Mac OS 10... on a windows PC...

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

So... since the X86 version of Mac OS 10 has come out due to their use of intel processors it has gotten me thinking... Since Apple advertises their new computers as being fully windows compatible (so you can run windows on their computers) I thought to myself "So technically... an el-cheap-o windows PC should be able to run the X86 mac OS). Well heres where I get curious... Im going to school for networking... It REALLY would be nice if I could dual boot my desktop to run Mac OS 10.4 Problem is I dont want to dish out the cash for OS X if I dont know if its going to work... has anybody attempted this before? I will be running it on either a Gateway laptop with a Celeron 310. or my Desktop currently a Barton 2500+ Athlon XP with half a gig of memory.

Any thoughts?

It is do-able. My toshiba is dual booting osx and winxp. It can work with an amd, but an intel chip would make it easier.

I would think there could be a problem with drivers for the laptop if you go that route since i'm sure gateway uses a lot of propriotary hardware.

the only problem i see (i could be wrong im not mac boy)
apple sales updates to the os i don't think they sale the whole os like windows

legally its not possible yet but im going to leave it at that

Only way you're going to do this is through illegal means.

MacOS X has code in it to make sure you're running on Apple hardware. That has to be hacked out to make it work. Then, you'll need to have hardware that MacOS X already supports.

Just buy a Mac, dude!

-Lance
(White 2.0GHz MacBook)

Originally posted by Lance Kinley:
Only way you're going to do this is through illegal means.

MacOS X has code in it to make sure you're running on Apple hardware. That has to be hacked out to make it work. Then, you'll need to have hardware that MacOS X already supports.

Just buy a Mac, dude!

-Lance
(White 2.0GHz MacBook)

+1
(2.16 GHz Macbook Pro)

Originally posted by Lance Kinley:
Only way you're going to do this is through illegal means.

MacOS X has code in it to make sure you're running on Apple hardware. That has to be hacked out to make it work. Then, you'll need to have hardware that MacOS X already supports.

Just buy a Mac, dude!

-Lance
(White 2.0GHz MacBook)

Not quite lance. The version that most people are using is the dev version which doesn't have the code in that checks for the apple hardware. The 'hacking' was adding support for other hardware ;0

If you really want to run OSX to get a taste use PearPC, the mac emulator for windows. I don't suggest buying a mac just due to the price and the fact that they try to act like elitest [censored]. So -1 on the buy a mac.

Originally posted by The Digital Slacker:
The version that most people are using is the dev version which doesn't have the code in that checks for the apple hardware.

i believe running a dev/beta/non retail version of ANY software that you are not qualified to be using constitutes "illegal means." lance ftw.

~Andrew

Lance and "'99 Contour" ... I don't think AliasJerk is in a financial position to purchase a Mac (even the Mini) unless he feels like working more through his freshman year of college. Especially if it's only going to be for casual use.

Alias (Jared, right?) - I'd either go and purchase an older Mac, a G3 iBook or even Lombard/Pismo G3 PowerBook should do the trick. It will be slow, but bearable enough to get done what you need done. Also, check out if your school has a Mac on campus. My college had one lonely G4 iMac sitting in a corner of one lab, which was nice because their official policy (at the time) was that they didn't support Mac outside of the access-restricted music labs. (They're turning around on that due to an increasing Mac-using population.)

<rant>
I really want the ability to put OSX legally (and not painfully) on a PC. I don't like any of the laptop designs they have out there right now, and Apple doesn't cater to the smaller crowds such as those looking for an ultraportable that is not their primary computer. At least they finally came out with a black one, but the hinge design is still intrusive. I showed somebody my Ti (which are evidently becoming rare nowadays) and they were amazed I could open the display nearly 180°. Ideally I would love a Thinkpad X Series hinged laptop (not tablet) with an extended battery (not available on Power/MacBook), real docking station (only painful BookEndz available for Power/MacBook) and dual-booting WinXP and OSX. Apple will never do it though, I believe they learned their lesson from allowing clones in previous years.
</rant>

(<-- 1GHz Titanium PB, 400MHz G4 PM, G3 PM, PB 3400c, 68040 LCIII)

Mac OS X is only for Apples, in the EULA, it says "Apple Branded Hardware only"

Doesn't stop me from trying on my Dell.

