Actually, there is a chip in every Mac containing a 64 bit code that is needed during the boot process. Easy to get around. Just enough to invoke the DMCA against any Hackintosh user - if Apple wanted to.
And considering that they haven't exercised anything like that for the ENTIRETY of the 15 years of Intel Macs, anyone so "charged" at this point would have a pretty good legal argument against prosecution.
It's like if I pay my rent 10 days late every month for 5 years, and my landlord suddenly decides to evict me for paying late, I would have a valid legal argument that they "let it happen". I can't remember the legal term off-hand; but it is a real thing.
So why would you use anything other than Nitrogen?
It is often a blend. Liquid N2 is cheaper if it isn't pure, containing argon as well, which is about 1% of the atmosphere. Then you can add some helium to the mix if the fire danger is expected to be high, along the ceiling. The helium will make the gas blend rise.
If you are more concerned about liquid fires that burn near the ground, you can use a gas mixture of partially or mostly CO2, which is heavier than air and will create a smothering layer on the floor. CO2 is easier to store under pressure since it will liquify at about 5 atm.
Of course you also want to add mercaptan or some other odorant to make it stink, so a leak is immediately noticed. You don't want to smother people instead of fires.
Interesting. Didn't know any of that about the blends. Thanks!
Because it is perfectly normal to walk around in a Helium-enriched atmosphere, given it's SOOO commonplace....
It's used in critical facilities for fireproofing. i.e. inert gas firefighting systems. The other options are argon and nitrogen. It's far more common then you'd think, especially since "inert gas" fire fighting systems have become the green choice instead of stuff like halon and it's derivatives. And also unlike halon, which can be mixed with a secondary to drive it through the system like with how a car airbag works, neutral gas system remain fully or partially pressurized. Especially those in closed rooms, those "check oxygen levels before entry" signs aren't for show.
So why would you use anything other than Nitrogen?
So what? Itâ(TM)s implemented in the chip but not software controllable. Seems pretty straightforward.
Exactly.
And since laptops like the new MacBook Air have MULTIPLE microphones for better phone-call and "Hey, Siri" operation, it is easier to implement a hardware-switch electronically than mechanically. And since Apple was building this chip anyway, why not stick a 3 channel Analog Switch with a single Enable line in the same chip?
Besides, that's not the real purpose of the T2 chip. Apple is struggling to come up with reasons why anyone would want it, but its real purpose is quite simple: to prevent the machine from booting if you repair it at a non-Apple repair shop.
That's the only thing the T2 actually does: verify that all the hardware is the same as it was when the machine last booted, and only allow hardware to change if given a special encrypted message from Apple. It's designed to prevent third-party repair shops. That's its primary purpose.
This "microphone switch" thing is just a bogus excuse to try and market a user-hostile feature as a positive.
So, how does that paranoid delusion line-up with the fact that the Mac mini, with its T2 chip, has User-Upgradeable RAM, and possibly Upgradeable SSD, too?
Answer: It doesn't.
And BTW, anything other than the CPU that isn't a very simple component (and thus beneath the purview of any "hardware tamper checking"), is likely to be a custom component, especially since the mini is, well, pretty "mini", as far as its overall size...
It 100% is that. Some future version of macOS will drop support for all Macs without these chips. Why else put one in the Mac mini? What purpose does that serve? Once they do that: no more Hackintoshes as you can guarantee that the kernel will be encrypted using a key that only these "security" chips can decrypt, and the decrypted kernel image will be locked away from all user code.
It does audio processing, transparent SSD encryption, and bunch of other system stuff that applies to both desktop and mobile Macs. In fact, the first Mac with a T2 chip was the 2017 iMac Pro.
And if you knew any history, you'd know that Apple had the PERFECT opportunity to put a Hardware Lock on OS X/macOS. The first Intel Macs, which were LOANED to Developers for about a year, while Apple cranked out the first Production Macs, were nothing more than a modified G5 Tower case with an Intel Motherboard inside.
What's important about that? That mobo had a TPC chip, which Apple EASILY could have written a quick driver-for.
But they never did, and except for I believe the first "real" Intel Mac, the TPC was dropped from the circuitry.
