Latest Mac OS X 10.6.2 beta build brings back Atom support
By Donald Melanson 
posted Nov 4th 2009 6:42PM
posted Nov 4th 2009 6:42PM
Well, it looks like reports that Apple might be killing Atom support in the next Snow Leopard update may have been slightly overblown, as the latest developer build of OS X 10.6.2 (10C535) has apparently restored support for the processor and simultaneously brightened the spirits of hackintoshers the world over. What's more, there doesn't appear to be any explanation for the switch-a-roo from Apple which, as Electronista notes, could indicate that it was simply a bug or a temporary measure -- although it does of course also mean that Apple can just as easily flip the switch again if it sees fit (which seems like at least a 50 / 50 shot).
Can the flip the switch so may gateway is now mac too?
What?
that's what she said.
can we buy some weed from you?
"Well, it looks like reports that Apple might be killing Atom support in the next Snow Leopard update may have been slightly overblown"
Wait, are you suggesting that a rumor on the internet got blown out of proportion??
Well if it did in fact happen I bet it will go down in history as the first time ever ;)
lol
They DID remove it.... then they brought it back. I wouldn't say the first reports were blown out of proportion at all. The reports brought back Atom support!
@smak Ha, right, Apple read all of our comments on how we like to do something Apple is trying oh-so desperately to fight off, and then figured 'oh, let's bring support for this unsupported platform back'. I don't know who thought it could be a bug or glitch, but that's just ridiculous. This makes a LOT more sense.
I thought that it was interesting that they brought it back... Maybe an unofficial policy that isn't against hackintoshs?
Sure, but rumours on the other in'nernets are far more benign :P
So will this build be available to consumers soon?
If by soon you mean never, Yes!
haha oops. that made no sense. I was thinking you meant buying a non apple with OSX. This build will likely be available in 2-4 weeks.
Oh, okay.
Yeah, the retail Mac/Dell companionship is pretty unrealistic...
50/50 . . . I wouldn't be betting on those odds, but I can't wait for the fanboys to start yelling at each other!
Sit back and watch the fireworks . . . :-)
Rumors of Atom's demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Pure. Win.
*sigh* was going to post this, good thing I actually checked before I posted.
My internetz are now yours.
The amusing thing about this whole situation is how one person riled up so many others with a single comment. A comment made against an old build. 10C535 came out October 28th, well before the whole rumor mill spun up this non event into a crazy conspiracy.
we didnt start the flame war...
this ain't a flame war, it's an arms race
Not enough people visit CollegeHumor to get that reference and start "singing".
Good attempt though.
it was always burning since the world was turning
...Peeps were hatin’ on it ‘fore I left my comment...
P.S. Narin Ratana, those are the lyrics to "we didn't start the FIRE".
How is it that Mac OS supports netbooks so seamlessly? Is it because they are x86? Couldn't they just somehow lock out all the processors that they have never shipped?
ever since 2005 thats when i first installed OSX on a PC "10.4.3" apple has the power to stop or even make it more difficult for people to hack their OS on to a Non-Apple computers. but for some reason they just don't do it but for the most part i think its kind of a Win/Win for Apple the more people that use your product the better.
They could, but they're too chicken.
I wonder why they allow their hardware to be "infected" with Windows...?
Maybe to save their own ass.
Mostly because hardware (Mac or PC) is nothing special. Apple supports the hardware they have shipped in their own products and the community has ported a lot of open source drivers to OSX. Netbooks are usually Linux friendly so they have really good support. Current netbook hardware is very similar to the first-gen MacBooks & Minis (Intel graphics/chipset) The CPU doesn't really matter much if it's x86 and supports SSE3.
Apple has a choice when they work on their OS. They can plug holes to prevent hackers from making their software work on non-Apple devices, or they can work on something that's going to make their OS better. As the hacker problem is really a very small one, they are probably less likely to spend time and money on that and instead work on more important things.
i guess it was to soon to even say that apple would remove support but we will only know until the final build of 10.6.2 is out
i found out about this when installing on my HP Mini 311 had to swap out 10.6.2 kernel with 10.6.1 kernel.
