Word in the
OSX86 world is that a new product will revolutionize (and simplify) the process of installing OS X on a PC -- and that product is called the EFiX. The USB dongle allegedly pops into a free port and allows you to install the retail version of the Mac operating system on just about any system by automatically locating the proper hacks and drivers needed. Famed OSX86 hacker
Netkas has demoed a beta unit on video (which you can see after the break) and claims that it's working as it should. The manufacturer is aiming to have models available for purchase by June 23rd... barring any more "sabotage." This sounds like a much more reasonable solution than
marketing a Mac clone -- feel free to send one our way whenever you like guys.
[Via
Boing Boing Gadgets]
posted Jun 13th 2008 7:57PM
Way better than the Psystar stuff that turned to be pretty crappy anyways...This is a much better solution...
btw, I love when he goes "yey it boots"
I think i did read a post about ASUS' "highest quarter on quarter growth" here on Engadget a week ago.
I love when he shushes the cat and then stomps on it @1:54
This is awesome! Oh yeah, I don't have any PC's to install it on anymore. Nevermind...
What happens when you right click on Jason?
Must... have... OSX!!!!
Okay, I might have to get this and try out MacOS, I know Vista doesn't exactly have me all in grins right now.
Try Ubuntu first, the hardware support will be much better than OSX and you don't have to screw around with hacks and licenses.
You're right (below). Trackpoint ftw. We have Thinkpads at work and I can't fathom why people use the trackpad when they have a trackpoint. It is the one thing I would have Apple change about their notebooks if I was CEO for a day.
Or you can try XP, it really is something!
It's not beautiful enough for a trackpoint on steve's stuff.
But yes, I think TrackPoint is perfect.
You don't have to screw around with hacks in Ubuntu? Are you... are you from the future?
have u actually tried a macbook (pro) trackpad?
i had a dell and thinkpad, both with trackpoint, and i always used the trackpoint. at first with my mac i was like "wtf" but its the best trackpad i've ever used.
I don't like my trackpoint, I much prefer the pad. I realise it's probably a matter of learning to use the trackpoint accurately, but given I have to use a pad on my other laptop, I don't see the point.
I like my friendly rubber nipple.
Yup.
I wish MS would just start from scratch and create a version without the backwards compatibility. Software should be written smarter, not bigger. OSes should be foward moving, never backwards.
I wish MS would just start from scratch and create a version without the backwards compatibility. Software should be written smarter, not bigger. OSes should be foward moving, never backwards.
They've got a prototype OS called Singularity, which was essentially an experiment with new design ideas within OS production. It did deal some interesting issues that apply to ALL modern OSs. You should read about it if you're into that sort of thing, although it's unlikely that anything of that ilk will ever see the light of day as it's pretty hard to market an operating system that has no pre-existing software.
Most people don't use Linux not because it's hard, but because it doesn't DO everything.
but does it update?
Yeah it does, I installed it a while back but my graphics card was incompatible.
I can't help but think that this is akin to the Windows on Mac projects that arose immediately after the Intel transition. By that, I mean that here's to hoping that OS XI (or would that be IX? I forget. I'm probably confusing it with IV.) will be officially available on all PCs and not just Macs.
I would probably still buy my hardware from Apple, but that has served me well before. Chances are a multi-hardware OSXI would put pressure on Apple to make even better hardware. (And perhaps a consumer-level tower mac, yes?)
Probably, but there is no laptop that will ever replace my Thinkpad. I cannot live without that Trackpoint.
ThinkPad FTW
Finally SUPERIOR hardware with... Mac OS X
You thought I was going to say "superior software", didn't you? I would, but I have this thing against lying.
Windows Vista x64/Mac OS X 10.5.3/Ubuntu Triple-boot FTrealW
I would love for a PC version of the MacOS, would suit me better to dual boot Linux and OSX than Linux and Windows
@robodan
there must b a mistake u forgot XP i couldn't live without having all FOUR of them (Vista x64, XP, Ubuntu, and OS X)
@robodan
there must b a mistake u forgot XP i couldn't live without having all FOUR of them (Vista x64, XP, Ubuntu, and OS X)
After my own adventure of getting leopard to run on a pentium m (which worked btw, but had some driver issues) this might do the trick faster.
Interesting.....
I just hope that OSx86 being brought to the masses doesn't make Apple resort to extensive DRM to prevent piracy.
I just hope the issues that arise from bringing OS X to the masses won't give it a bad name, seeing as how well, you're running it on unsupported hardware.
lol unsupported hardware... meh
If Apple had any balls they would release the software to the masses... then hardware manufacturers would begin producing drivers.
