Mac OS X

[1ceHacka]

I was just strolling through some sites browsing for vista/xp prices...and I saw that they are selling Mac OS X now! I didn't realize Apple had started selling their OS. Does this mean I can build out a computer and throw Mac OS X on it? The only problem I see are drivers...

 

[Nothinman]

They've always sold their OS separate so that people with Macs can upgrade without buying a new Mac.

 

[zerogear]

Meaning, no, you can't just build and toss MacOS on there. There are certainly other ways though.

 

[MrChad]

I believe the OS X license agreement prohibits installing OS X on non-Apple hardware, but I'm not certain about that. There are some threads in the "All Things Apple" forum that discuss building a "Hackintosh", i.e. using off-the-shelf hardware to build your on Mac clone.

 

[1ceHacka]

Darn! I am still holding out for the day that people can build their own PC and put OS X on it. I love how smooth and efficient it is, but I am not willing to pay the brand name aka Gucci fee.

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: 1ceHacka
Darn! I am still holding out for the day that people can build their own PC and put OS X on it. I love how smooth and efficient it is, but I am not willing to pay the brand name aka Gucci fee.

You can. Look into the Hackintosh threads. If you pick your hardware correctly, there's very little difference in functionality from Apple's offerings.

 

[Nothinman]

You can. Look into the Hackintosh threads. If you pick your hardware correctly, there's very little difference in functionality from Apple's offerings.

Although no matter how well the software works it's still a violation of the license.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

You can. Look into the Hackintosh threads. If you pick your hardware correctly, there's very little difference in functionality from Apple's offerings.

Although no matter how well the software works it's still a violation of the license.

And you're still limited in terms of software.

 

[Nothinman]

And you're still limited in terms of software.

As a Linux user I wouldnt' see that as an issue at all. Games are pretty much the only place that there's no alternatives for both Linux and OS X.

 

[jhu]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
Although no matter how well the software works it's still a violation of the license.

of course the language of the license states that it can only be installed on a "apple-labeled computer." and they don't define "apple-labeled" so you could effectively put an apple logo and make it "apple-labeled."

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

And you're still limited in terms of software.

As a Linux user I wouldnt' see that as an issue at all. Games are pretty much the only place that there's no alternatives for both Linux and OS X.

Yep. I've felt moderately limited by linux apps since you're basically stuck with open source, which can be a mixed bag. (Firefox = great, OpenOffice = awful, horrible, terrible)

But for OS X, there's a whole lot of quality. The iLife apps are great. Office 2008 works well. Firefox runs perfectly. And all you really need is one quality app for any particular task.

I ran a hackintosh for a while, but it didnt play as nicely as I'd liked with my windows PCs, and I still like the occasional PC game. By and large, ran pretty well, but didnt update well, and didnt support multimedia very well. OS X is very well designed though. If they made an apple desktop that was upgradeable that didnt cost a fortune, I'd consider buying a "real" one.

 

[plonk420]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

You can. Look into the Hackintosh threads. If you pick your hardware correctly, there's very little difference in functionality from Apple's offerings.

Although no matter how well the software works it's still a violation of the license.

the legality of that license is being tested right now. in my book, as long as i own the OS, i'm comfortable with MY conscience.

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: Nothinman

And you're still limited in terms of software.

As a Linux user I wouldnt' see that as an issue at all. Games are pretty much the only place that there's no alternatives for both Linux and OS X.

Yep. I've felt moderately limited by linux apps since you're basically stuck with open source, which can be a mixed bag. (Firefox = great, OpenOffice = awful, horrible, terrible)

But for OS X, there's a whole lot of quality. The iLife apps are great. Office 2008 works well. Firefox runs perfectly. And all you really need is one quality app for any particular task.

I ran a hackintosh for a while, but it didnt play as nicely as I'd liked with my windows PCs, and I still like the occasional PC game. By and large, ran pretty well, but didnt update well, and didnt support multimedia very well. OS X is very well designed though. If they made an apple desktop that was upgradeable that didnt cost a fortune, I'd consider buying a "real" one.

haven't run OOo in a few years. it was pretty dreadful around late 10.3/early 10.4 era. app itself is good, but i can't remember what made it so poor in OS X.

i've run OSx86 on an Athlon 64 939 to some decent success.

i have a really small list of apps preventing me from switching long term, mainly all multimedia related: AVISynth, FFDShow, Winamp (incl visualizations). uTorrent and mIRC are probably easily virtualizable, and VirtualDub/MeGUI would likely fall into place if AVISynth was ever programmed for it...

as a result, i haven't spent any money on stuff like a videocard guaranteed to give me QE/CI accelleration...

http://plonkmedia.org/gallery/d/3633-2/Picture9.png

 

[Nothinman]

of course the language of the license states that it can only be installed on a "apple-labeled computer." and they don't define "apple-labeled" so you could effectively put an apple logo and make it "apple-labeled."

I highly doubt that if it really came down to a court of law that would hold up. Intent is also taken into consideration and putting an apple sticker on a non-Apple makes it pretty obvious that you read the agreement.

