Apple releases Mac OS X v.10.6.2, its newest update to Snow Leopard, with a variety of tweaks to everything from Final Cut Studio to video watching, as well as a massive security patch. Of importance to those with "hackintoshes," or netbooks that run Apple's Mac OS X, is a much-rumored disabling of the operating systems ability to run with the Intel Atom processor, which powers most netbooks.Apple
released its newest operating system update, Mac OS X v10.6.2, on Nov. 9. In
addition to fixing a number of underlying and user-facing aspects of Snow
Leopard, the update reportedly also prevents netbooks from using Apple's
operating system.
Those netbooks running Snow Leopard, referred to as
"hackintoshes," largely use Intels Atom processor; Apples update
apparently denies devices using that processor the ability to run Mac OS
X10.6.2.
StellaRolla, an OSx86 hacker, wrote
on his blog that "the netbook forums are now blowing up with problems
of 10.6.2 instant rebooting their Atom based notebooks," adding that,
"My sources tell me that everytime a netbook user installs 10.6.2 an Apple
employee gets their wings."
On message boards such as MyDellMini, users suggested that OS X
10.6.2 did indeed force their devices into an endless loop of boots. Similar
forums, such as MyHPMini,
saw users backing up their 10.6.1 kernels in case Atom support was indeed
ending.
"If they break my OS X install, Im just switching to Win7," one
poster wrote on MyDellMini late on Nov. 9.
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Here for 10 Reasons Why Mac OS X Security Could Get Worse
On the surface, the update fixes a number general operating system issues
that have cropped up since Snow Leopards release, including an issue in Front Row
that "could cause sluggish or slow frame rates while watching
videos," the "creation of mobile accounts for Active Directory
users," and "general reliability improvements for iWork, iLife,
Aperture, Final Cut Studio, MobileMe and iDisk." So says Apple, which
posted a complete list of the updates and changes here.
That update page makes no mention of Atom processors. For weeks, rumors had
been circulating on forums such as MacRumors.com that Apple planned on
disabling support for Atom in the next Mac OS X build. Apple executives have
publicly voiced their disdain for netbooks in the past, and the very concept of
"hackintoshes" doubtlessly irritates many of those up in Cupertino,
Calif.
The
update also includes a massive security patch addressing nearly 60
vulnerabilities. This newest batch fixes nearly three times as many fixes
as a similar security update pushed out in August. The most recent bugs fixed
include a memory corruption issue in DirectoryService that could allow a remote
attacker to execute arbitrary code or crash applications within a vulnerable
system.
The batch also corrects issues with Apples Adaptive Firewall, as well as QuickTime
and open-source components including Apache, OpenLDAP and OpenSSH.
Apple has been busily releasing new updates for its various operating
systems. At the beginning of October, the
company issued an iPhone and iPod Touch update, 3.1.2, correcting bugs such
as the smartphones occasional refusal to awaken from sleep mode, something
derisively referred to as "coma mode" by some device owners.
Apples
recent updates to its iTunes not only tinker with various features, but also
prevent the Palm Pre from syncing with the media-center application. Palm
and Apple have been playing a game of cat-and-mouse over iTunes compatibility
with the Palm Pre, which was launched on June 6 as a potential "iPhone
killer" smartphone. Although that prediction has not panned out, at least
in terms of unit sales, Palms repeated attempts to sync the Pre with iTunes
have been a consistent source of irritation for Apple.
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