Unibody MacBook Pro Q&A
Update Published November 11, 2016
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The macOS operating system has been pre-installed on all MacBook Pro computers since release, starting with version 10.4.4 (Tiger). Along with OS X, iLife. 'Our pro customers tell us they want their next MacBook Pro to have a larger display, blazing-fast performance, the biggest battery possible, the best notebook keyboard ever, awesome speakers and massive amounts of storage, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro delivers all of that and more,' said Tom Boger, Apple's senior director of Mac and iPad Product Marketing. The benefit of the 13-inch MacBook Pro over the MacBook Air is a bit fuzzy at the former's low-end specs. But going to those 10 th -gen CPUs and four Thunderbolt ports makes a big difference.
What version of Mac OS X is pre-installed on the 'Unibody' MacBook Pro models? What is the last version of Mac OS X supported by each model?
The precise version and even build number for Mac OS X originally pre-installed on each 'Unibody' MacBook Pro is provided on the specs page for each model.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc.
However, the basic version of each series also is provided below for your convenience:
| MacBook Pro | Original Mac OS X | Maximum Mac OS X |
| 'Late 2008' | OS X 10.5.5 'Leopard' | OS X 10.11.x 'El Capitan' |
| 'Early 2009' | OS X 10.5.6 'Leopard' | OS X 10.11.x 'El Capitan' |
| 'Mid-2009' | OS X 10.5.7 'Leopard' | OS X 10.11.x 'El Capitan' |
| 'Mid-2010' | OS X 10.6.3 'Snow Leopard' | Current |
| 'Early 2011' | OS X 10.6.6 'Snow Leopard' | Current |
| 'Late 2011' | OS X 10.7.2 'Lion' | Current |
| 'Mid-2012' | OS X 10.7.3 'Lion' | Current |
Versions of the operating system earlier than the one that shipped with a particular Mac are not compatible.
MacBook Pro models running Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' or Mac OS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard' are capable of running essentially all Mac software written for Intel-based Macs and the vast majority of Mac OS X applications written for PowerPC-based systems using the 'Rosetta Universal Binary Translator'.
MacBook Pro models running Mac OS X 10.7 'Lion' or Mac OS X 10.8 'Mountain Lion' -- whether pre-installed or otherwise -- are not capable of running Mac OS X applications written for the PowerPC processor as these versions of the operating system do not support Rosetta.
For the maximum supported version of Mac OS X for all 'recent' -- G3 and later -- Macs, please refer to the Maximum Supported Mac OS listing.
Can the 'Unibody' MacBook Pro run Mac OS 9/Classic applications?
Current Mac Os X
No. Apple provides no support for running Mac OS 9 or the 'Classic Environment' on Intel-based Macs like the 'Unibody' MacBook Pro models. All 'Unibody' MacBook Pro models shipped with Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' or later which provides no support for 'Mac OS 9/Classic' applications.
If you have a mission critical application that only runs on Mac OS 9, you likely would be best served by maintaining a PowerPC-based Mac. However, you may also be interested in reading 'Are there any third-party programs to run Mac OS 9/Classic applications on Intel Macs?' from the Mac OS 9/Classic Support Q&A.
Site sponsor Operator Headgap Systems specializes in refurbished, and often heavily upgraded, systems capable of booting in both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9.
Can the 'Unibody' MacBook Pro run Windows?
Yes. For those who need to use Windows, the Windows on Mac Q&A provides answers for just about everything you need to know about running Windows on the 'Unibody' MacBook Pro or any other Intel-based Mac.
Can the 'Unibody' MacBook Pro run Linux?
Yes. All Intel-based Macs are capable of running a number of Intel-based distributions of Linux through Apple Boot Camp or by using 'virtualization'.
For more on Boot Camp and Virtualization, please refer to the Windows on Mac Q&A.
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