I can see why people will end up disappointed by the way this is being reported. Support for a machine in a kernel means the thing boots without crashing if you pick the right configuration. You can probably get to a bash shell in Debian with the upstream kernel if you get the build script. For non-x64 devices, building a kernel that works and boots can be a disappointingly tricky experience.

ZDNet should know that a vast amount of people think "Ubuntu" or maybe "Debian" when they hear Linux being mentioned, because there are no common desktop operating systems where the kernel and the thing you're actually using are entirely separate things managed bg separate entities. You can't add macOS to the Windows kernel or use the Windows 7 desktop on a Windows 11 kernel (as much as I'd wish that to be possible), it's just not a concept most people, even Linux users, can easily wrap their head around.

This is still great news for people who buy M2 machines for use as a server, because you don't need Bluetooth/WiFi/keyboard/touch pad support for that. I doubt many people will use their expensive Macbook as a NAS that way, though.