IMHO, Apple sees the Hackintosh community as an interesting way to gauge how many people are willing to put up with the hassle of getting drivers to work, worrying about Upgrades breaking things, etc., just to have what Apple is not currently providing. The entire Hackintosh community is little more than a rounding-error when it comes to "lost sales".
But I also believe that if that percentage started to grow, at some point, Apple would make a decision whether to integrate common Hackintosh features into a Product, continue to "wait-and-see", or risk the ill-will of getting dickish with hardware-lock-in for the OS.
But it has been almost 20 years of OS X, and 15 years of Intel Macs, and it hasn't happened yet. So I wouldn't worry.
Given the additional functionality this thing provides (as you said, the mic disable thing is pretty easy), I would be surprised if it's pure ASIC, though some of the ASICs available now are pretty complex. I was thinking it was some kind of minimalist CPU with embedded RAM, etc. It would be interesting to know the provider...
That's easy: Apple.
They have been designing custom silicon since the Apple ][ days. Seriously.
Is the T2 chip really needed to implement a simple hardware disconnect?
No, but since it must be a totally proprietary ASIC, they threw in an analog switch, tied it's enable line to the state of the lid switch, and routed the microphone signal through the analog switch, then provide a 'MIC_OUT' pin to go to whatever handles audio.
Is the T2 chip really needed to implement a simple hardware disconnect? Also, is this terribly useful anyway, because hackers can still eavesdrop with the lid open? (99% of the time, the computer will be asleep or off with the lid closed anyway.)
No.
The T2 chip does a BUNCH of stuff. This was something that took two dedicated pins/pads and a single transistor in the chip.
Yet blind apple izombies will try and convince everyone how great it is. apples greatest mac mini yet!!!!
Just go buy one and shut the fuck up.
If it cost $10, there would be some Slashtard calling it "overpriced". So that hardly fucking matters.
Shoddy software? Compared to WHAT, exactly?
Fucking Anonymous COWARDS. Login and fight like a man!
I risk my (Excellent) Karma every single day on Slashdot, while EVERY SINGLE HATER hides behind Slasdot's RIDICULOUS AC system.
FOAD, motherbucker. Seriously. Get in a near-fatal car crash and get burned over 60% of your body. Just enough that you will (eventually) recover, but you'll never be the same.
And how, exactly, do you think I am supposed to do that three years after the fact?
Not your problem, right? Then stop fucking calling me a liar, because when you do, you are damn well making it your problem.
It's one thing to suggest that my experience should not have happened, but it's quite another to accuse me of making shit up. Had I been aware at the time that I would be recounting this story three years later and had my credibility questioned, I would have probably acquired such proof at the time, but alas, I did not.
You must admit that it flies directly in the face of several other posters, not to mention the Magnuson-Moss Act. Plus, I have read words directly published by Apple back when the Mac mini required prying it open with a paint-scraper, that Apple would not void a warranty unless it was obvious that the user caused damage themselves with a ham-fisted repair attempt.
I bet it's user upgradable as in "you can take it to the Apple store and have them upgrade it." They're going to claim anything else voids the warranty.
Slashdot Mirror
Actually, there is a chip in every Mac containing a 64 bit code that is needed during the boot process. Easy to get around. Just enough to invoke the DMCA against any Hackintosh user - if Apple wanted to.
And considering that they haven't exercised anything like that for the ENTIRETY of the 15 years of Intel Macs, anyone so "charged" at this point would have a pretty good legal argument against prosecution.
It's like if I pay my rent 10 days late every month for 5 years, and my landlord suddenly decides to evict me for paying late, I would have a valid legal argument that they "let it happen". I can't remember the legal term off-hand; but it is a real thing.
So why would you use anything other than Nitrogen?
It is often a blend. Liquid N2 is cheaper if it isn't pure, containing argon as well, which is about 1% of the atmosphere. Then you can add some helium to the mix if the fire danger is expected to be high, along the ceiling. The helium will make the gas blend rise.
If you are more concerned about liquid fires that burn near the ground, you can use a gas mixture of partially or mostly CO2, which is heavier than air and will create a smothering layer on the floor. CO2 is easier to store under pressure since it will liquify at about 5 atm.
Of course you also want to add mercaptan or some other odorant to make it stink, so a leak is immediately noticed. You don't want to smother people instead of fires.
Interesting. Didn't know any of that about the blends. Thanks!