@Jeremy K.
Yeah cause that has worked so well for Windows...
go back to dota =o
@ krizoitz
Yeah, just look at Bill Gates, he's going broke!
And despite Microsoft's unchallenged dominance in the computer world, they have had no success. Right?
@ Tony
I don't think he was referring to financial success. I think he was referring to having stable, usable drivers.
Actually Apple writes all the drivers that are present on Mac hardware. Even the ATI and NVIDIA drivers are written by Apple.
@ Ender Wiggin
I agree, if they use loads of DRM how am i supposed to get my downloaded copy of the internet?
What the hell?!
Apple sells computer hardware. Releasing their OS to the masses would result in less hardware sold. Also Apple support is great because they limited their support to their hardware. It makes it easier for me, it makes it easier for them.
I'm not buying anything like this before I see a credibe review test it on video. But if this works, I'm still gonna have a hell'va time finding drivers for a (future) GTX 280 on OSX
And if it crash because it can't hack SLI 9900GTX do I blame OSX or Vista?
Blame your over the top computer budget.
(Owner of 1 9800GTX)
Holy crap. That's awesome... it was a pain in the ass to setup my system.
I assume you're referring to the 3 weeks of minimum wage labor you had to work to buy a real Mac. Pain in the ass? Fine, but way worth it.
Mike: Unless you don't want any of their lineup. I've been a Mac owner off and mostly on for 20 years. My last machine was a first generation MacBook 13" in black. The MacBook has a resolution I don't want. MacBook Pro is too large. Bought a ThinkPad, installed 10.5, bought a store boxed copy even though I'm violating the license, because at least I'm not 'pirating' it. It's the best damn operating system, I just like other hardware.
The keyboard in that screenshot has your name spelled out in it.
Hmm, might give it a try...although I do not plan to pay for it until I know it's worth it. Any cracked OS Xs around? :P
It is illegal, and i do not advise you to do it... but there are torrent sites out there...
PS
OS X has no drm, serials, genuine advantage crap. all pirated copies work fine. But, as a loving mac fan... I will tell you not to do it. Just fork over the 130 bucks and get a legal copy. Think about the programmers... what incentive do they have to write good stuff if they don't get paid. Please do not pirate.
DON'T STEAL SOFTWARE!!!!!!
I find it hilarious that most Apple users are happy to pay Apple for their products. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating piracy. It's just that Apple has you by the balls. It's not like Apple is a non-profit organization.
Demonoid, Mininova, The Pirate Bay?
All sites to help you in your quest.
Al of them are .com sites.
When people like a product enough to pay for it I wouldn't say that the developer has them "by the balls". If that where the case then a LOT of developers (and grocery, barbershops, book stores, etc.) have a LOT of people "by the balls"
Seriously though, pay for good software. Whether or not you like the distributor, there are still many honest, hardworking programmers behind every good program.
@Jimmy
I have a family pack of Leopard installed on just three systems, where I am legally entitled to 5 systems running Leopard. Would it be wrong, in your opinion, for me to download a Kalway disk to put OS X on my PC too? I agree that everyone who wants to run a Hackintosh should eventually buy the disk, but for a noob, there is no point to plunking down $130 for an experiment that might not even succeed to run stably, and could be discarded after a few weeks.
isn't mininova a ".org", FWIW?
@Peter
if you have licenses left over by all means download a torrent of Kalyway or another iteration of the OSX86 project and use it like it was one of your 5 licenses. the point is that you give the programmers at apple the credit they deserve.
@ peter: If you payed for it, use it. nothing wrong with that. If you have 5 licenses, u are allowed to have osx on 5 computers. if you own OSX its fine to download it. Its more convenient sometimes. So have fun with those 2 extra licenses :)
Your actually not allowed to use any of those licences on not apple hardware, Its in the EULA. With that said, I say go for it you paid for it so its your software to install as you see fit, but thats just my humble opinion.
OSX has no DRM because Mac sales pay for its development.
Just because the dongle can install it doesn't mean you have to pirate it you know.
@Jimmy
what incentive do programmers have?
Think of the entire Linux community, they program and pioneer new software and developments1 Ubuntu! the best freeware you could stumble upon.
these programmers incentive is to grab the rest of the world by the balls and offer something amazing for free.
Ubuntu FTW homes.
:)
Hey, this sounds like a great solution for people who may want to try out OS X before buying a mac. Apple should leave it alone just for that reason. I wonder if it would work on my old dual pentium 3 system, or my via c7 system. Suddenly I'm itching to try it!
