Recycled Computing

Mountain Lion Obsoletes the MacBook I Just Bought

- 2012.02.24

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Short link: http://bit.ly/xAOCee

Asus EedPad Slider SL101

Okay, in my previous column, I suggested putting a slider keyboard on a tablet. Alert reader Jacob J. Holtman points out that Asus makes just a beast, the Asus EedPad Slider SL101.

Not to worry, though. I have something new to rant about. Yes, the requirements for OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion leave my new (to me) Black MacBook in the dust. My MacBook uses the Intel GMA 950 graphics processor, so Mountain Lion won't work on it.

What the what!

John Hatchett's 'new' black MacBook
John's black MacBook, bought in December.

When I decided (not that long ago) to move away from PowerPC chips and into the land of Intel, little did I know that Apple would render my computer obsolete just two months after I bought it. Sure, I could have bought the latest MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, but that is not how I roll. First of all, I don't have the capital to buy a brand new Apple, and second, who is to say that a new Apple computer will support the next generation of OS X after Mountain Lion?

This is simply more that a slippery slope, it's a plunge off the cliff of planned obsolescence.

What is happening in Apple land?

I understand that Apple would leave PPC machines way behind. There's a logic to that. Yes, leaving 32-bit machines behind with OS X 10.7 Lion - I get that. But I don't understand the Lion to Mountain Lion barrier. It strikes me as unnecessary.

I think we are seeing the price of all that success with the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. Apple is just not giving the computer line it's full attention. Let's face it, the mobile computing field is all about the latest thing.

What should we do? I plan to stick my guns. If I can still use my Pismo PowerBook (with TenFourFox) after 12 years, I'll see how long I can keep my MacBook relevant. And that's where the community here at Low End Mac comes in. I wouldn't have learned about TenFourFox if it were not for Low End Mac.

So even if Apple isn't going support my not-so-old Mac, we users will.

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Recent Recycled Computing Columns

Changes, 2012.10.16. A new job has John Hatchett considered something of an iPad expert.
In Praise of Optical Viewfinders, 2012.07.30. Although modern digital cameras have digital viewscreens, there's something to be said for the traditional viewfinder.
The Lion Sleeps (on My MacBook) Tonight, 2012.07.05. Starting with a full backup, a Time Machine Backup, and an OS X 10.7 thumb drive, John Hatchett moved to Lion.
More in the Recycled Computing index.

Links for the Day

Mac of the Day: Quadra 950, introduced 1992.05.18. Apple's huge tower has 5 NuBus slots and runs a 33 MHz 68040 processor.
May 18 in LEM history: 92: Quadra 950 - 99: OS 8.6 more stable - 00: What can you squeeze into a compact Mac? - 01: Friendly LC 500s - Leaving Win2k behind - 05: OS X 10.4.1 update - A new PowerBook with Tiger - Tiger: Lots to like, but some annoyances - 06: 400K floppy click of death - I wish Apple were more like Microsoft - 07: 9.9% notebook market share
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