Dongle to turn a PC into a Mac

[TK421]

http://gizmodo.com/5049756/review-efix-dongle-perfectly-transforms-pc-to-mac

This is a pretty simple solution if you don't have the cash for a mac, or are not comfortable messing with hacking the OS.

 

[The Doctor]

http://gizmodo.com/5049756/review-efix-dongle-perfectly-transforms-pc-to-mac

This is a pretty simple solution if you don't have the cash for a mac, or are comfortable messing with hacking the OS.

Totally unecessary. The same effect can be achieved with some free software and a CD-R.

I'm running OS X on two PCs right now.

 

[TK421]

Doesn't it involve some involved messing around though?

 

[The Doctor]

Doesn't it involve some involved messing around though?

A little bit, yeah, but it's not nearly the hassle it used to be.

When I got into the OSX86 scene a couple years ago, booting OS X on non-Apple hardware required hacked kernels, an extremely small list of supported hardware and quite a bit of terminal work to make the system boot and run even semi-properly. Most display adapters were not supported and hard drives ran at a crawl because OS X didn't recognize the chipsets. In addition, the retail OS X disc could not be used, so you either had to hack together your own or use a pre-hacked image.

Now anyone who is able to burn a CD and follow instructions can install OSX on their PC, using a retail disc purchased at any Mac software retailer. The list of supported hardware is quite extensive and native functionality is generally achievable on most modern Intel Core 2-based systems. Both my notebook and desktop systems run faster on OS X than they do under Vista in terms of raw performance, let alone the usability improvements that OS X has over any Windows version.

http://wiki.osx86project.org
http://www.insanelymac.com

Note to the mods: There is nothing illegal on either of these sites. Installing OS X on non-Mac hardware does not violate any copyright laws.

 

[farmkid]

The OSX EULA states:

A. Single Use. This License allows you to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time. You agree not to install, use or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-labeled computer, or to enable others to do so. This License does not allow the Apple Software to exist on more than one computer at a time, and you may not make the Apple Software available over a network where it could be used by multiple computers at the same time.

I don't know about copyright law, but installing OSX on a computer not built by Apple is a violation of the license agreement.

 

[TK421]

Doesn't it involve some involved messing around though?

A little bit, yeah, but it's not nearly the hassle it used to be.

When I got into the OSX86 scene a couple years ago, booting OS X on non-Apple hardware required hacked kernels, an extremely small list of supported hardware and quite a bit of terminal work to make the system boot and run even semi-properly. Most display adapters were not supported and hard drives ran at a crawl because OS X didn't recognize the chipsets. In addition, the retail OS X disc could not be used, so you either had to hack together your own or use a pre-hacked image.

Now anyone who is able to burn a CD and follow instructions can install OSX on their PC, using a retail disc purchased at any Mac software retailer. The list of supported hardware is quite extensive and native functionality is generally achievable on most modern Intel Core 2-based systems. Both my notebook and desktop systems run faster on OS X than they do under Vista in terms of raw performance, let alone the usability improvements that OS X has over any Windows version.

http://wiki.osx86project.org
http://www.insanelymac.com

Note to the mods: There is nothing illegal on either of these sites. Installing OS X on non-Mac hardware does not violate any copyright laws.

Ooh.

Does this work with AMD chips like Turon?

I have an ACER notebook that I hate but need to use. My main home machine is an iMac.

I'd love to be able to put OSX on my notebook.

 

[Amaris]

From reading the article, it seems you have to have specific hardware or there could be serious instability with the OS. In other words, just go out and buy a Mac if you want one, and don't fool around with this stuff. It will save you a lot of headache, and I say this as a Windows user.

J.

 

[Hermiod]

^This is an advantage that Mac OS X has. Apple have control over what hardware their OS runs on and can test it properly. Of course it's not going to run properly if you install it on some machine with hardware it has no, or at the very most only generic drivers for.

Microsoft operating systems, on the other hand, have been designed from day one to run on all sorts of barely compliant hardware. That's how Microsoft got so big in the first place, because they sold their OS to IBM but retained the right to sell it to other manufacturers as well. Those manufacturers (like Compaq, for instance) then reverse engineered the IBM BIOS, bought the same or similar off the shelf components IBM were using and built compatible PCs.

 

[The Doctor]

The OSX EULA states:

A. Single Use. This License allows you to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time. You agree not to install, use or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-labeled computer, or to enable others to do so. This License does not allow the Apple Software to exist on more than one computer at a time, and you may not make the Apple Software available over a network where it could be used by multiple computers at the same time.

I don't know about copyright law, but installing OSX on a computer not built by Apple is a violation of the license agreement.

I've got an Apple sticker on both my machines. Sounds like 'Apple-labled' to me.

But seriously folks, EULA's are unenforceable and don't even come close to being legally binding.

From reading the article, it seems you have to have specific hardware or there could be serious instability with the OS. In other words, just go out and buy a Mac if you want one, and don't fool around with this stuff. It will save you a lot of headache, and I say this as a Windows user.

J.

That's not at all true. Had you read some of the information available at the two links I provided, rather than jumping to conclusions, you'd see that.

OS X works on a fairly wide range of hardware as I mentioned in the post above. If you have an Intel chip and supporting chipset, you can count on stable functionality of the OS, period. The only caveats are compatible network and sound solutions, which are somewhat more problematic. What you won't see is any 'serious instability' in the OS, just some hardware that refuses to work because there are no drivers available. It's a testament to the underpinnings of OS X that I've encountered fewer hard locks in OS X than I have in Vista, an operating system ostensibly designed to work with PC hardware.

Bottom line is that using Mac OS on my PC has resulted in faster performance than under Vista and greater productivity due to the vastly superior user interface. Is the install process suitable for novice? No, it isn't. But for a user who has basic OS knowledge and isn't afraid to fiddle, getting a fully working OS X install is simple and painless process.

So far as AMD compatibility goes, it depends on your chipset, but there is a thriving community over at InsanelyMac that is actively supporting and developing an AMD install solution. Many AMD users are currently using OS X without problem.

 

[trekkiedane]

http://gizmodo.com/5049756/review-efix-dongle-perfectly-transforms-pc-to-mac

This is a pretty simple solution if you don't have the cash for a mac, or are not comfortable messing with hacking the OS.

I find the whole idea offensive

 

[farmkid]

^

 

[Darth_Daver]

So if I gather it correctly, there is no way to install OSX to my AMD Athlon X2 based computer? Only intel ones?