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Build Your Own Mac
DaytonCIM writes "TechTV has a great article by Kevin Rose on how to build your own Mac: 'When it comes to PCs, geeks usually make a decision between buying a prebuilt computer or building one, component by component. This isn't true when it comes to Macintoshes. You're stuck with whatever Apple has to offer, with only a few measly dollars differentiating the products from retailer to retailer.' It will be broadcast on The Screen Savers today."
prebuilt, or open building isn't holding me back from using a Mac, the lack of software(*coughgamescough*) is. Geez, get it right. :)
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
I did what this article describes. In an effort to minimize my investment, I bought the components individually from ebay and online stores, put it all together, and had a custom PowerMac. The problem is that some of those components aren't brand new, and they may very well fail. Then you're left with a cheap-ass PowerMac that needs a new power supply. And one of the PCI slots is a little flakey. And...
It's easier to just buy a used PowerMac on ebay (or from a friend), which is what I ended up doing after I pieced together the parts individually. I still play around with that Frankenstein Mac, but it's not as useful as the used PowerMac.
However, if you invest in newer parts, I think you'll have better success than me. The stuff I bought was pretty old (and damn cheap).
dual 1GHz, internal dvd, internal zip, heavy on the ram, some Mac OsX, printer and scanner on the side. Oh, and a large tower to go with that! Thank you! Seriously, is this going to save anybody money? No. If it's for internal component, I like external ones better. Why not just buy the external components, they're SCSI right. Portable computer to computer. The only benefit I see is the possibility of making one computer out of two broken ones or something similiar. Can you even by PPC chips seperately?
I RTFA, but you basically buy *the* proc, *the* mobo and put it together yourself.
You still don't have all that much variety in your new 'mac'.. No more than if you bought a prebuilt and changed the videocard.
When I have time I'll crunch the numbers, but I doubt that all-told its any cheaper. I was under the impression that aftermarket Mac mobo's were quite pricy.
It's nice for that 'look what I did' feeling, but it'd be much nicer to see cheaper commodity hardware.
Then I might be interested in putting one together to see what OSX is all about, as I'd never pay so much for any pre-built desktop. Unless it had a creamy nougat center. Mmmmm.. Nougat.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
PCs are *supposed* to look ugly, so it doesnt matter whether u assemble them yourself or buy a branded one. This is not the case with Apples. They are *supoosed* to look cool, but they wont be cool if u make them yourself.
Case modders would strongly disagree with you.
As both a Mac and PC owner :
One of the main points (beside price) of building your own computer is to be able to choose your components, which you dont really have when it comes down to building a Mac since the supported hardware list is so small. _Drivers_ are the biggest hurdle to putting your own Mac together. Unless you want to run Yellow Dog Linux on it, but then it's not a Mac anymore, is it?
You cannot even use standard PC video cards on a Mac, since the Mac architecture expects extension cards to have OpenFirmware compliant firmware. Hence, nice Mac-specific NVidia AGP cards that wont fit anywhere else. Again, there are ways around that, but reliabiality suffers.
-- Home is where you eat your heart out.
Great article and yes the Screen Saver story is redundant and old. But so is every other "Build Your Own [blah blah blah].
For those Mac Addicts out there that want to try this, but might not be the best at building computers or working with electronics, I highly recommend checking out Kevin on Screen Savers. He's pretty knowledgeable and keeps things simple.
Just my 2cents.
Did you get one of these off eBay or had it laying around?
--
Marathon iRack(TM)
Supports only tray-loading iMacs.
Price: US$399 plus shipping.
http://www.marathoncomputer.com/irac1.html
-- ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space!
Could it be they think you are being obtuse? While you're at it, when anyone in the world, says they've "made" something, do you jump on them since matter can't be created or destroyed? I bet you don't
So, is it not possible to just go out a purchase a chip and drop it in? Or is this the only way to do it yourself?
Just for the record, there is NO "off the record" record.
Make a record of that.
also of note, a $399 PC is a piece of junk compared to any Mac
Your price reference is for the processor alone (my original intention). For that money one can purchase a high quality AMD processor and motherboard of your choice. When looking at total cost of the PC vs homemade Mac, you can get far nicer, all brand new, components for the PC. And it will be the latest generation.
Note that the motherboard referred to in the article was $199 and it was a refurbished unit. High quality or not, for that much scratch, I want new stuff.
