With the popularity of so-called “Hackintosh” setups on normally Windows or Linux-based netbooks on the rise, Apple has taken steps to block netbook users from using the latest build of Snow Leopard.
According to the folks over at OSX Daily, the latest build of Snow Leopard, the upcoming Mac OS 10.6.2 update, is to see Apple drop support for Intel’s line of Atom processors. This will mean that any users with “hackintoshed” machines built around the processor will effectively be stuck without an upgrade path… and given some of the niggling issues with Snow Leopard, that could prove problematic.
While the update hasn’t been made available to the public yet, reports have come from multiple sources that seem to confirm that 10.6.2 will see support for the Atom line dropped, which will leave most previously hackintoshable netbooks out in the cold.
The recommendation for the moment seems to be to just stick at the 10.6.1 mark, or, if you’re among the crowd who haven’t bothered making the transfer to Snow Leopard yet, the 10.5.8 mark.
Of course, there’s been all kinds of speculation as to just why Apple would drop support for Intel’s Atom line now, but we’d be surprised if it turned out to be totally unrelated to the fact that Psystar has started selling a bootloader that allows users to install Mac OS on non-Apple hardware with relative ease.
We’ll have to wait and see how all of this turns out, but it seems very likely that some hackintosh users who don’t keep a close eye on the news could find themselves in a very sad position indeed next time they get a message from Software Update to inform them they’ve got some downloading to do…
For now, we have no word on what to expect for users with Intel Atom processors who do make the upgrade when it happens.
Tags: apple, dell, EEE, hackintosh, intel, Intel Atom, leopard, mac, mac os x, Mini 10, Mini 9, netbook, snow leopard