I figure if Apple thinks it is fair to bash Intel for so many years, bash Microsoft Windows, and now have Intel CPU's in their systems, AND have support to run Microsoft Windows, My x86 PC should be able to run Mac OS.

http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Installation_Guides

Considering I have a Macintosh G3, I feel it's fair since the G3 is on a KVM

Originally posted by The Digital Slacker:
If you really want to run OSX to get a taste use PearPC, the mac emulator for windows. I don't suggest buying a mac just due to the price and the fact that they try to act like elitest [censored]. So -1 on the buy a mac.

Ah yes, the Windows bigots always love to point out the price. Notice the new Mac Pro is way cheaper than any other Xeon based quad-core system out there?

And no, you never, ever hear elitest comments from the Windows crowd

I use both, and each has their strengths and uses. I like my Mac because of the UNIX underpinnings and lack of virus threats and malware.

-Lance

i used to be 100% windows guy but im trying to branch out
into other operating systems

as of right now i don't have a use for all the power in the mac pro but if i had one i could sertainly find a use for it

im not a hardcore gamer but i do play a pc game everynow and then and its not easy to do it on a mac or linux box

i keep my computing diversified. my everyday computer is a dell laptop (non-exploding battery edition) with windows of course, my home file server is a linux machine, and my kitchen computer is a 15" mac book pro.

~Andrew

Originally posted by Lance Kinley:

Originally posted by The Digital Slacker:
If you really want to run OSX to get a taste use PearPC, the mac emulator for windows. I don't suggest buying a mac just due to the price and the fact that they try to act like elitest [censored]. So -1 on the buy a mac.

Ah yes, the Windows bigots always love to point out the price. Notice the new Mac Pro is way cheaper than any other Xeon based quad-core system out there?

And no, you never, ever hear elitest comments from the Windows crowd

I use both, and each has their strengths and uses. I like my Mac because of the UNIX underpinnings and lack of virus threats and malware.

-Lance

For the most part, no, you don't hear that from the windows crowd. The only time they talk crap is usually about games, which they have a valid point about.

I am just amazed how we went from standard desktop computers to talking about full blown servers... Price on servers is not the issue at hand. Anyways, there will always be less virus threats on a mac / unix based system since the user base isn't there. If the same number of people used macs and windows there would be the same number of threats... virus writes don't care was system they write for, they just want the most infections with the least effort and that right now means infecting windows boxes.

Yes, I have a mac as well, but I don't say its the greatest thing since sliced bread since it isn't. OMG g3 600mhz 512megs ram 30gb hd osx!!

Anyways, yay for getting off topic. To those that pm'ed me about the osx86 dvd, give me some time to get my dvd burner up and running again.

I'm going to look at it from an even more basic perspective. What do your classes require?

I'm willing to bet they don't specify a certain OS. None of the network classes I took ever required me to have a specific OS at home.

It's going to depend on how the school's curriculum is set up, but I suspect most of the classes are going to be testing knowledge of network standards, physical mediums, the OSI model (which will be drilled into you), how traffic gets routed, how packets are encapsulated, etc, etc.

By the time you get to actually doing labs, it will likely be for routing and remote access, in which case all you'll need is a telnet/ssh app like PuTTY.

If you want both OS's to expand you're knowledge, then by all means go for it, but I doubt your classes will really have a requirement for one or the other. And if they do, the school has to provide computer labs with the necessary equipment anyway.

I know there are a few network engineer's (which I am not) on here who could probably give a bit more guidance on what you'd really want to have if you wanted your own test lab.

Just food for thought....Don't want you spending money you don't need to