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

[ridesdeepsnow]

Aside from the flashback Trojan fix, no they are not releasing fixes/supporting leopard in any manner

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You realize your computer is 6 years old(one of the first intel macs at that) and will be supported at least another year in terms of lion right? What are you realistically expecting?

I still use 10.6 on my work computer and you know what? Still productive as ever

I am upgraded to 10.7.4 but that is not the point. The point is if I am using OS10 then I expect to be able to upgrade within that OS. If they are dropping support for MILLIONS of customers then call it OS11
I think I am due the right to Pay them for the upgrades coming with 10.8

What does it matter if it is one of the first intel macs? It still a Intel mac right? I find this a new tactic for pushing customers to but new hardware.

Why is it "realistically expecting" is it really so very ****** hard to ask that hardware with Intel be included in the OSX upgrades?

If the option to have a 32 bit display driver or a 64 bit driver in 10.8 is so very hard I cringe for Apple, which I know it is not

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One of the things that Apple used to be really really good at was releasing operating systems that ran well on much older machines. I thought that was one of the things we got for paying the "Apple Tax".

But 2009 is as far back as they go on the Mac Mini? And 2008 on many of the others?

Forget the some of the main features, I just want it to sync with my iCloud!

So they take away MobileMe and refashion it as iCloud. Take away my iDisk and then the new OS that does a little more with iCloud options won't run on older machines?!?!?

I'm listing this as my biggest complaint against Apple ever.

This doesn't even affect me, but I think it's poor form...

Gary

Exactly, poor form is exactly right. They should have rebranded it OS11 or something if a HUGE amount of hardware will be cut off from the namesake OS name.
TCOOK@apple.com , write Tim and let him know what you said, cause you said it best simply......

 

[dukebound85]

Software advances. All your complaining won't change that fact

You know, I wasn't nearly as upset with lion not supporting my old core duo mb as you seem to be with yours this go around. You can't expect a computer to stay current for 6 years down the road. That is eternity in tech

if your issue is with the naming convention, then get over it. OSX is over 10 years old. Should I still be expecting my eMac from 2003 to run 10.8 because it shipped with 10.2? Give me a break! That is essentially your argument. What about machines that ran 10.0? Should they also support ml with their 300mhz g3 processors and 128mb of ram because they shipped with a version of OSX?

Each point release should be thought as a new OS, like xp to vista to 7.

So yea, what are you realistically expecting with a 6 year old machine.....

 

[ridesdeepsnow]

oh yeah another thing, Mountain Lion dictation, which is supposed to blow away Drago dictation software, is included in 10.8.

That is a $149.99 value right off the bat. So for all of you that "gee I don't understand why you are upset about your machine not being able to get this future upgrade"
iMessage for the Mac, power sleep(updating while in sleep mode) new gatekeeper, new safari options, quicktime enhancements.

I mean really, with such a change I find it kind of fraud to continue with the OSX branding, I can accept machines pre-intel for OBVIOUS reasons but but for the sole reason that they ARE CHOOSING to stop OS support for 32 bit display drivers is INSANE.

CHOOSING is the important word.
How about obligation and dedication to service and their LOYAL customers.
See this is exactly where the true mess lays, is that they CHOOSE do do something that affects millions of people becuae they know the MAJORITY or them will just take it in the A** and buy new hardware sooner.
Brand the OS something new if APPLE is going to take such an approach? They don;t because that would cause the media to ask Why for the re-branding. You know Who what When Where and Why, those journalistic questions that drive the news.

----------

Software advances. All your complaining won't change that fact

You know, I wasn't nearly as upset with lion not supporting my old core duo mb as you seem to be with yours this go around. You can't expect a computer to stay current for 6 years down the road. That is eternity in tech

if your issue is with the naming convention, then get over it. OSX is over 10 years old. Should I still be expecting my eMac from 2003 to run 10.8 because it shipped with 10.2? Give me a break! That is essentially your argument. What about machines that ran 10.0? Should they also support ml with their 300mhz g3 processors and 128mb of ram because they shipped with a version of OSX?

Each point release should be thought as a new OS, like xp to vista to 7.

So yea, what are you realistically expecting with a 6 year old machine.....

In 2003 your machine was not Intel based. Your simpleton reasoning of "software advances" is pure BS.
If it is so advanced why not support 32 bit display driver? What you say should be considered is YOUR opinion. and from someone who thinks machines have any relevance in this only shows you are of limited abilities

If you knew anything about software design you would know APPLE could easily write the OS upgrade for both 64 and 32 bit display drivers, but obviously you do not.

