New iMacs - 10.8.5 already forked?

[JPDyson]

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2013/09/24Apple-Updates-iMac.html

[ImAMacGuy]

Why'd you have to go and bring up the "F" word.
:)
Good question though...

[mm2270]

We got some info this morning from our Apple sales rep, and he claims no change in the OS for these new iMacs, but I can't be certain. He might have meant they still ship with Mountain Lion 10.8.5 (of course!) but the specific build may have been forked.
For us, its no real issue if they did fork it, since we are like 99% MacBooks. We only have a small number of iMacs and they're more for testing purposes than anything. I don't even know that we'd need to purchase any of these models.

[JPDyson]

We have a true thin image option (not replacing the base OS) that covers our FusionDrive Macs; it should float for this as well if there is a fork, for initial setup. However, with Internet Recovery not working behind our proxy, I still need a base that boots it.

[ImAMacGuy]

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1159#iMac Our rep didn't seem to have much info either.

[scottb]

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1159#iMac Our rep didn't seem to have much info either.

Always love the updated KB's at Apple…I tried the "MacTracker" app to see if it was updated which is usually better than that page, but no changes yet.

[mm2270]

That KB hasn't been updated yet, of course. It still shows a June 2013 modification date.

I'm trying to get a little more info on the exact OS X build these ship with, but I'm not holding too much hope on obtaining that anytime soon.

[scottb]

Went by the Apple Store in Pasadena. They got the new models in, but won't have them out for another day or two.
Hoping there was enough time from 10.8.5 release so that there's not a special build on those.

[franton]

If the OS build has changed on these things, I am quite truly "forked" :D

[franton]

It's been a long time coming but all's well that Haswell.

(and i'll not give up my day job after those jokes)

[donmontalvo]

Bwahaha...forked again by Apple...

http://9to5mac.com/2013/09/24/apple-preps-new-os-x-10-8-5-release-with-fixes-for-macbook-airs-hdmi/?...

[John_Wetter]

It's fun that they forked the OS likely weeks before a new version is out... Sounds a lot like the mid-2007 iMac which never worked well for us.

[franton]

They can run 10.8.5 just fine it seems. I wandered into my local store and they're all running the standard build.

[JPDyson]

@franton Do you have a build number on the ones at the store? Is it 12F37?

[franton]

@JPDyson That's correct.

[wyip]

I just received one of these new iMacs and found that its running 10.8.4 build 12E4022 out of the box. (Image modified to remove serial number)

external image link

[nessts]

oh thank goodness, maybe we can stop whining about the possibility of being forked and not being thanked.

[Kumarasinghe]

We had 21.5-inch and 27-inch models for testing.

iMac 14,1 - OS X 10.8.4 (12E4022) iMac 14,2 - OS X 10.8.4 (12E4022)

[scottb]

So much forking, so little bacon...

[JPDyson]

@Kumarasinghe Can you tell if a retail 10.8.5 image will boot these? I seem to recall a previous model (Retina 15?) that shipped so close to the next point release that it wasn't integrated.

[scottb]

JPD: If any version of 10.8.4 boots them, then 10.8 5 will boot them. I can't recall that not being true. Special builds of an OS are superseded by the next general dot release. If you have an example otherwise, I don't recall it.

[Kumarasinghe]

Yes.
OS X 10.8.5 (12F37) boots them.

Thanks .

[wyip]

Just got a new iMac in with 10.8.5 build 12F2015, which won't boot my 12F45 image. WTF Apple?!

[nessts]

and both new MBP have a different build number too LOL so there are at least 3 10.9 images out there. face it, they hate what we do and resistance is futile. Switch to thin imaging or laying down your stuff on top of their OS.

[kstrick]

forkage confirmed-- new Haswell iMac shipped with new build of 10.8.5… not sure build number yet (probably 12F2015), and won't boot off my netboot. bummer.