Boot Camp 4.0 for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard version 10.6.6 up to Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion version 10.8.2 only supported Windows 7. However, with the release of Boot Camp 5.0 for Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion in version 10.8.3, only 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 are officially supported. Boot Camp 6.0 added support for Windows 10. The last G5 Power Mac clocked in at 2.5 GHz with 4 cores – still a very respectable machine, and certainly full of life – but it won't be able to run Snow Leopard, Adobe Creative Suite 5, or other Intel-only software, yet a 1.5 GHz Core Solo Mac mini will.
MacOS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard' Q&A - Updated December 7, 2010
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Which Macs are compatible with MacOS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard'?
Apple states that all Intel-based Macs with at least 1 GB of RAM, 5 GB of available hard drive space, and a DVD drive -- or access to one, as the case may be for the MacBook Air models -- are capable of running MacOS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard'. PowerPC-based Macs are not compatible.
- Apple MacBook Pro A1226 15.4' Laptop - MA896LL/A (June, 2007) 2GB 160GB HDD 4.5 out of 5 stars (61) 61 product ratings - Apple MacBook Pro A1226 15.4' Laptop - MA896LL/A (June, 2007) 2GB 160GB HDD.
- Requires Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 Update Rollup 4. Auto-setup requires enabling the Autodiscovery feature of Microsoft Exchange Server. QuickTime X movie capture. Requires iSight camera (built-in or external), USB video class (UVC) camera, or FireWire DV camcorder. QuickTime H.264 hardware acceleration.
Some early Intel-based Macs shipped only with 512 MB of RAM by default, so those will need to have more RAM installed if they haven't already been upgraded. Some users may need to free up additional drive space as well, but other than that, all Intel-based Macs are good to go. The Maximum Supported MacOS X listing of the By Capability section of EveryMac.com provides a complete list.
However, the full list of compatible systems includes a large number of asterisks, which indicates that not all of these Intel-based Macs are capable of fully utilizing the new technologies introduced by MacOS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard'.
Macs that are capable of officially booting in 64-bit mode, using Grand Central Dispatch, and are equipped with OpenCL-capable graphics are provided below:
Macbook 4 1 Snow Leopard Wallpaper
Official 64-Bit, GCD, OpenCL Capable Macs:
- Mac Pro'Eight Core' 2.8 (2008)*
* This model does not support 'OpenCL' running the default ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT video card. If configured with the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT or NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600, it does support OpenCL.
If your Intel-based Mac is not on the above list, do not despair, it still can take advantage of new features and gain a modest performance boost as well, but the above 'professional' Macs are the most capable of exploiting new 'Snow Leopard' technologies in the future. Additional Macs that cannot officially boot in 64-bit mode also can be hacked when doing so becomes more necessary for increased speed.
Site sponsor OHS sells MacOS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard'.
Also see:
- Which Intel Macs have 64-bit processors? Which have a 64-bit EFI? Which are capable of booting MacOS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard' in 64-bit mode?
- What is 'OpenCL'? Which Macs support the 'OpenCL' technology provided by MacOS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard'?
- What is 'Grand Central Dispatch'? Which Macs support the 'Grand Central Dispatch' technology provided by MacOS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard'?
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OS X 10.8 'Mountain Lion' Q&A - Published September 7, 2012
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Macbook Snow Leopard Download
Which Macs can run Snow Leopard (10.6), Lion (10.7), and Mountain Lion (10.8), all three?
EveryMac.com's Maximum Supported Version of Mac OS X listing from the By Capability section of the site makes it easy to see all G3 and later Macs on a single page with the maximum version of the operating system each supports.
However, as requested by readers, it is clear that there also is a great deal of interest in Macs capable of running Snow Leopard for legacy compatibility -- particularly those with PowerPC only applications -- in addition to Lion and/or Mountain Lion in a dual boot or multiboot setup for 'bridge' support of both older and newer applications.
Identification Help
If you are trying to identify a specific Mac that you want to purchase on the used market and need to ensure operating system compatibility, EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup can help.
This feature makes it easy to lookup any of these Macs by the Model Identifier listed in software (select 'About This Mac' under the 'Apple' menu and click 'More Info'), its Serial Number, and a variety of other methods.
Macs Capable of Running All Three Operating Systems
No Mac can run a version of the operating system earlier than the one pre-installed, so those interested in running an older version of the operating system will need to purchase a used Mac capable of running the version of interest.
This is a complete list of all non-server Macs capable of booting Snow Leopard (10.6), Lion (10.7), and Mountain Lion (10.8):
Compatibility Summary
Rather than buying a new Mac, buying a recent used Mac that is capable of running multiple versions of the operating system may make more sense for some users and the above list makes it easy. Those with irreplaceable or expensive 'legacy' applications or peripherals that are not compatible with the latest version of the operating system can find it particularly beneficial to purchase a 'bridge' system between the old and new.
Also see: Do Mac OS X applications written for the PowerPC processor really not work with OS X 10.7 'Lion' and OS X 10.8 'Mountain Lion'? How can I tell if a Mac OS X application is written for PowerPC or Intel processors?
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