Not all Macs can run OS X Mountain Lion – here's why
Apple have lifted the covers off their latest desktop operating system, OS X Mountain Lion, which looks set to bring even more of the touch-focussed iOS mobile OS’s features to the world of Mac, as well as adding Twitter integration, AirPlay Mirroring and Game Center for Mac.
However, not all Macs will be capable of running the new update, as OS X Mountain Lion doesn’t support Intel’s GMA 950 and x3100 chipsets. That means some surprisingly recent Apple models are now being left to flounder unsupported without future software updates. These include:
• Any Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook from late 2007 – late 2008 (Model Numbers: MB061*/B, MB062*/B, MB063*/B, MB402*/A MB403*/A MB404*/A, MB402*/B)
• The Mid-2007 Mac mini (Model Numbers: MB138*/A, MB139*/A)
• Late 2006 polycarbonate iMac (Model Number: MA710xx/A)
• The original early 2008 MacBook Air (Model Number: MB003LL/A)
It’s quite sad to think that early adopters of the original MacBook Air, Apple’s little computing revolutionary, are being left out in the cold. Just four short years of support for a product that likely cost upwards of £1000 at launch doesn’t seem all that fair.
The preview release of Mountain Lion is available to Mac Developer programme members now. (Most) Mac users will be able to upgrade to Mountain Lion from the Mac App Store in late summer 2012.
