Posted on 08/12/2005 6:08:29 PM PDT by Halfmanhalfamazing
Mac enthusiast sites reported Friday that Apple Computer's operating system for Intel-based computers, which is currently in the hands of developers, has both been leaked to the Internet and cracked so that it will run on non-Apple hardware.
Though, alot of people are *SMOKED* about TPM/DRM and Apple's support for it. But I still say yes. I guess we'll have to see how far Apple goes in order to "protect itself" from the mac os being available abroad via piraters.
Thanks to halfmanhalfamazing for the heads up on this issue.
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
Thanks to halfmanhalfamazing for the heads up on this issue.
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
hmmmm.. Someone hacked the double post on FreeRepublic... oh, well.
Aug. 12, 2005
Apple's OS for Intel-based computers, which is currently in the hands of developers, may have been cracked so that it will run on non-Apple hardware.
TechWeb News
Mac enthusiast sites reported Friday that Apple Computer's operating system for Intel-based computers, which is currently in the hands of developers, has both been leaked to the Internet and cracked so that it will run on non-Apple hardware.
In early June, Apple's chief executive Steve Jobs announced that starting in 2006, the company's Macintoshes will be equipped with Intel microprocessors rather than the current PowerPC chips produced by IBM.
Although Apple has been vague about whether other operating systems -- such as Microsoft's Windows -- will run on the new hardware (it has, however, said it will not sell or support other OSes), it was adamant about preventing its own Mac OS X from running on non-Apple computers.
That may be more difficult than Apple thought.
Several sites reported this week that crackers had managed to install the developer-issued version of Mac OS X for Intel on non-Apple machines, including Dell laptops. One site has posted video purportedly of Mac OS X booting on a non-Apple-approved Intel-based PC.
Another site, dubbed OSx86 Project and dedicated to the new OS from Apple, noted that OS X for Intel can be installed under VMware's virtual machine software, and that a disk image of the OS has been posted on several BitTorrent sites.
The crack supposedly bypasses Intel's Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip that was intended to prevent the operating system from running on non-Apple boxes. The digital rights management chip, which is supported in the new Mac OS's kernel, is Apple's attempt to tie the operating system to its own hardware; Mac OS X for Intel shouldn't install to PCs without the TPM chip.
Apple did not immediately return a call asking for comment.
ping
From iexbeta website:
Mac OS on regular x86 PCs? Ever since Apple announced its switch to Intel x86 processors, and the availability of early x86 development kits, quite a few people have tried to get this early x86 Tiger build to run on non-Apple PCs. We've seen tons of fake claims, including videos, screenshots and torrent files, but it seems this time that finally some people managed to do it.A few days ago, a Torrent emerged for the Tiger x86 DVD shipped with development kits. However this DVD won't even boot on regular PCs, for two main reasons :
- the motherboard of Apple's dev kits include a TPM chip (Trusted Platform Module) to secure the use of the OS on Apple-only motherboards. The rest of the motherboard, however, is pretty much Intel-standard.- this early x86 Tiger build had been compiled to make use of SSE3 instructions, only implemented in Athlon 64 processors and newer Intel Pentium IVs.
It seems like both restrictions have somehow been lifted. Reports are coming of Mac OS x86 being able to run from a VMWare virtual machine, after extensive tweaking to remove both TPM and SSE3 restrictions. A torrent of that virtual machine is even said to be available. Needless to say, we will not provide its link nor answer any question as to where to download this puppy.
Users with PCs close to Apple's own dev kit specs seem to be enjoying a nice speed, close to, if not even better, than that of current Powermacs G5. Users with non-SSE3 chips however, seem to experience a much slower and unstable system.
More details to follow...
Hmmmmmmm. Interesting.
I'll be glad to steal a copy of the Mac OS for my spare machine. How does this help Apple again?
Hey, maybe the old 95 box, or the 3.11 Gateway can be so hacked... ;')
ROFL
userbase.
Piracy is a big feather in microsoft's cap. They won't admit it. Many won't. But between WGA and DRM if MS's pirate community jumped ship they'd lose a fairly large number.
Being as Apple is also(rumor) going to impose DRM upon it's customers, linux has the most to gain long term.
^^^^^^^^^^their is a possibility that they will buy a mac next time.^^^^^^^^^^
There's a possibility that those currently pirating windows will purchase it.
Unfortunately, the probability is rather low.
I wouldn't spend much time worrying about this issue. Apple needed to get its developer kit into the hands of devs -- and so what if the lightweight DRM was cracked. I have little doubt that the eventual Mac OS that ships will be much more coupled with the hardware and, like the Xbox, will probably require you to jump through hoops to get another OS to boot on the machine -- or run the OS on a non-Apple machine. For example, requiring you to desolder and solder daughtercards onto the motherboard like mod chips in game consoles, if you want to make modifications. The average user simply isn't going to go to that much trouble, which essentially means that the DRM is good enough for its purpose.
HEY! We Agree....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.