Gigabit ethernet is useless for 99% of Mac users, other than for bragging rights. A Gigabit solution is just now getting to the point of being affordable. It is still useless if you are mainly concerned with internet usage.
The 970's, if they do come down the pipeline, sound really cool.
In reality, the Macintosh market is not one of customization, it is one of reliability and ease of use. Something the PC still can't do.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, same old argument. The problem is that there isn't ENOUGH variety of games on the Mac platform. Not when 80% of the games everybody wants to play just won't come out for the Mac.
There used to be a time maybe 5-7 years ago when you could argue that only GOOD PC games got ported to the Mac (because they were popular, so they could be profitable), but today there are plenty of very good semi-popular games out there that never make it to the Mac. So, the Mac loses on this argument...
This is actually happening in a lot of other areas of software. When a 14 year old girl says that the Mac is too confusing to use (after using Macs for years and finally begging for a Windows PC), there is definitely something wrong in Mac-dom. The Mac just doesn't have a lot of advantages it used to have.
I think this is more for the enthusiast than the bargain hunter with no time to spare. Someone who is into piecing computers together will have the tools allready. It isn't that much different than building your own PC...there are only 3 or 4 proprietary parts.
FoundNews.com - get paid to blog.,
Woz was alright, for the first 30-45 minutes he was really awkward and stuttering as he read the cue cards but towards the end of the show he relaxed and did a decent job. Give him a few more shots and I am sure he'll be great.
Just look at how megan or morgan are sometimes...
Even Patrick is a little rough sometimes, it seems like he gets too nervous or excited and runs out of breah while hes talking. PACE YOURSELF!
Like a fat kid slurping down an extra large milkshake...
Oh please. You know perfectly well what people mean when they say they built their PC "from scratch," they mean they didn't buy a pre-assembled package from a retailer. They mean they chose each part and then assembled it.
Whenever someone comes to me claiming to have built their PC, I ask them to describe their technique for etching multi-layer circuit boards.
How enlightened you are. You must also ask your mother her technique for grinding flour and raising chickens when she bakes your birthday cake "from scratch."
Just like car enthusiasts:
Some people buy from a dealer. Some buy parts from JC Whittney. Some hand polish the cylinder walls themselves.
If I buy a video card and then rip off the heatsink to replace it with another, then I have done more work than most. If I spend days looking at charts and graphs to decide which MoBo is the best, I have done more work than most. If I take the time to tiewrap power cables and ensure good airflow, then I have done more work than most.
Like sex, there is a lot more to "building a PC" than "insert tab A into slot B". Or at least there can be if you do it right.
I'd rather you do it wrong, than for me to have to do it at all.
Hah! But it wouldn't be a MAC. ;) We must remember that Macs are the bestest things in the world, and worth the additional $1k for a slower machine. =]
;)
It's the EXPERIENCE, man. The experience!
-Sara
you have a lot of choices.... you can run Windows on build your own hardware, run windows on a pre-built system, run Linux on either of those choices, or you can run OS X on a pre built Apple made machine.
I for one do all of the above... I don't know why some folks don't *get* that Apple controlling the OS and hardware make for a GREAT user experience. I use Win for some testing stuff, Linux for servering and some development, and a Mac for 90% of my daily activities..... why? It WORKS.
Obviously, for you it may not be the best choice, but you DO have a choice... don't buy a Mac. Don't bitch about it.
I'm so fucking sick of people who haven't even USED a Mac bitching about them... "Macs suck, blah blah blah, I can't build my own, blah blah blah..."
NOBODY CARES. Build your own Win2k machine, have fun putting it together, and if it is cheap and it all works, GOOD FOR YOU!! YOU GET A GOLD STAR!!!!
As far as being tied to ONE company... that is absolutely the STUPIDEST thing I have ever heard. Do you know what "tied" to one company in my Mac? The motherboard. That's it. And guess what... if you have a PeeCee, YOUR motherboard is tied to one company to, either Intel or AMD. I have a pinoneer CD-RW/DVD-R you can swap it in/ out of a PC. My RAM cam be put in a PC, my videocard is a GeForce, I use a MICROSOFT keyboard and mouse... my monitor is a SONY. yup, it's so tied to Apple.
Guess what, I can run Linux on my Apple hardware!! OMFG! I have a choice!! No way!!
If you like Winblows better, fine. But why does ever PC zelot have to talk shit our thier ass about Macs?? RUN WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AND STFU.
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