Where does it end, 6 year old machine, 5 year old machine? Just because you believe everything someone tells you doesn't make the hype any more real.
Maybe you should quit the pacifier and think for yourself.

I would completely understand if there were MULTIPLE reasons why APPLE would not choose to upgrade all the Intel based machines but this is not one of them. You continue to show how little you actually know about software structure because you say bits like "6 year old machine". what does that even mean other than you can't think for yourself?
If it was 3 years would you be singing a another tune? Intel machines and up is the way I see it and many others do as well.

 

[beltzak]

Shame on Apple and those who supports them

People here is talking about a computer of 5 years or a computer of 6 years and they compare machines like they all are consumers machine. This forum is full of apple fanboy consumers that dont know the difference between some computers.

I own a late 2008 unibody macbook with 2gbRAM that will support ML but I also own a 4000 € Mac Pro 1.1. with 14GB RAM, 5TB HDD and 4870 graphics on it and still some of you talk about years alone.

This has nothing to do with 5, 3 or 2 years.

First was the "new" Mac Pro update that it is a shame that a company that has made tons of money lately hasn't work NOTHING in the most expensive product they own. So I wont buy this "new" mac shame machine.

Now they kicking their MAC PRO (PRO users) because they put a 32EFI in some machines and we got ourselves ****ed because they don't want to solve the problems they created and you know what ... We have to fix this with some hackers resources like Chamaleon....

This is what a shame is, APPLE cannot fix (that is what they are saying) and wont fix a problem that a bunch of guys can fix with a small hack. So the question is pretty simple.

Do I need to hackintosh my Mac Pro 1,1 bought in late 2007 because Apple has no shame or gut to fix this mess?

The people who compares a macbook of 1200$ with computers of 4000$ or 8000$ like if a 4 year tag is enough make me lol. Pretty stupid actually.

And I want get rid of Lion and dont want to go back to snow leopard but I may do it. And this will hurt in the long run ...

 

[lepaka]

it´s Apple politic, if we want the latest software news/capabilities then you have max every 3 years replace your computer for a new one. even there, we are always loosing, i have my MacBook Pro from last summer, it is the early 2011 model, and guess what? the "Power Nap" funktion will not work, at least this one i already founded also i have bought the iWork family pack in shop, not bought in from App Store, and guess what?! the icloud integration is not working, problably only with the Apps bought in the online store - thats the capitalism, icapitalism

 

[dukebound85]

oh yeah another thing, Mountain Lion dictation, which is supposed to blow away Drago dictation software, is included in 10.8.

That is a $149.99 value right off the bat. So for all of you that "gee I don't understand why you are upset about your machine not being able to get this future upgrade"
iMessage for the Mac, power sleep(updating while in sleep mode) new gatekeeper, new safari options, quicktime enhancements.

I mean really, with such a change I find it kind of fraud to continue with the OSX branding, I can accept machines pre-intel for OBVIOUS reasons but but for the sole reason that they ARE CHOOSING to stop OS support for 32 bit display drivers is INSANE.

CHOOSING is the important word.
How about obligation and dedication to service and their LOYAL customers.
See this is exactly where the true mess lays, is that they CHOOSE do do something that affects millions of people becuae they know the MAJORITY or them will just take it in the A** and buy new hardware sooner.
Brand the OS something new if APPLE is going to take such an approach? They don;t because that would cause the media to ask Why for the re-branding. You know Who what When Where and Why, those journalistic questions that drive the news.

----------



In 2003 your machine was not Intel based. Your simpleton reasoning of "software advances" is pure BS.
If it is so advanced why not support 32 bit display driver? What you say should be considered is YOUR opinion. and from someone who thinks machines have any relevance in this only shows you are of limited abilities

If you knew anything about software design you would know APPLE could easily write the OS upgrade for both 64 and 32 bit display drivers, but obviously you do not.

Where does it end, 6 year old machine, 5 year old machine? Just because you believe everything someone tells you doesn't make the hype any more real.
Maybe you should quit the pacifier and think for yourself.

I would completely understand if there were MULTIPLE reasons why APPLE would not choose to upgrade all the Intel based machines but this is not one of them. You continue to show how little you actually know about software structure because you say bits like "6 year old machine". what does that even mean other than you can't think for yourself?
If it was 3 years would you be singing a another tune? Intel machines and up is the way I see it and many others do as well.

