Posted on 11/14/2005 3:59:40 AM PST by Panerai
Steve Jobs might not approve, but Apple's latest operating system can be installed on any x86 hardware. How well does it function? Read our preliminary labs test to find out.
Back in June, when Apple boss Steve Jobs announced the platform change to the x86 architecture, some Apple-watchers could not believe their ears. Had Jobs not preached for years that Intel's architecture was much too slow? But Apple's slogan is not 'Think Different' for nothing. Its decision to support the x86 architecture lies in the unsatisfactory performance of the incumbent PowerPC processors - particularly in the lucrative and growing notebook market, where the IBM/Motorola-designed PowerPC chips clearly lag behind Intel's CPUs.
Mac OS X will not be available on any old x86 PC, though, as Apple wants to retain control over its hardware platform. From the company's point of view, this is an understandable position, as the margins on Apple-branded computers are much higher than is usual for standard x86 PCs.
Were Apple to put the x86 version of its operating system on general release, Dell would begin to manufacture Apple clones. This would put enormous pressure on the price of Apple's own computers -- something the company is naturally keen to avoid. ......
When Steve Jobs announced the platform change, he publicly demonstrated Apple computers with Intel processors running an x86 version of Mac OS X. The OS is bound directly to the hardware by a special security chip. However, some developers have succeeded in circumventing this coupling, allowing the operating system to be installed on any x86 system, as this test report shows.
(Excerpt) Read more at reviews.zdnet.co.uk ...
"First Hand with Mac OS X on Toshiba Intel (x86)" ping
I don't allow anything made by Toshiba in my house.
Interesting, but with the current reliability of the X86/XP boxes I'm thinking why bother.
May I ask why? I'm curious.
You still remember the propeller incident too, eh?
I'll ease my ban of Toshiba when I hear that the executives have done the Honorable thing (as defined by Bushido).
During the Cold War, Toshiba sold secret American designs for a low-cavitation submarine propeller to the Soviet Union. Then they sold them the machinery to make these propellers. This allowed the Soviet submarines to glide through the oceans much quieter than they had before.
IIRC In 1981, Toshiba sold the Soviets four submarine propeller milling machines. (A Norwegian company named Kongsberg sold the Soviets the computer controllers for the machines.)
Why Toshiba was allowed to continue doing business in the U.S. after that is beyond me. Toshiba should have been banned from U.S. markets forever.
OK. That seems quite reasonable. I didn't know about this.
Excellent.
Inner-esting. I'll never buy overpriced Apple but if I can install on a clone I'll try it out. I guess I won't be able to deploy the cheaper upgrade disk. Yuk yuk yuk
Typical ignorance, pretending to show intelligence It does. There is only one overpriced apple that I know of...
2004
A good chunk of the Fuji crop — Taiwan is the No. 1 importer of Washington Fujis — was shipped prior to the ban. But more could have been sold for February’s Chinese New Year in Taiwan, the biggest selling season for U.S. apples.
As of the end of December, Washington state shippers had exported 1.5 million boxes of Fujis to the Asian market compared to 900,000 at the same time last year, according to clearing house numbers.
The market for Fujis normally ends in the spring.
Kelly said it was estimated that about 75 percent of what the state wanted to ship already had been sent.
Mac OS X offers many advantages over Windows. The installation routine uses a graphical interface from the start, and any user interventions that are required are more intuitive than with Windows. You will look in vain within Windows for programs as effective as Disk Utility, which is available during the setup phase, while the efficient network tools make it straightforward to connect to a Windows network. Apple has continued to improve its intuitive control concept with Mac OS X, using 3D effects and other visual devices (see above). There are therefore plenty of reasons to consider Mac OS X as a serious alternative to Windows.
So far, mainly because of performance and price issues, the Apple platform has failed to tempt many Windows users. This could change soon: from the middle of next year, a Mac OS X x86 platform will be available, which will offer more performance to the Windows world. However, the operating system is currently only planned to be available on Apple hardware. The modification that makes the OS accessible for all other x86 computers, as happened with the developer version evaluated here, will no longer be possible.
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Cracks and hacks will eliminate that impediment
http://www.uneasysilence.com/os-x-proven-hacked-and-running-on-an-ordinary-pc/
Apple's OS X already hacked for use on an X86 computer. I just might buy a disk
I live near a couple hundred orchards, in VA and WV, but none have planted these. I can buy a pickup bed full, for deer bait, really cheap (culls with blems and worms). But, for my own use, I buy Fujis, a few at a time.
I have never understood the price argument, for the Mac bashers. I have had them since 1984, and will as long as they are around. I compared an IBM PC, with AutoCAd, to a Mac, with MacDraft. I bought the Mac, due to the 30 days of "training" on AutoCad. I was building houses, and didn't have the time to waste. I set up the Mac, loaded the MacDraft onto my 5 megabyte Hyperdrive, and was printing out a cursory floor plan, on my 24 pin dot matrix, within an hour of setting up the computer, FOR THE FIRST TIME.
I have used Windoze, and it is not as easy to use. I think the real virtue, to PC guys, is the ease of playing with the architecture on them. I would imagine that a lot of PC guys played with erector sets, as kids (but I guess most of you probably had transformers).
I bought my first Mac, when MSDOS was the competition, because I wanted to use the computer, not learn to program, or tinker... It has worked for me, quite well!
Howto: Build a Mac OS X x86 machine to run OS X natively
August 14th, 2005 Dan posted in: Sci / Tech, Howto
Using a motherboard with an Intel 915 chipset and a P4/Celeron D Processor, you can get OSX up and running natively. It’s FAST and is 100% compatible(sound, accelerated graphics, and networking). It also runs PowerPC Applications. This hardware can be obtained for around $100. This is a list for OSX x86 hardware compatibility.
Info is scattered all over so I compiled a list of working components that work in native mode (no Pear, or VMware).
If you have more, add it, IF it works completely. Please ONLY add the components and no questions, failures, etc.
We need a clear list of working components.
Fully working hardware list.
CPU SSE3
AMD 64 (venice)
Intel Prescot P4
Intel Celeron D
*SSE2 processors are not listed due to limited operation (certain apps will not work).
Chipsets
Intel 845
Intel 865
Intel 875
Intel 915
Intel 925
Nvidia Nforce 4 Ultra
VIA P4M266A
VIA K8M800
----snip------
http://www.uneasysilence.com/archive/2005/08/3937/
Interesting, but with the current reliability of the X86/XP boxes I'm thinking why bother.
Surely you jest. (I fix these things for a living. IMHO, W2K was the high point of Windows stability (maybe only because all the home users were buying WinME at the time). XP brought a whole series of new and unusual ways for things to break.)
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