Intel Atom Still Unsupported on Mac OS X 10.6.2 Seeds

Several weeks ago, word surfaced that recent developer builds of Mac OS X 10.6.2 had ceased to support Intel's Atom processors, the basis of many netbook systems popular with those who wish to modify non-Apple systems to run OS X. The news set off a tremendous amount of discussion about the change until additional news surfaced that Atom compatibility had resurfaced in a subsequent developer seed, Build 10C535, released in late October.

A new post by developer and Tumblr user stellarola who has been monitoring the situation indicates that the claim of restored Atom support in Build 10C535 had been faked. He claims to have received confirmation from multiple sources that Atom is not supported in the latest developer seed, known as Build 10C540, released last week.

I spoke to another colleague of mine and he noticed the date of the kernel. He sent me a picture of his kernel information from 10.6.1, which uses the same kernel as 10.6.0. (The name has been removed for privacy purposes)

As you can see the date is exactly the same as the old kernel. Now, let's take a look at my gf's Core2Duo system that's running 10.6.2 Build 10C535. (The name has been removed for privacy purposes)

Obviously the date is different than the previous two. Anyone can tell the first image from "MachVoluM" is a fake. My sources still tell me the Atom CPU is still unsupported even in the latest 10.6.2 build 10C540.

A video has also been posted showing an MSI Wind netbook attempting to boot on the latest 10.6.2 seed, but being unable to do so.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New MacBook Pros Could Now Arrive in March

Sunday February 8, 2026 6:02 am PST by
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...