I forget you having college friends working at MS makes you an expert. You had an argument that if the machine ran an iteration if OSX then it should run all versions. When I bring up ppc you fall back on "oh it's obvious those can't be supported so it should be intel and up". Talk about a shifting argument To suit your biased notions of what apple should and should not do

All your effort complaining is really a waste of time. You don't have to upgrade and your computer will not quit working. Just how long do you expect future OSs to be compatible? You are just bitter as your machine is on the chopping block. I hear the same thing with each new os. G5 Ppc users were mad wen 10.6 nixed them. Just like when many g4 ppc users were largely nixed after tiger.Then us core duo folks were mad when 10.7 excluded us.Get used to it. Stay with lion, which will be supported, or get a newer machine if you want to run it. Apple owes you nothing. The fact your Mac was able to run 10.4-10.7 or 4 major OS releases over 6 years is pretty dang good.

 

[Renzatic]

Apple owes you nothing.

I will never, EVER understand this attitude. It's similar to that "Apple giveth and Apple taketh away" spiel I sometimes see amongst the unerringly hardcore Apple crowd. It seems some people don't think of them as a company providing goods so much as the master who's hand you feed from.

MS has shown the world that they can support a considerably larger and infinitely more varied set of computers for years on end. You'd think Apple could at least write a few drivers so their 5 year old machine can support the latest slight iteration of their OS.

 

[pankajdobariya]

Apple is a great company and this is best as far as support for new devices are concerned. I think they have not done any thing wrong in this case.

 

[Zerotolerance]

CORRECTION:
Now with the current pace of releasing "Fix Packs" each year and calling them "new OS X release with 200+ features... like Facebook integration! Yay!" - how long does your OS X release you just bought gets critical fixes? 2 years? Go figure...

No, not two years. With new OS X releases every year, that timetable has shrunk to 1 year. Exactly 12 months ago today, Snow Leopard was the "new" OS Apple was selling, for $69 if I remember correctly. So if someone bought Snow Leopard 12 months ago, it looks like 12 months of security updates is all they're going to get. I'm running Snow Leopard on my last generation white iMac. It can't be upgraded to Mountain Lion, and I understand that--it's over 5 years old. I've been reluctant to upgrade to Lion, though, because of all of the bad reviews, and now, with Lion only available as an App Store download, I have only a few days left to decide to upgrade to Lion because once it's gone from the App Store, it's gone for good. At least Lion will get security upgrades for another 12 months.

 

[Renzatic]

Apple is a great company and this is best as far as support for new devices are concerned.

That's the problem. They only support their new customers. I can understand the switch from PPC to x86 hardware. Even understand the switch from the C2D chipset. But this? I rank it up there with only the 4s getting Siri, when the 4 was perfectly capable of supporting it. Or the iPad 2 getting a gimped version of iOS6, even though there's no reason for it.

I'm finding it harder and harder to support Apple these days. They're becoming incredibly blatant about using their software as a carrot to entice you to spend more on their hardware, rather than trying to offer you, their older long time customers, as much as they're able to.

 

[dukebound85]

I will never, EVER understand this attitude. It's similar to that "Apple giveth and Apple taketh away" spiel I sometimes see amongst the unerringly hardcore Apple crowd. It seems some people don't think of them as a company providing goods so much as the master who's hand you feed from.

MS has shown the world that they can support a considerably larger and infinitely more varied set of computers for years on end. You'd think Apple could at least write a few drivers so their 5 year old machine can support the latest slight iteration of their OS.

I am far from an apple fanboy rest assured. As far as them not owing you anything, it is based on when you buy the Mac, they don't say you are entitled to any other OS except the one that is installed.

Under what logic do you feel entitled to OS compatibility not one, not two, but 6 years down the line when it was never promised when you bought the computer?

 

[Renzatic]

Under what logic do you feel entitled to OS compatibility not one, not two, but 6 years down the line when it was never promised when you bought the computer?

Because there's no real reason for them not to. If a computer can run Lion well, it should be able to run Mountain Lion equally as well. There are no huge advances in ML that make it impossible for an older machine to run it.

 

[mrbyu]

That's the problem. They only support their new customers. I can understand the switch from PPC to x86 hardware. Even understand the switch from the C2D chipset. But this? I rank it up there with only the 4s getting Siri, when the 4 was perfectly capable of supporting it. Or the iPad 2 getting a gimped version of iOS6, even though there's no reason for it.