In hospitals, it isn't that uncommon. Heliox is used for patients with severe obstructive pulmonary conditions.
It also happens in exotic environments like gift shops and grocery stores.
Maybe so; but obviously it hasn't risen to the level that disrupts anything until this "venting".
So, it isn't like modern Apple mobile products are unfit for general-purpose use. This was essentially a "toxic environment" issue.
Because it is perfectly normal to walk around in a Helium-enriched atmosphere, given it's SOOO commonplace....
It's used in critical facilities for fireproofing. i.e. inert gas firefighting systems. The other options are argon and nitrogen. It's far more common then you'd think, especially since "inert gas" fire fighting systems have become the green choice instead of stuff like halon and it's derivatives. And also unlike halon, which can be mixed with a secondary to drive it through the system like with how a car airbag works, neutral gas system remain fully or partially pressurized. Especially those in closed rooms, those "check oxygen levels before entry" signs aren't for show.
So why would you use anything other than Nitrogen?
Or you can just buy the base model (maybe with a CPU upgrade) and UPGRADE THE MEMORY YOURSELF?!?
And pay 5 times the cost. Brilliant. Now I see why you're so frequently modded down.
Pay 5 times the cost of what?
So what? Itâ(TM)s implemented in the chip but not software controllable. Seems pretty straightforward.
Exactly.
And since laptops like the new MacBook Air have MULTIPLE microphones for better phone-call and "Hey, Siri" operation, it is easier to implement a hardware-switch electronically than mechanically. And since Apple was building this chip anyway, why not stick a 3 channel Analog Switch with a single Enable line in the same chip?
No, its primary purpose is to store your fingerprint and encryption key data securely. Google "Apple Secure Enclave" and read all about it.
-jcr
Exactly.
Apple is ushering in a new era of we own your hardware. They will go after people now if you circumvent this device.
The crazy is strong in this one...
Besides, that's not the real purpose of the T2 chip. Apple is struggling to come up with reasons why anyone would want it, but its real purpose is quite simple: to prevent the machine from booting if you repair it at a non-Apple repair shop.
That's the only thing the T2 actually does: verify that all the hardware is the same as it was when the machine last booted, and only allow hardware to change if given a special encrypted message from Apple. It's designed to prevent third-party repair shops. That's its primary purpose.
This "microphone switch" thing is just a bogus excuse to try and market a user-hostile feature as a positive.
So, how does that paranoid delusion line-up with the fact that the Mac mini, with its T2 chip, has User-Upgradeable RAM, and possibly Upgradeable SSD, too?
Answer: It doesn't.
And BTW, anything other than the CPU that isn't a very simple component (and thus beneath the purview of any "hardware tamper checking"), is likely to be a custom component, especially since the mini is, well, pretty "mini", as far as its overall size...
The Mac is only barely more immune from hacking and malware than Windoze.
That is demonstrably untrue.
It 100% is that. Some future version of macOS will drop support for all Macs without these chips. Why else put one in the Mac mini? What purpose does that serve? Once they do that: no more Hackintoshes as you can guarantee that the kernel will be encrypted using a key that only these "security" chips can decrypt, and the decrypted kernel image will be locked away from all user code.
It does audio processing, transparent SSD encryption, and bunch of other system stuff that applies to both desktop and mobile Macs. In fact, the first Mac with a T2 chip was the 2017 iMac Pro.
And if you knew any history, you'd know that Apple had the PERFECT opportunity to put a Hardware Lock on OS X/macOS. The first Intel Macs, which were LOANED to Developers for about a year, while Apple cranked out the first Production Macs, were nothing more than a modified G5 Tower case with an Intel Motherboard inside.
What's important about that? That mobo had a TPC chip, which Apple EASILY could have written a quick driver-for.
But they never did, and except for I believe the first "real" Intel Mac, the TPC was dropped from the circuitry.
IMHO, Apple sees the Hackintosh community as an interesting way to gauge how many people are willing to put up with the hassle of getting drivers to work, worrying about Upgrades breaking things, etc., just to have what Apple is not currently providing. The entire Hackintosh community is little more than a rounding-error when it comes to "lost sales".
But I also believe that if that percentage started to grow, at some point, Apple would make a decision whether to integrate common Hackintosh features into a Product, continue to "wait-and-see", or risk the ill-will of getting dickish with hardware-lock-in for the OS.