OS X actually supports ION? I looked it up a while back and I think some guy actually managed to install. Will it actually recognize ION as a 9400M? This sounds like all kinds of trouble.
Ion *IS* the 9400M, just attached to an Atom instead of a Core 2 Duo.
i think any rumor about any apple product should be neglected as 99% of them end up false or get changed at the last minute.
Atom support didn't go away hence it (10.6.2) didn't "bring back" support for it.
Good you clarified, i was starting to get worried...NOT!
Why can't OS X just support everything like windows/linux etc...
Please put down your keyboard and walk away.
@Soulsaber
Why doesn't Burger King support McDonalds or Pepsi support Coca-Cola?
Comment makes no sense? Neither did yours.
You best be trollin'
Why doesn't Burger King support Coca-Cola... Oh, wait. Never mind.
He's got a valid point. Remember how certain Macs needed to replace aftermarket video cards with factory ones before upgrading to Leopard?
@b3tan
Perhaps what Soulsaber is actually trying to say is "Why can't OS X just support everything like windows/linux etc DO." That is, Why can't OS X support everything like how Windows attempts to support everything. Or why can't OS X run on any computer like how Linux runs on nearly everything.
As opposed to "Why can't OS X support everything, for example things like Windows."
When is this update going to be available? SL still has a few bugs that need to be squashed, especially in the graphics department.
Be quiet, you.
Maybe Jobs hasn't read your post yet.
we was wrong.
Well, Apple would have a hard time selling copies of Snow Leopard if they cut atom support.
Are you implying that an even noticeable percentage of SL sales come from the hackintosh community, particularly those running Atom CPU's? Laughable.
From what I understand they can't remove support for it without patching (and encrypting) an otherwise pretty much open source kernel. The kernel recognises what instructions the processor can handle, and it it doesn't have an ID it just marks it has UNKNOWN.
"Don't panic Captain Mainwaring!" (For Brits only)
Support was NEVER pulled for the Atom. Check out insanelywind.com/forum
We got a guy over there thats been running the 10.6.2 update that was supposedly broken on an MSI Wind. According to him the update went flawlessly, and it runs smoother.
I hadn't heard much about the MAC of late, i appreciate your review as my sister is looking into getting a new MAC and this will be perfect for her.
I dont know what's funnier, the suggestion that Apple is never in the news, or the fact that you called the company MAC (a. not the name of the company b. not router jargon). It's almost as if you're saying, "Wow, I didn't know Apple was still in Business. Neato."
They're almost a 200 billion dollar company that could buy Dell eight times over with their cash hoarde alone. Its 2009. Maybe you should pay a little closer attention.
This news is most likely completely irrelevant to your sister: does your sister happen to be the only female in the hackintosh community? What relevance does this post have to you just going to the store and picking up a Macbook. None. At all. In any way.
PS. My being a smug jerk has nothing to do with me being a Mac user. Your post seems to have been dusted of and given us from the year 1993, that's all.
Mac.
Not MAC.
`Entirely different things, unless you're shouting.
Actually, no, considering that MAC is a cosmetics company, that comment makes perfect sense.
MAC is an acronym. It stands for Media Access Control.
So u CAN run Snow Leopard on a dell atom netbook? Any one here tried? If this is true, gunna have to get a handful if the performance is decent...
I run 10.5.8 on My Dell Vostro A90. It works great. My only complaint is that the screen is too small for some of the dialog boxes. Solid little machine though, installation is a snap.
there goes the fight...
Whatever, I just bought a MBP :D
Doesn't seem like a 50/50 shot to me at all, since there is absolutely no precedent to support that opinion. Apple hasn't been preventing OS X from running on any specific chipset, why would they start now? Assuming Apple "flipped a switch" in the first place is stretching, since it was only reported by one person and they turned out to be mistaken.