Apple still hosts Mac OS X 10.4.11 updates, iBook G4 users confirm Software Update works
Source: aleclikesmacintosh/Decent-Cow2080
Today we shared a story about Lenovo dropping support for a gaming handheld that is barely two years old. Apple is now being discussed in the opposite context. A recent Reddit thread claims a 21-year-old iBook G4 running Mac OS X Tiger can still join a current home Wi-Fi network and use Software Update to download Apple-hosted packages without modifications.
Apple’s iBook line predates the MacBook name and was positioned as a consumer and education notebook family, distinct from the PowerBook line. Apple’s own materials from the era describe iBook as “wireless ready,” built around the company’s AirPort option, which helped push Wi-Fi into mainstream laptops. Apple later refreshed the lineup with iBook G4 models in 2003. This laptop was mentioned in a Reddit post.
MacOS which officially supports 27 year old iBooks can still connect to a modern Wi-Fi network, and download updates from apple servers without any modifications, Apple is the opposite of planned obsolescence.
by u/Decent-Cow2080 in MacOS
What makes the current report unusual is the mix of working infrastructure and age. Apple still hosts legacy downloads like the Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update for PowerPC systems. Apple’s own security update archive shows Security Update 2009-005 released for Mac OS X 10.4.11, which indicates the last security-era maintenance for that branch happened in 2009, not in 2010. 2026. In other words, the device can still retrieve legacy updates today, but it is not actively supported by modern security servicing.
Speaking of iBooks, new MacBook may return to the colorful era of old laptops
The nostalgia cycle also arrives as new hardware rumors point in the opposite direction. Apple has confirmed a March 4, 2026 press event, and multiple reports tie it to a color-focused, lower-cost MacBook concept that echoes the old colorful iBook era. The device is rumored to use an Apple A18 chip, a 13-inch display, and 8 GB of memory, while Mark Gurman is saying Apple tested finishes including light yellow, light green, blue, and pink alongside silver and dark gray.
Source: Reddit via Tom’s Hardware
