Google Chrome Drops Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Support

[Akshay Masand]

Usually third party browsers are popular for those using older versions of an operating system. Browsers such as Mozilla, Opera, and Chrome tend to stick around much longer on older operating systems than browsers such as Apple’s Safari or Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. After some time though, even third party browsers begin to move on and Google’s Chrome seems to be doing the same thing with Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard.

According to Jason Kersey from Google Chrome:

The Dev channel has been updated to 22.0.1201.0 for Windows, Mac, Linux and Chrome Frame[…] Please note, on Mac we now require 10.6 or higher, and this release will not be available if you are on 10.5 or lower.

Chrome has only been supporting Intel-based Macs so people on the PowerPC Macs won’t be losing anything here. Intel machines that can run 10.5 can also run 10.6, therefore no hardware is being phased out either. Unfortunately, the early models of the 32-bit Intel Macs can’t upgrade past 10.6 so the next time Google Chrome jumps operating systems, the small population of users still using 10.6 will be stuck.

For those of you who didn’t already know, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard was launched in October 2007 and hasn’t seen an update since August 2009. It seems like it’s time to move on, so the move isn’t a surprise. For those of you with the old 32-bit Mac, you can still update to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard via Amazon so you aren’t completely stuck, at least not yet.

Source: Google

[hank197857]

back in 1998, i had a macbook that had a 10.5-gb hard drive. that was hi-tech back then. things change. welcome to the new world order.

[thetoothfairy]

Things like this is why one must keep up with technology. Its not only this but others do the same thing. One buys a computer and before you know it..... its a dinosaurs! lol

[bmwraw8482]

back in 1998, i had a macbook that had a 10.5-gb hard drive. that was hi-tech back then. things change. welcome to the new world order.

That is huge compared to my 2gb hard drive with windows 95 back then. Now you need more than 2gb ram just to properly run windows!

[PokemonDesigner]

Good for google.

[Droid_4_Life]

Great job Google! Take away all support for Apple and let them do their own thing... Take away maps.... I wish they could somehow block or have some way to stop you tube from Apple...

Google does a lot....and Apple has the nerve..