I'm pretty sure thats a NO for both systems. The hackintosh version this probably uses needs a cpu with SEE3 or higher instructions, aka Core 2 duo or higher and it has to be an intel system.
It does not have to be Intel, people with AMD procesors run it too...
I tried it... and went back to Vista. OS X is great, but who wants an OS that doesn't play all the best games?
@Jeremy
People who don't play games?
Not picking sides. Just answering your question (or was it sarcasm?)
This begs the question, why?
People who buy PC's buy them because of the countless possibilities available for them (be it hardware or software), and Windows make those possibilities a reality.
Why take freedom of choice away with a limited OS that is equally as buggy and prone to failure and security risks (don't take my word for it : http://www.techpowerup.com/?47408 ) as any Windows OS, if not more so even.
Well, I guess freedom of choice really isn't being limited here since a Windows based PC is capable of running it and running it better, but once youre out of the Windows environment and into the Mac one, then once again you are confined to a limited platform.
Spoken like a model Microsoft employee.
Please tell me your joking.
I love the smell of WINE in the morning... 1.0 release is soon!!!
The /real/ question is this: why pay money?
I agree dude. Hands down, i feel VERY limited on a mac.
I don't need to take your word for it. I've used both Windows and Macs in the past.
I know for a fact that at the point in time when OSX came out, it was less buggy and more secure than Windows (at that point, it was still my job to care about Windows, so I still did). And regardless of how much Windows may have improved in the mean time, it hasn't been enough to convince me to come back.
And OSX is anything BUT a limited environment. After all, you don't need all different OS versions and installations in order to scale a Mac from a workstation all the way up to a server. No "home edition", "professional edition", etc. ... and no need to install it as a "domain controller", etc. The only difference between OSX and OSX server ... is bundled software. Except for 3rd party software availability, Windows is a FAR more limited environment than the Mac. And frankly, the only software I've cared about missing from the Mac are certain bleeding edge games.
and last... about a windows based PC running it better... you do remember who the best rated Windows laptop maker was, right? Apple.
The ONLY thing this gets a mac user is: more hardware choices. The only thing someone loses by using this is: the certainty that their hardware is supported by the OS. What they gain is a far better designed OS with a far better user interface.
Chris,
No, just spoken like a true computer enthusiast who actually likes choice, and doesnt care much for being perceived by Apple's marketing team as
a) a sucker for ponying up cash for marginal updates to any and every Apple product out there, all while being made to believe that its ok if we spend up to 2x more on Apple products versus the other guys, you cant put a price on style and flair!
b) as a mental defective, indoctrinated with the belief that Windows is too complicated, that choice only obfuscates things, so buy a Mac!
No thanks.
John,
I can, and do in fact build my own laptops and desktops, and have been doing this for the better part of the last 15 years at that.
Any Apple based laptop/desktop on the market that you see, I can build a PC counterpart of it for roughly half the price but with performance that at the very least equals if not easily eclipses it.
So, before you presumptuously make such grandiose claims about Apple building such fantasticly magical systems, may I once again remind you that your options with them will always be limited in every avenue, be it hardware of software.
With Windows based PCs however, as I noted, I am never limited.
I not only build the PCs that I use, but I also have been known to write apps for them too, should the need for one arise thats not already at my disposal (admittedly some fairly rudimentary apps, but at least I have that choice easily at my disposal).
So no, Apple doesnt make a better PC, I do, and in fact any other PC enthusiast out there does, for a fraction of the price that Apple does.
When was the last time you heard an Apple fanboy capable of making that claim?
In all my years, not once have I heard of or see an Apple fanboy building his own Apple that would run circles around my PC's.
I on the other hand can destroy their systems for fractions of the cost.
Hamidxa,
I don't know how long you have been computing but I started on DOS 2.0 when I got an IBM XT in 1983 at 10 years old. Between then and now I have owned 7 computers and I built all of them from parts. The computer I am typing on now is only the second prebuilt machine I have purchased and it is a MacBook Pro. I have no regrets. I know more about how Windows works than 95% of the engineers I work with yet at the end of the day after using Pro/E on a Windows box, I CHOOSE (that's choice, right?) to use OS X which I believe to be superior in many ways. It's not perfect and I have a lot of complaints but overall I find it to be better. Am I an enthusiast? I don't know. Am I an idiot for buying a Mac? I don't think so.