But it has been almost 20 years of OS X, and 15 years of Intel Macs, and it hasn't happened yet. So I wouldn't worry.
It's also in charge of making sure that if you ever attempt to repair it, it won't boot until you pay Apple for the privilege.
Prove it.
Given the additional functionality this thing provides (as you said, the mic disable thing is pretty easy), I would be surprised if it's pure ASIC, though some of the ASICs available now are pretty complex. I was thinking it was some kind of minimalist CPU with embedded RAM, etc. It would be interesting to know the provider...
That's easy: Apple.
They have been designing custom silicon since the Apple ][ days. Seriously.
Is the T2 chip really needed to implement a simple hardware disconnect?
No, but since it must be a totally proprietary ASIC, they threw in an analog switch, tied it's enable line to the state of the lid switch, and routed the microphone signal through the analog switch, then provide a 'MIC_OUT' pin to go to whatever handles audio.
Exactly. Took 5 minutes of engineering time, max.
No. We don't need a lockdown chip aka modern version of the Clipper Chip polluting our hardware.
This is NOTHING like the Clipper Chip.
Is the T2 chip really needed to implement a simple hardware disconnect? Also, is this terribly useful anyway, because hackers can still eavesdrop with the lid open? (99% of the time, the computer will be asleep or off with the lid closed anyway.)
No.
The T2 chip does a BUNCH of stuff. This was something that took two dedicated pins/pads and a single transistor in the chip.
Why not?
MEMS oscillators are significantly more reliable than quartz oscillators.
Until someone spills the helium, that is...
Yeah, 'cuz that happens ALL the time.
Meh. You think removing the headphone jack gives more battery capacity, too. Right?
"Space?" They charge a premium for the larger models. Go figure.
What an idiot Slashtard.
Just because he wants to blame the hospital for wasting helium doesn't mean Apple becomes free of faults.
Right.
Because it is perfectly normal to walk around in a Helium-enriched atmosphere, given it's SOOO commonplace....
Oh, wait...
Overpriced and runs apples shoddy software CHECK!
Yet blind apple izombies will try and convince everyone how great it is.
apples greatest mac mini yet!!!!
Just go buy one and shut the fuck up.
If it cost $10, there would be some Slashtard calling it "overpriced". So that hardly fucking matters.
Shoddy software? Compared to WHAT, exactly?
Fucking Anonymous COWARDS. Login and fight like a man!
I risk my (Excellent) Karma every single day on Slashdot, while EVERY SINGLE HATER hides behind Slasdot's RIDICULOUS AC system.
FOAD, motherbucker. Seriously. Get in a near-fatal car crash and get burned over 60% of your body. Just enough that you will (eventually) recover, but you'll never be the same.
Nooooo its only ok for shills like you to LIE FOR apple
Hypocritical sack of shit.
Sorry. Not lying nor a shill.
And how, exactly, do you think I am supposed to do that three years after the fact?
Not your problem, right? Then stop fucking calling me a liar, because when you do, you are damn well making it your problem.
It's one thing to suggest that my experience should not have happened, but it's quite another to accuse me of making shit up. Had I been aware at the time that I would be recounting this story three years later and had my credibility questioned, I would have probably acquired such proof at the time, but alas, I did not.
You must admit that it flies directly in the face of several other posters, not to mention the Magnuson-Moss Act. Plus, I have read words directly published by Apple back when the Mac mini required prying it open with a paint-scraper, that Apple would not void a warranty unless it was obvious that the user caused damage themselves with a ham-fisted repair attempt.
get the new mac mini, just a touch over 4000$ after you load it up
Yes, but you can save on the RAM by buying aftermarket.
And that gives you :
3.2GHz 6core 8thgeneration Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 4.6GHz)
64GB 2666MHz DDR4
2TB SSD storage
10 Gigabit Ethernet (Nbase-T Ethernet with support for 1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb, and 10Gb Ethernet using RJ45 connector)
Not bad for a computer the size of a ham sandwich.
seems a bit high even for Apple. And it's probably a laptop chip version of the i3 based on the form factor...
Nope. They spefically said the CPUs are NOT Mobile versions!
I bet it's user upgradable as in "you can take it to the Apple store and have them upgrade it." They're going to claim anything else voids the warranty.
Haters gotta Hate.