Hackers turn AppleTV into Computer

THe Inquirer ^ | 6 April 2007 | Nick Farrell

[aft_lizard]

TWO WEEKS AFTER Apple released its Apple TV, hackers have turned it into something a bit more useful and created the cheapest PC that the Cappuccino outfit has built. Apple TV sells for $300, which is fairly expensive for what the gear does. Particularly as it is so limited and produces poor quality video content.

However a couple of hackers have voided their warranties and managed to get the beast to run OS X.

A site has been started as the various hacks are reported.

The process is pretty laborious and there is no video acceleration, audio or ethernet support, yet although the hackers are working on that. Hacks so far have included adding the Xvid video codecs and installing a larger hard drive.

Others have enabled SSH to permit secure command-line access to the box, and attached USB keyboards and mice.

However the biggest hack, getting OS X on board, means that anything might soon be running on Apple TV, even the Media Centre edition of Microsoft Windows. The main reason for the ease of the hacks is that the Apple TV is fitted with more computer parts than many consoles. It seems that many people want the Apple TV to do a bit more than Steve Jobs says it should and they also seem to want cheaper Apple hardware.

The site has been getting 500,000 hits a day from people interested. µ

[aft_lizard]

Was bound to happen.

BTW Yes I know theinquirer.com is pretty cr@ppy site, but the story is interesting.

[aft_lizard]

Heres one for you apple fans.

[Red Badger]

Steve Jobs will not be amused...........It was probably a “secret”..........for release later as an “Improved” model......

[martin_fierro]

However a couple of hackers have voided their warranties and managed to get the beast to run OS X.

Useful like a Linux toaster.

[Publius6961]

BUMP!

[Lost Highway]

Can’t be. Everything Apple is completely secure. I saw it on the commercials.

[SengirV]

And this makes it non-secure how? Looks more like simple Apple bashing on your part.

What better way to drum up interest and sales than to have your product be “open ended”, I say.

Does this author give any evidence, other than his word, that the video is of poor quality?

And finally, why spend that mount on the AppleTV, void that warranty, get OS X running with a crappy CPU, no ethernet, small HD, limited RAM, etc... when for a little more you can have a prior rev Mac mini?

[Obadiah]

Apple TV sells for $300, which is fairly expensive for what the gear does.

Every computer Apple sells is "fairly expensive for what the gear does."

[adorno]

Hackers turn AppleTV into Computer

Sounds like a lot of wasted time, effort and money. In other words, a dumb idea.

Nowadays you can get a good PC, including monitor, for $300 or less.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Hacks so far have included adding the Xvid video codecs and installing a larger hard drive.

Instantly making it much more useful for the purchaser. I don't see any real difference between stripping DRM from a purchased music file to allow play on devices of my choosing and opening up a purchased TiVO or this Apple device to install a larger hard drive - in both cases, I've purchased an object that I wish to modify to increase it's usefulness to me. Neither action should be illegal, though one is.

[Swordmaker]

Hackers Hack Apple-TV to run OS X (of course, that's what it was running already)... PING!

Thanks to Aft_Lizard for the heads up.

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[SlowBoat407]

Every computer Apple sells is "fairly expensive for what the gear does.

Ohmywhatadevastatingandcreativeslamatappleyoumustbesoproud.

[Liberty Valance]

[Swordmaker]

. . . or this Apple device to install a larger hard drive. . .

Apple is already offering upgraded hard drives for the A-TV. . . and running OS X on a device that is already running limited version of OS X is no big deal. The primary hack was to take the hard drive out, mount it in a Mac, install OS X, and the re-install it into the Apple-TV. Boot. Whow... a Mac without an optical drive, mouse or keyboard.

[Swordmaker]

Uh, Price a 3.0 GHz Intel® eight core Xeon MacPro at Apple... and then build one at Dell... oops... can't do it, Dell only has access to 2.66 GHz Quad Core Xeons...

Never the less, the 3.0 GHz Dual Quad Mac is STILL $240 dollars LESS expensive than the far slower 2.66 GHz Precision 690 Dual Quad Dell when identically configured with LCD Monitors ($799 Apple 20" Cinema, free Dell 19") and 3 years of Pro Warranty.

(Of course the Dell doesn't come with the suite of software the Mac has either)

[Obadiah]

Actually, I like Apple products. In fact, I own several iPods. I’ve been contemplating a Mac Pro, but it is really hard to justify the premium cost when I can do a build and get far more performance for half the cost.

Furthermore, consider these incredibly ridiculous Apple prices I paid for assorted basic Apple products: $49 for a simple iPod wired remote, $39 for a dock, $29 for a power adapter (that doesn’t even come with a USB cord!!), $19 for the USB cord and, I won’t even factor in the real headphones I bought to replace the faux headphones the iPod shipped with my $349 iPod!

I completely stand by my statement.

[antiRepublicrat]

Every computer Apple sells is "fairly expensive for what the gear does."

Latest Apple Mac Pro dual-proc, quad-core 3 GHz machine, base config with workstation graphics card, 2 GB RAM, warranty: $6,194.

Dell workstation, configured close to same, but only 2.66 GHz processors: $6,870.

HP configured about the same only 2.66 GHz is over $7,500.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Why do you people always reach for Dell? No one who’s serious about computers touches them but when the ignorant Apple users go after the ignorant PC users it’s always “Dell doen’t blah...blah...blah”

[Swordmaker]

Why do you people always reach for Dell? No one who’s serious about computers touches them but when the ignorant Apple users go after the ignorant PC users it’s always “Dell doen’t blah...blah...blah”

Fine. Build an HP, Sony, Compaq, what ever... and show us your price. Remember: 8 cores. Equivalent parts. As close as you can get to the speed.

[rmlew]

Nowadays you can get a good PC, including monitor, for $300 or less.

No, you cant.

You can get a really crappy monitor and a second hand computer for that.