And in closing, I leave you this video of an incredibly smart guy (unlike myself) who has apparently limited himself by using Macs. http://folding.stanford.edu/English/FAQ
Dude you are getting way too upset over these people defending Apple.
Nobody cares that you write you own apps. It's not very hard to write apps for OS X or Windows, so you can brag all you want it just means you have too much time on your hands.
It's always going to be cheaper to build a PC. Apple hasn't been bleeding-edge since it moved over to Intel so of course their systems are going to be slower.
The whole thing is, people who buy macs either:
1) Like the style of using a Mac
or
2) Appreciate a high quality alternative to Windows PC's, and don't mind spending the extra money for generally higher quality. You can spend the same amount and get high quality PC computers as well, you know?
You can do whatever you want on either platform at this point, now its all personal preference.
I'm with Chris.
My first computer was a Vic 20 in '82, then an Atari 800xl, then my first PC in '89.
Now I'm Sr. .NET Developer and have been professionally writing software for the last 12 years. I'm well versed in C# desktop and web apps, led a team to create a Windows Mobile 5 app for a few years, have used every version of Windows back to 3.0, and various flavors of DOS (remember DR-DOS, that was the sh*t).
I'm typing this as well on a Macbook Pro I picked up in March. On Tues/Thurs I work from home, VPN into the office so I have access to the source repository. This thing is amazing. The satisfaction OSX provides over XP is just seriously an order of magnitude above. I use Fusion to do my development. Windows and everything on a seriously killer looking/built machine.
Anyone who says "well I can build a PC with parts for half the cost of a Mac so people who use a Mac are idiots" is a freakin geek to the max (not in the cool way but in the socially inept never-gonna-get-laid way) and they fail at life. They have no taste and no substance.
Beau,
Anyone who makes moronic generalizations such as that exemplifies the typical, brainwashed (braindead in most cases), Mac fanboy who has been indoctrinated with this belief that paying more makes you somehow cooler or better.
That's once more the typical group-think mentality that leads to many PC enthusiasts labeling people such as yourself as fools.
What's that saying about an iFool and his money?...
(i.e. for the record, ive been engaged on 2 separate occassions thank you very much, and its downright idiotic to conflate outright geekdom with expertise and economic sense)
"Anyone who makes moronic generalizations such as that exemplifies the typical, brainwashed (braindead in most cases), Mac fanboy who has been indoctrinated with this belief that paying more makes you somehow cooler or better"
Phanboy.. you may want to read that again.
Hamixda, you are getting way too upset. Your use of Windows has caused frustration to build up to levels that are dangerous, and the anger you show here are cries for help. You are using this to vent other problems.
@Hamidxa
It is very clear that you place zero value on your time.
Wow,hamidxa is like the anti clak.
Wow, you've been building your own PC's for 15 years? *Yawn*
I've been in the computer industry for over 20. And in the hobby for nearly 30. And, sure, I used to build machines to spec, both at work (I'm a sysadmin) and at home. Back when a dual CPU x86 box was a rarity even as a workstation, I built my own as a home server. That machine SCREAMED.
And took hours of tinkering to keep in tip top shape. Rebuilding kernels every so often, updating spam-assassin rules to keep ahead of the spam curve, etc.
I replaced it with a cheaper, faster, easier to maintain Mac a few years later. Went from hours per month of maintenance to hours per year.
And, of course, these days I don't spend all of my time building PC or tinkering on my computers, rebuilding my workstations or home servers for updates, etc. Instead, these days, I have a life.
Now, if you'll pardon me, my girlfriend is making cute coy suggestions.
Have fun with your PC.
Hamidxa You are soooo brain dead. Do you ever think about the things you are reading or do you just accept everything as the truth. The data on the site you are linking to does not prove that Windows is a safer system than Mac.
The missing information is that Apple sends out Security updates BEFORE some hacker makes a virus. That is why it is a much safer system. Yeah Mac osx has bugs, nobody is saying that it doesn't but they are not as obvious as the bugs in Windows (it's UNIX based) - keeping in mind that people who write viruses often are between 16-20 years old.
microsoft sends out a sucurity updates AFTER hackers have stolen credit card information from a few thousand people.
fgf,
Unlike you presumably, I dont rely on merely one site for all of my info, (seems that you get all of yours from the bastion of Mac related news, here that is).
No matter what article you read on this subject, the conclusions are all the same, Apple's security risks, vulnerabilities, and even overall operation of their OS has declined multifolds over the last few years.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=758
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Mac-OS-X-hacked-under-30-minutes/0,130061744,139241748,00.htm
""The only thing which has kept Mac OS X relatively safe up until now is the fact that the market share is significantly lower than that of Microsoft Windows or the more common UNIX platforms.… If this situation was to change, in my opinion, things could be a lot worse on Mac OS X than they currently are on other operating systems," said Archibald at the time."