I'm finding it harder and harder to support Apple these days. They're becoming incredibly blatant about using their software as a carrot to entice you to spend more on their hardware, rather than trying to offer you, their older long time customers, as much as they're able to.

Think about it... why do they keep offering OS X cheaper and cheaper every year? The main profit comes from the hardware. They could also make OS X free like iOS, it wouldn't make any significant difference in their income.

Limiting some new eye-candy capabilities of the actual OS X to the latest hardware, even though the old hardware could handle it as well isn't too nice, but they can do it, because they are a profit oriented company... They are not doing charity, if we want charity we have to use Linux. At least we are able to say that our computer is as good as we bought it. Oh wait... no it isn't

Because of the lack of security updates and patches, and disallowing important software updates (for example Xcode for developers). That is the point...

I think I am not the only one who would happily pay - let's just say - 100 Euro for the actual new OS X always if a decent support (for example 3 years) were guaranteed, without unreasonable hardware restrictions. Or at least they could make long term support (LTS) versions in every 3 years for example (like Ubuntu). That would give at least 6 years support for every machine.

 

[199708]

Considering we are living in a world that produces a lot of e-waste and Apples stance on creating recyclable/environmentally friendly devices. This is appalling to see that my perfectly great black macbook cannot be kept up to date because apple says so. This will create even more unnecessary e-waste.

So much for having a new OS that is supposed to be faster and more efficient but cannot run on older hardware which is where it shines the most. Its obvious the lastest machines will run the OS regardless. So in saying that each new OS is more powerful and faster than its predecessor is full of crap. It should then be able to run on older hardware also.

Ill be torrenting ML for my 2011 mini, I have no interest in supporting the next OS with my money if it doesn't support me and my black macbook when it runs like day I bought it and in many cases the same as my i5 mac mini as I cannot tell the difference when using PS/illustrator/vmware/windows on both, plays 1080p movies just fine etc.

The trend....
-No airplay for any mac other than current models
-No siri on ipad 2 even thought the hardware is more than capable of running siri and released the same year. (perhaps iphone 4 also)
Seems to me Apples programmers are hopeless at coding by not supporting previous generations of hardware and apple is greedy by limiting on the software layer and not hardware level.

I'm frustrated and appalled and what support I have ahead of me if i continue down the apple path with 3 year cycles. My wallet will open to support other venders it seems when the time comes to upgrade, I'm sure the competitors will offer more support than Apple. What goes up must come down... ouch.

 

[beltzak]

I am far from an apple fanboy rest assured. As far as them not owing you anything, it is based on when you buy the Mac, they don't say you are entitled to any other OS except the one that is installed.

Under what logic do you feel entitled to OS compatibility not one, not two, but 6 years down the line when it was never promised when you bought the computer?

Because It has been that way along 30 years?
We can install windows 8 in a pentium 4.

So that is why this is a problem because now they seem to change that logic suddenly.

So in your terms of view, it is Ok to be able to upgrade to ML on a macbook 2008 with 2.0 c2d and 2gb ram but not in Mac Pro quad core 2,66 with 14GB RAM because Apple cannot fix this but some hackers can. Yeah and you think that will be nice to us spend 4000$ - 8000$ in this ecosystem.

Well now I will think twice before spending another 4000 - 5000€ in the new Mac Pro you know, because I really have doubts. If I need to hackintosh my Mac I may better build full hackintosh myself.

 

[Bauer24]

Because there's no real reason for them not to. If a computer can run Lion well, it should be able to run Mountain Lion equally as well. There are no huge advances in ML that make it impossible for an older machine to run it.

You cannot know that for sure. And even if true, it's still an irrelevant point. Apple has no obligation to offer support for a 5-6 year old machine on their new OS, or rather, they do not need to provide software that is compatible with 5-6 year old machines - even if they could (maybe they can, maybe they cannot). I mean, maybe they could but with great difficulty and needless delays; who are we to say they must do it? It probably doesn't make business sense to do so.

Anyway, as has been stated, security updates will continue, and I wanted a new machine anyway.

AirPlay!

 

[leman]

I do think Apples philosophy is worse. Just look at environmental issues.

What environmental issues??? AFAIK Apple products are more green then most other computers, aluminium aside.

