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Running Mac OS X On Standard PCs
ZDOne writes "ZDNet's reviews team have been tinkering with the various ways of running OS X on standard PCs. They found that with the right hardware components, a standard PC running Mac OS X Leopard is, at first sight, no different from a genuine Apple Mac. Special CPU extensions such as Intel VT-x provide support for software solutions like Parallels Desktop for Mac. Even Adobe Photoshop, which queries a Mac to verify its authenticity, runs fine on a standard PC thanks to EFI emulation.
However the article points out that it's a pretty technical proposition to get OS X running on non-Apple hardware, beyond all but the most powerful power users. And then there is the legal question. Don't even think about trying to put OS X on your PC without first purchasing a legitimate copy of Mac OS Leopard."
Indeed. You're not legal if you buy a copy of Leopard. It shouldn't let you sleep any better, as you're still breaking the law.
/me waits for the obligatory "or buy a Mac laptop!" reply, so to reply to you before you reply: you missed the point. Entirely.
Yada yada mid size tower, yada yada I want to upgrade. Yada yada I can build XYZ for ABC less than what Apple charges.
Tough. At the end of the day to be legit you've gotta pony up the cash for the MacPro, accept the non-upgradability of the iMac or Mac Mini, or not run the software.
MacOS X on PCs is like Linux on microwaves: it's very cool, and a neat experiment, but I think for most folks, it's not very appealing.
Much like people that don't want to own Macs don't find it very appealing? You got +5 for this? For the worst metaphore so far this month? Or maybe its just because you personally don't have any interest in running Mac OS X.
Most of the people that I've encountered that are running some form of Hackintosh are extremely pleased with it. It *wasn't* hard, but it also wasn't just putting in a DVD into a drive and going Click, Click. As one person on Slashdot said, its like keeping a 1960s VW going and maintained. Its certainly 90% easier than maintaining 90% of the Linux distros out there, the difference being that if there isn't a driver for your particular peice of hardware, there's a good chance you can't just write your own(as witness by for example the Intel GMA850 folks who wanted to have native support for 10.4.4 and beyond). But then how many people honestly just go out and write their own complex video, or scanner driver on a whim?
But back to my point, it seems to me that if you want a Mac, and you get some hardware that runs Mac OS X, and it runs it like it would a Mac, including all the applications and so on, then you've certainly met you're objective. It would appeal to *everyone* I think that wants to run Mac OS X. I would hardly call that experimental and like running "Linux on microwaves". There's no need to trivialize it.