"Apple's Mac OS X Leopard was the first to be owned in day 2 of CanSecWest with Windows Vista Ultimate Service Pack 1 next on the last day. All the platforms which
have been used as targets in the competition were fully updated with the latest released security patches. But
while Mac OS X 10.5.2 Leopard was hacked via a zero-day vulnerability in Safari 3.1, Vista Ultimate SP1 was owned through a zero-day security flaw in Adobe's Flash, and not through a whole in the operating system or any of its default components."
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Mac-OS-X-Hacked-Vista-SP1-Hacked-Ubuntu-Linux-Survives-Unscathed-82079.shtml
The only reason that OSX appears safe or more stable to you is because hackers don't even deem it worthy enough to exploit, but when they do, it's ostensibly less secure and more broken than say Vista for example.
If I were a hacker, why would I waste my time trying to exploit a pathetic 5% of the market.
People buy PCs because a) they're cheap, and b) the users are familiar with the user experience. Most people use nothing more than the prw-installed nonsense that the computer comes with, and MS Office.
People do not buy PCs because they are good!
hamdixa,
wow, OSX has the minority market share? thanks for the informative lesson! gee, you're right, 5% is really pathetic. stop, you're making me feel all insecure with my OS choice! oh hamdshitxa, how can i win your approval?
This entire thread about OS X vs Windows is utter stupidity. You all are fighting over nothing more than aesthetic choice. In 25 years of using Mac and Windows on a daily basis I can say with certainty they are both fairly equal across the board.
So what are you all really fighting about? Preference. Mac OS works one way, Windows works another. There are many ways to do the same thing. That's all it is. You either like the Mac OS way or you like the Windows way. Neither is superior and the whole argument is like debating what tastes better... an apple or an orange? People like different things. That may not be the same as you. Get over it.
corey: any hacked OS X on PC solution requires *at least* SSE2 instruction set, which the P3 lacks - the C7 might work if its a model with SSE2/3 - check it out : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIA_C7-M
you may be better just downloading a prepatched Leopard install disc and giving it a whirl ;)
He sounds like a very nice guy. But, I didn't understand anything he said but "insert disc in dvd-rom" and "it booted."
I'd like to see the whole process actually working. Let's hope he goes further with this.
It's like a sex change.
There are only two sexes... so not really. More like a race change.
If I'm buying a laptop or a desktop, I'll buy actual Apple hardware. But, where this would matter to me is: buying an UMPC/MID. Apple seems dead set against releasing something in that device category*, yet, that's exactly where I want to run OSX.
So, I wonder if this would work with a Samsung Q1 (no keyboard) or Q1 ultra (split thumb keyboard)? Or even an OQO? If I had the spare money, I'd buy a Q1 or Q1ultra just to try it out, and see what bits are missing.
(* no, I don't think the iPhone nor iPod-Touch qualify, as they're not, yet anyway, truly general purpose platforms; where UMPC's and MIDs appear to give you the choice of how you use them in that regard)
Kevin C. Tofel of jkOnTheRun put OS X on a Q1: http://www.jkontherun.com/2008/04/final-thoughts.html They also recently posted this blog posting of OS X on an OQO: http://www.jkontherun.com/2008/05/oqo-hacked-to-t.html
I'd say it's possible alright. Is it worth it? That's still not clear.
A Mac is a PC manufactured by Apple.. unless you consider it not a Personal Computer.. oh yeah thats right, Apple's advertising of Mac vs PC.
That is true, it should be Mac OS vs. Windows.
OSX is just another *nix, and not even the best one.
It's a PC alright. Used to be PPC, but no. Just another regular PC.
ethana2:
Correct, not the best *nix. Just the best GUI for a *nix. By leaps and bounds.
What I'd really like is to be able to run the OSX GUI and application layers (not just something that looks like it, like a skin on enlightenment or some crap like that) on top of FreeBSD or OpenBSD. _THEN_ you'd have the best *nix.
You know, it's faster to write UNIX.
Is that Jason app PowerPC, Intel or Universal binary?
Ha ha! i was hoping I wasnt the only person who noticed that.
now all we need now is an intel wifi card driver for mac
all intel wifi will Just Work in Ubuntu. Try it first.
Ubuntu is useless for running most Windows Apps and all OS X apps. So no.