There is a device called the EFI-X that is supposed to make it possible to run Mac OS X on a Windows computer instead of using an expensive Apple Computer. I came across an article about this device in MaximumPC Magazine (June). You can run Windows on one hard drive and Mac OS X on another hard drive.
EFI-X
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There are several ways to get yourself a "Hackintosh" that do not require purchasing anything.
Googling "Hackintosh" will get you started, and you'll probably end up at the OSX86 site at some juncture. http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
I saw this article just today - http://www.osnews.com/story/21564/Building_a_Hackintosh_Apple_Can_t_Sue_You_For
Googling "Hackintosh" will get you started, and you'll probably end up at the OSX86 site at some juncture. http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
I saw this article just today - http://www.osnews.com/story/21564/Building_a_Hackintosh_Apple_Can_t_Sue_You_For
Those are interesting websites. I wonder if Apple will try to go after the people making this device? There is a Russian clone running Mac OS X also.
Sure would be nice being able to run Mac OS X on a reasonably priced computer-unless Apple somehow managed to shut the whole works down by recognizing who was probably running their OS on Windows computers and shut down the updating or something.
With that one device as long as somebody had compatible hardware they could run Mac OS X on some used old computer. No need to buy an expensive Apple Computer.
Sure would be nice being able to run Mac OS X on a reasonably priced computer-unless Apple somehow managed to shut the whole works down by recognizing who was probably running their OS on Windows computers and shut down the updating or something.
With that one device as long as somebody had compatible hardware they could run Mac OS X on some used old computer. No need to buy an expensive Apple Computer.
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VMWare Workstation can run OS X 10.4.7 slowly (on my pc anyway) in Vista.
I would want to be able to run Mac OS X fast enough so that it was good enough to do things like work on photos in Photoshop or use Microsoft Office for the Macintosh.
When Windows 7 comes out I may just put it on this old computer (about 3 years old). But if a computer can be built running both Windows 7 on one hard drive and Mac OS X on another that sure would be nice. And with the EFI-X device you buy a legal copy of Mac OS X (Snow Leopard by that time). Apple software for the most part is reasonable in price (about $130.00 for the Mac OS X) but the hardware is very expensive. A Windows computer is much cheaper. I like Mac OS X but Apple computers are just too expensive. A decent Windows computer is dirt cheap in comparison.
Is it likely that Apple will go after the people who build this EFI-X device? After all, I already can read Mac OS X disks with software on my Windows computer.
When Windows 7 comes out I may just put it on this old computer (about 3 years old). But if a computer can be built running both Windows 7 on one hard drive and Mac OS X on another that sure would be nice. And with the EFI-X device you buy a legal copy of Mac OS X (Snow Leopard by that time). Apple software for the most part is reasonable in price (about $130.00 for the Mac OS X) but the hardware is very expensive. A Windows computer is much cheaper. I like Mac OS X but Apple computers are just too expensive. A decent Windows computer is dirt cheap in comparison.
Is it likely that Apple will go after the people who build this EFI-X device? After all, I already can read Mac OS X disks with software on my Windows computer.
Ubuntu 9.04 works better than any linux distro I've ever seen. The wireless works flawlessly, the update manager works out of the box, etc... I suggest you give it a try on that 3 year old computer.
Originally Posted By: ToyotaNSaturn
Ubuntu 9.04 works better than any linux distro I've ever seen. The wireless works flawlessly, the update manager works out of the box, etc... I suggest you give it a try on that 3 year old computer.
I got the Ubuntu disk at home and I just haven't had time to install it yet.
In your words, what disadvantages does it have?
Ubuntu 9.04 works better than any linux distro I've ever seen. The wireless works flawlessly, the update manager works out of the box, etc... I suggest you give it a try on that 3 year old computer.
I got the Ubuntu disk at home and I just haven't had time to install it yet.
In your words, what disadvantages does it have?
None. Other than them forgetting to put the Shutdown button on the top menu (easily remedied-just right click on the top bar & add the button back).
Dunno why netbook manufacturers bother to use any other version of Linux than this one...
Dunno why netbook manufacturers bother to use any other version of Linux than this one...
ToyotaNSaturn, Mac OS X is a very use good operating system that has wide use in certain areas such as computer graphic design, etc. The two desktop operating systems that I have experience with and have found to be very useful are Windows in its various forms and Apple operating systems in their various forms. I do have some limited experience with Linux desktop operating systems. I even ran one for a while. But for me a desktop computer operating system is Windows or Mac OS X. Linux for me are server computers.
Mac OS X does have some drawbacks like somewhat more limited hardware and software support compared to Windows. But for sure it is a very useful secondary operating system. Apple software is actually pretty reasonably priced compared to Apple hardware. No way I will buy a MacPro at $2700.00 (base price-no monitor) when I can get a very powerful Windows computer for perhaps $1000.00 to $1500.00 and that price might even include a good monitor.
Of course, looking at it from another point of view Apple may well stomp on the people making this device, and in any case I have software on my Windows computer that makes it possible for me to read Mac formatted disks and I have translation software that can translate stuff on my external disk where I saved the stuff from my Apple computers. I can run Photoshop quite well on my Windows computer. It even runs faster on my Windows computer. So really Apple and its software and hardware become pretty forgettable anyway.
