop support for my OSX 10.7 when they launch 10.8? I want to read what it says.

Read harder, they'll be dropping Support for 10.6.

They will most likely drop support for 10.7 when 10.9 comes out.