Yep. I've felt moderately limited by linux apps since you're basically stuck with open source, which can be a mixed bag. (Firefox = great, OpenOffice = awful, horrible, terrible)

But for OS X, there's a whole lot of quality. The iLife apps are great. Office 2008 works well. Firefox runs perfectly. And all you really need is one quality app for any particular task.

I've been running a Linux desktop for quite a few years now and the only time I've really felt limited is with games. I've never run OS X full time but the few times I have had to work on one it's been pretty annoying so I doubt I'll ever go that route.

the legality of that license is being tested right now. in my book, as long as i own the OS, i'm comfortable with MY conscience.

You don't own the OS, you paid for a license to use an OS owned by Apple.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: 1ceHacka
Darn! I am still holding out for the day that people can build their own PC and put OS X on it. I love how smooth and efficient it is, but I am not willing to pay the brand name aka Gucci fee.

Smoothness and efficiency may well go out the window if they opened up the OS to the myriads of hardware combinations.

Even hackintoshes require relatively similar hardware types/specs to the actual mac hardware for full, unfettered, easy-to-maintain, stable functionality.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: Gooberlx2

Originally posted by: 1ceHacka
Darn! I am still holding out for the day that people can build their own PC and put OS X on it. I love how smooth and efficient it is, but I am not willing to pay the brand name aka Gucci fee.

Smoothness and efficiency may well go out the window if they opened up the OS to the myriads of hardware combinations.

Even hackintoshes require relatively similar hardware types/specs to the actual mac hardware for full, unfettered, easy-to-maintain, stable functionality.

Exactly. Microsofts problem has always been compatibility with the scores of differing hardware. Apple gets to be much more stable since they control the entire stack from hardware supported all the way up. Apple opens up the hardware platform too much they will be in the same stability boat as Microsoft (actually worse, MS has done alot to move stuff out of the kernel for a reason).

 

[plonk420]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

the legality of that license is being tested right now. in my book, as long as i own the OS, i'm comfortable with MY conscience.

You don't own the OS, you paid for a license to use an OS owned by Apple.

well, i don't believe in that (from my personal ethics standpoint), nor give a crap about that, and personally won't worry about that unless i start using it for business purposes.

have i bought it? no. because i have no motivation to use it long term (yet). i wish i had the money to buy a copy just to SAY i'm 100% legit, but i don't.

 

[Nothinman]

well, i don't believe in that (from my personal ethics standpoint),

Well US law disagrees with you and that's usually the part that matters the most.

 

[jhu]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

I highly doubt that if it really came down to a court of law that would hold up. Intent is also taken into consideration and putting an apple sticker on a non-Apple makes it pretty obvious that you read the agreement.

well, possibly. otoh, the eula itself is not necessarily enforceable either. it depends on which district a particular eula case is heard. some courts have decided that a particular eula is not enforceable and other courts have decided that another eula is enforceable. as far as i know, apple's eula has not been tested in court so it's validity is still up in the air.

 

[Nothinman]

True but seeing as how they sell both the hardware and the software and the software's not really offered as a separate product they probably have a case. It's not as locked down as something like a TiVo but it's close.

 

[troytime]

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: Nothinman

And you're still limited in terms of software.

As a Linux user I wouldnt' see that as an issue at all. Games are pretty much the only place that there's no alternatives for both Linux and OS X.

Yep. I've felt moderately limited by linux apps since you're basically stuck with open source, which can be a mixed bag. (Firefox = great, OpenOffice = awful, horrible, terrible)

But for OS X, there's a whole lot of quality. The iLife apps are great. Office 2008 works well. Firefox runs perfectly. And all you really need is one quality app for any particular task.

I ran a hackintosh for a while, but it didnt play as nicely as I'd liked with my windows PCs, and I still like the occasional PC game. By and large, ran pretty well, but didnt update well, and didnt support multimedia very well. OS X is very well designed though. If they made an apple desktop that was upgradeable that didnt cost a fortune, I'd consider buying a "real" one.

can you give me some tips to make ms office and firefox not suck so bad on my mac?
firefox crashes no less than 3 times per day. I don't even bother with office anymore.

 

[jhu]

Originally posted by: troytime
can you give me some tips to make ms office and firefox not suck so bad on my mac?
firefox crashes no less than 3 times per day. I don't even bother with office anymore.

sounds like a hardware issue although more details would be helpfu (what kind of computer? what programs are you running at the time? what websites are you visiting at the time? is there a system log you can check? etc.)

 

[MGMorden]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

well, i don't believe in that (from my personal ethics standpoint),

Well US law disagrees with you and that's usually the part that matters the most.

That's part of what's still being decided in a current court case. Shink-wrap EULA's have always been legally questionable.

 

[Nothinman]

That's part of what's still being decided in a current court case. Shink-wrap EULA's have always been legally questionable.

And if they get struck down I can see Apple just not selling OS X by itself anymore and treating their computers more like embedded devices. What a win for the consumer that would be...