Confirmed: Mac OS 10.6.2 does not support the Intel Atom processor

Apple released the 10.6.2 update to its Snow Leopard operating system last night and, after some back and forth over the last week or so, support for the Intel Atom processor has been removed.

The change makes no difference to Mac users, but it is a blow to the growing number of Hackintosh netbook users — Intel Atom-powered portables that run a hacked version of Mac OS that wouldn’t otherwise install.

Existing Hackintosh netbook users can just ignore the 10.6.2 update and carry on as normal, but this looks like a clear sign that Apple has had enough of this unsanctioned use of Mac OS and wants to put a stop to it. Hackintosh users who don’t rely on an Intel Atom processor are completely unaffected by the changes introduced in Mac OS 10.6.2, of course.

We’ve already speculated about the real reasons for Apple preventing Mac OS from running on most netbooks, and money cannot be one of them — at least not yet. The increasing popularity of the Intel Atom has just help push processor shipments to an all-time high, according to recent IDC data, but it’s a stretch to believe that a £300 netbook with a pirated (probably) copy of Mac OS means a lost sale for Apple — whose cheapest laptop costs £799.

As we’ve mentioned before, the most likely explanation for dropping Intel Atom support is that Apple wants to clear out the unwanted undergrowth in preparation for it’s own ultraportable device. This almost certainly won’t be a netbook and is unlikely to cost £300, but when someone wants a book-sized portable computer that runs Mac OS, you can bet Apple wants to be the only person that can supply it.

[via OS X Daily]