It just seems nice that a person COULD run Mac OS X as another operating system on the same inexpensive Windows computer. So maybe it would be a good idea to be sure that a new computer had compatible hardware to make that possible if a person chose to go that route. Whether or not I would actually run Mac OS X as another operating system on that computer is another story. The device is expensive (it may come down in price) and Apple and its software and especially its hardware has become very limited in importance to me.
Photoshop works the same on Windows (faster on my computer). Microsoft Office works MUCH better on Windows computers. I have heard that with the upcoming Windows Media Player even Quicktime Movie Mode will be supported. I can read and translate files from Apple computers on my external hard drive. So really what is left? Still would be nice maybe to be sure that the hardware in any new computer would allow a second Mac operating system.
Mac OS X does have some drawbacks like somewhat more limited hardware and software support compared to Windows. But for sure it is a very useful secondary operating system. Apple software is actually pretty reasonably priced compared to Apple hardware. No way I will buy a MacPro at $2700.00 (base price-no monitor) when I can get a very powerful Windows computer for perhaps $1000.00 to $1500.00 and that price might even include a good monitor.
Of course, looking at it from another point of view Apple may well stomp on the people making this device, and in any case I have software on my Windows computer that makes it possible for me to read Mac formatted disks and I have translation software that can translate stuff on my external disk where I saved the stuff from my Apple computers. I can run Photoshop quite well on my Windows computer. It even runs faster on my Windows computer. So really Apple and its software and hardware become pretty forgettable anyway.
It just seems nice that a person COULD run Mac OS X as another operating system on the same inexpensive Windows computer. So maybe it would be a good idea to be sure that a new computer had compatible hardware to make that possible if a person chose to go that route. Whether or not I would actually run Mac OS X as another operating system on that computer is another story. The device is expensive (it may come down in price) and Apple and its software and especially its hardware has become very limited in importance to me.
Photoshop works the same on Windows (faster on my computer). Microsoft Office works MUCH better on Windows computers. I have heard that with the upcoming Windows Media Player even Quicktime Movie Mode will be supported. I can read and translate files from Apple computers on my external hard drive. So really what is left? Still would be nice maybe to be sure that the hardware in any new computer would allow a second Mac operating system.
If you can get a PC motherboard with a fully EFI compatible BIOS and Intel chipset that Apple has/is using, you can build a Mac clone I believe.
I know Biostar makes them. The reason you can't boot Windows on a Mac box without Boot Camp is Apple did not put a backwards-compatible BIOS on them.
I know Biostar makes them. The reason you can't boot Windows on a Mac box without Boot Camp is Apple did not put a backwards-compatible BIOS on them.
One of these days I will get a new computer. Computers age pretty fast. I could probably keep my present computer running another 3 years or so and just install Windows 7 when it comes out. But eventually technology will past my present computer by. There is USB 3 coming (although I don't have any USB 3 devices either) and perhaps affordable solid state hard drives.
I used Apple computers for a long time. They were nice but the price gap today between Apple computers and Windows computers is just too great-and too silly. Underneath all of the fancy plastic is just typical computer hardware. And I used to wonder sometimes why my Apple computers seemed to actually lag behind Windows computers. Apple did not put USB 2 on their computers for a while. I used to wonder why the DVD drive on a Windows computer seemed so much faster than on my Apple computer. Stuff like that.
Still, there is no telling what is going to happen in the future. It just seems to me that if a computer could be built that could potentially run two operating systems that would provide a safety margin that would be economical because you would be using only one computer. If nothing else you would probably have a good Windows computer. But if things really changed you could run Mac OS X on that computer. Or you could run both.
Again, Apple software is not too bad in price. Although they do expect you to keep buying new copies every year and that does get expensive. When I can run Photoshop and of course Microsoft software on a Windows computer every bit as good as on a Mac what is the point of paying more for the Apple computer? And I get really tired of a lot of the silly stuff. What exactly is an iPod except for a mini hard drive? There was a guy who had his mom or grandmother stand in line for him so he could be one of the first to own an iPhone. That kind of cult stuff turns me off.
I used Apple computers for a long time. They were nice but the price gap today between Apple computers and Windows computers is just too great-and too silly. Underneath all of the fancy plastic is just typical computer hardware. And I used to wonder sometimes why my Apple computers seemed to actually lag behind Windows computers. Apple did not put USB 2 on their computers for a while. I used to wonder why the DVD drive on a Windows computer seemed so much faster than on my Apple computer. Stuff like that.
Still, there is no telling what is going to happen in the future. It just seems to me that if a computer could be built that could potentially run two operating systems that would provide a safety margin that would be economical because you would be using only one computer. If nothing else you would probably have a good Windows computer. But if things really changed you could run Mac OS X on that computer. Or you could run both.
Again, Apple software is not too bad in price. Although they do expect you to keep buying new copies every year and that does get expensive. When I can run Photoshop and of course Microsoft software on a Windows computer every bit as good as on a Mac what is the point of paying more for the Apple computer? And I get really tired of a lot of the silly stuff. What exactly is an iPod except for a mini hard drive? There was a guy who had his mom or grandmother stand in line for him so he could be one of the first to own an iPhone. That kind of cult stuff turns me off.
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