 

[beltzak]

You cannot know that for sure. And even if true, it's still an irrelevant point. Apple has no obligation to offer support for a 5-6 year old machine on their new OS, or rather, they do not need to provide software that is compatible with 5-6 year old machines - even if they could (maybe they can, maybe they cannot). I mean, maybe they could but with great difficulty and needless delays; who are we to say they must do it? It probably doesn't make business sense to do so.

Anyway, as has been stated, security updates will continue, and I wanted a new machine anyway.

AirPlay!

How about a Mac Pro 1.1 Octocore 3.0 with 16GB RAM no getting ML against a Unibody Macbook C2D 2.0 with 2GB RAM that will get ML.

I hate when you say 5-6 years support. STOP IT.
The unibody macbook performs better that the Mac Pro are you saying and defending?

This is insanely great for apple customers .... yeah!!!! and good for technology... And if the bussiness went badly I would help them but when this crisis is around and Apple is screewing for free and greed... that's not cool. And if they don't support us we wont support them.

 

[krolingo]

Apple is a Dick.

Dick move, plain and simple.

I am upgraded to 10.7.4 but that is not the point. The point is if I am using OS10 then I expect to be able to upgrade within that OS. If they are dropping support for MILLIONS of customers then call it OS11
I think I am due the right to Pay them for the upgrades coming with 10.8

What does it matter if it is one of the first intel macs? It still a Intel mac right? I find this a new tactic for pushing customers to but new hardware.

Why is it "realistically expecting" is it really so very ****** hard to ask that hardware with Intel be included in the OSX upgrades?

If the option to have a 32 bit display driver or a 64 bit driver in 10.8 is so very hard I cringe for Apple, which I know it is not

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Exactly, poor form is exactly right. They should have rebranded it OS11 or something if a HUGE amount of hardware will be cut off from the namesake OS name.
TCOOK@apple.com , write Tim and let him know what you said, cause you said it best simply......

 

[pik.]

well....my MacBook Pro early 2008 with 512MB N Vidia and 2,5GHz C2D should get Mountain...


thanks apple...

Now I m gonna change it next year....

 

[pianojoe]

I'd like to point out that Apple doesn't "drop support" for five year old Macs. Why then would they prepare 10.7.5 alongside 10.8.0?

What they do is, they restrict new features to hardware that can actually handle them.

Sometime ago, my brother asked me to put 10.4 onto an (ancient) iBook. I told him to stick with 10.3. He'll be much happier with it, performancewise.

 

[iCole]

Who cares. It's not like your older macs won't work anymore. If you want Mountain Lion, upgrade or don't buy Mountain Lion. Is your life really depending on it? Won't you be able to do all the things you were doing yesterday? If Apple would support those older Macs, we would be getting complaints that it doesn't run good on their older hardware. Yeah well. It's old hardware. In order to make progress, you just have to drop stuff.

And people complaining about iDisk, I don't understad either. This was a service that was being done better and for free by other companies. At least, now Apple has brough a really integrated and engaging experience with iCloud. At least, I love it

 

[maestrocasa]

I'm running a 2008 aluminum unibody macbook. 4GB Ram NVIDIA 9400M 256MB. I know it's on the list of supported machines, but only just.

Can I expect ML to run smoothly on this macbook or am I likely to experience problems since I'm near the bottom of supported specs?

 

[Paradoxally]

Sometime ago, my brother asked me to put 10.4 onto an (ancient) iBook. I told him to stick with 10.3. He'll be much happier with it, performancewise.

Yeah, it's like those people who want to run 10.5 on a G3 when 10.4 is much better in performance.

I have a 2009 MB Pro and I know that next year 10.9 will most likely not be supported. I'm not bitching about it because I know that 4 year 'support' is already a lot to be expected (this machine supports 10.5 all through 10.8 - remarkable tbh). I cannot even begin to wrap my head around those who invest so much in their machines and then complain that it's not supported 6 years down the line.......like, do you think Apple is going to acquiesce to your requests just because you spent almost a fortune on your hardware, most of it from third-party vendors? (like you buy your RAM and HDD's from Apple )

They're a company, that makes an insane amount of profit and has very acceptable business models. And don't compare them to Microsoft, because we all know Windows supports TONS of computers, running on different hardware and it has been that way for years.

Asking for support on a 2006 machine that most likely came with 10.4 for 10.8 is already pushing it.

 

[fat phil]

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

You've obviously never spent over $10k on a computer before.