Mac OS 10.6.8 compatibility

This is a rather unfortunate move by SONOS, but it's been a long time coming. Just a month ago I was on the phone with SONOS support for an hour to get my iTunes folder shared with SONOS so that I could, at the very least, access the music on my Mac running 10.6.8. Now even that extremely limited functionality is gone.

Whatever the flawed logic behind the move to disable all SONOS Controller compatibility with 10.6.8, it leaves a sizeable portion of Mac SONOS users without the ability to use their SONOS hardware. Furthermore, I received no notice between having working SONOS software and disabled SONOS software. This is not okay, and it's entirely indefensible.

The argument that 10.6.8 is too old has no merit when you consider that it came out the same year as Windows 7 (itself three versions behind the current Windows), and SONOS supports two versions of Windows OLDER than 7.

Furthermore, the constant drive by tech companies to update software and firmware is neither user-friendly nor necessary for functionality. Security patches and bugfixes are important, but that's not what this update obsession is about.

Personally, I have not changed the OS on my Mac because everything, aside from SONOS this week, works very well. I cannot understand why so many people accept every update pushed to their devices.

I would not think that you would lose access to music on your 10.6.8 I know the controller won't work but I wouldn't think it would have any bearing on accessing the music as far as a source of he music.

That depends on how one accesses the music on one's 10.6.8. For instance, I normally use the SONOS Controller software which, as I mentioned, has been disabled. It doesn't matter that, theoretically, the SONOS hardware can still read a shared folder on my Mac if the Controller software on that Mac has been disabled.

Perhaps you know of a third-party program I could use to control the SONOS hardware?

No just that you can use controller on another device but use the Mac as the shared folder. Your comments acted as though you could no longer use the Mac as a share. Yes can't be a controller but yes as a share. You just have to use your phone etc as the controller.

Believe it or not, Chris, I don't have a cell phone. I may be in the minority there (or a complete Luddite to some), but I am confident that I am not in the wrong to expect a two-year-old device to continue functioning for some time yet. The hardware might be fine, the shared folder setup might be sound, but this is all completely moot if I cannot use it.

Forced / planned obsolescence is a very negative aspect of the consumer tech industry, and I am extremely disappointed that SONOS has followed this well-worn route.

Is anyone at SONOS willing to answer the why?

Obviously there is something with Mac 10.6.8 which doesn't allow the new changes to work. Par for the course with Apple.

You will not get a rollback. You are certainly in your rights to complain but you will not ever get a 10.6.8 controller again. Something like the new $50 Amazon Fire tablet would work great as a controller.

But Sonos will not roll back software so you will have to decide what is best for you in future. But your Mac should be able to work fine as a source for your music library.

It is Apple forced obsolescence your running into. Not Sonos. Sonos hasn't made an obsolete device I their existence as far as I know.

Thank you, phase_boy.

I appreciate your input, Chris, but for the record, the device that has ceased to function as a result of a software update is the SONOS Play:5. My Mac continues to work as it did before.

So although you are wrong on that point, you are generally right about Apple, a company with a terrible record of, and accelerating obsession with, forced obsolescence.

I'm in the same boat as the original poster - bit of a joke really. Why should it not work?