For those unfamiliar, Live Text is the company’s new first-party image scanning and text identifying feature, which was created to rival Google Lens. The expansion of the feature was noted in a document for the MacOS Monterey beta 4, where it is listed to now be available on “all” Macs that support Apple’s latest operating system update. According to the document, the following are the list of compatible machines:
MacBook: Early 2016 and newerMacBook Air: Early 2015 and newerMacBook Pro: Early 2015 and newerMac Mini: Late 2014 and neweriMac: Late 2015 and neweriMac Pro: Late 2017Mac Pro: Late 2013 and newer
Tech video creator Rene Ritchie notes that bringing Live Text to Intel Macs was always possible, but processing and scanning live text via the built-in camera is a demanding task for Intel CPUs since they lack Apple’s neural engine. Twitter user @khronokernel, in a reply to a Ritchie’s tweet, claims to have gotten the feature and the Monterey beta working on a 2008 Mac Pro – therefore confirming Live Text’s expanded compatibility to non-M1 devices.
It is a bit slow, however that’s more likely an issue with the machine’s 14 year old CPUs pic.twitter.com/BZtYuaGK72 — khronokernel (@khronokernel) July 27, 2021 With Apple expanding the compatibility of the new feature to Intel-based Macs, users are hoping that Portrait Mode would also receive the same treatment. Nevertheless, this move puts to bed accusations of planned obsolescence to older Mac devices as Apple transitions Macs to M-series chips. (Sources: The Verge, Macrumors)
