Mac OS X 10.6.2 hacked to allow Atom support
By Donald Melanson 
posted November 19th 2009 8:21PM
posted November 19th 2009 8:21PM
posted November 19th 2009 8:21PM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
Apple is trying to hard. Just let anyone install OS X on any computer, sheesh.
@)ROFL(
*TOO ....*sigh*
@)ROFL( Not trying to start a flame way, but you have to understand why they don't allow it. They make most of their money from hardware sales. They would be sinking their own ship by allowing OS X to be installed on other hardware.
@Josh / Apocalyptic 0n3
Indeed, it does seem logical to Apple. Which is why Windows remains the operating system of choice. Microsoft doesn't make PC hardware, yet makes more money off it's flagship OS than Apple's hardware + software.
@Josh
I hear that argument all the time, but how exactly is allowing users to install OS X on an HP going to hurt Apple? People who want a Mac are still going to get a Mac for everything else they represent in terms of design, status, etc. If Apple opened up OS X, they would rake in the dough in software sales, on top of hardware sales.
@)ROFL( the world does not revolve around Microsoft's business model.
@[Highest Ranked]
No shit, sherlock. However, locking down an OS to very specific hardware does not create choice for the consumer. What if Google could only be used on eMachines with a 1.6GHz or faster Intel processor? Broken business model is broken (for the consumer anyways.)
@)ROFL(
A. Buy Apple computers
B. Buy a prebuilt Windows box.
C. Build your own Windows box and buy the OS separate.
D. Build a linux box
E. Create your own OS
Looks like plenty of choices to me.
@)ROFL( If they did that their systems would no longer be seen as status symbols. They would just be ordinary PCs...
@)ROFL(
just let me install it on my MBP PLEASE! what?
@LandMineHare
Absolutely. However, OS X to Linux, relatively, has a bigger user base and some very fantastic native applications. If I could get OS X as a secondary OS to dick around with, I would take it over Linux for it's usability and interface.
@)ROFL( We'll just let you field all the service calls!
@Backlin
My car must have a sign on it that reads: I don't have a car.
@)ROFL( the consumer always has the choice of buying a non-Mac computer. And again, the world does not revolve around Microsoft's business model. Apple's model is selling tightly-integrated software/hardware solutions. Both pieces work intrinsically together, just like Nintendo, Sony, XBOX.
@[Highest Ranked]
Except games for consoles are almost always released on every platform. Game consoles =/= computers.
@webran61. because they would have to test and support it. by keeping the configs to a low and known number it is easier for them to debug and fix things. if they allow every possible set up in the world it will take a lot longer than a month to see a major bug fixed
@webran61
A possibly Mac buyer would be faced with two choices: Get the full Apple experience or get a cheaper Mac experience with HP or a similar maker.
This would do two things:
1. It would completely dilute the brandname. It's the same reason why you won't see Apple releasing a $25 phone. If everyone can get OS X on the cheap, more people will have it. If more people have it, the elite status wears off and people begin to crave something new. I am sure people will call Apple "greedy" for this, but I am sure any person capable of thinking with an ounce of logic could see why Apple keeps their prices high. Without the prestige of owning a Mac, there would be no desire to own one.
2. It could ruin the quality of OS X. If Apple has no control over the hardware, they would have to support every little thing like Windows does. For years, the legacy support provided by Microsoft has been bogging down their OS. It has gotten better recently, but it still is worrisome. Apple just cut out who knows how many people with the Snow Leopard release but cutting support for PPC Macs and going Intel-only, something that Microsoft couldn't possibly due without killing their revenue intake.
So, while it would be great for the consumer, it would be death for Apple. I doubt they would be able to survive such a change.
im not gonna even ask why you would want to install OS X. windows is where the progs and games are at anyways
@Josh wholly agree with your point 2, wholly disagree with your point 1.
@)ROFL( I'm not talking about games for consoles. I'm talking about the OS that runs in a game console for it to work. Watch what happens on screen when you turn on a Wii, PlayStation, XBOX, etc. They all boot into an OS, which then reads and plays the games you insert. Apple's business model relies on the same principle but applied to personal computers.
i knew it would of only been a matter of time :)
Hackintosh community wins again. So hard.
@Mark
No surprise here. Why do companies waste their time with things like this? Note to Apple: Hackintosh community = Mac OS X sales you wouldn't normally get
@Alex Padilla
No it doesn't. Most of them aren't going to buy the OS at all and will just pirate it. Don't kid yourself.
@Alex Padilla as hackintoshers become familiar with OS X it will make it very easy for them to transition into Apple Mac products, thus in the end Apple still wins.
@[Highest Ranked]
My point exactly. And, if Mr. Unverified is going to use the piracy argument, then Microsoft should follow Apple's business model, since people pirate Windows all the time.
@LandMineHare Maybe if Apple didn't try so hard to keep their OS from being run on my netbook I wouldn't HAVE to pir8 it and would've actually bought it. But now I have no choice. Don't kid yourself.
@Alex Padilla in many aspects Microsoft already is following Apple's model.
Case in point, Microsoft tried competing with the iPod by forcing the market to adopt Play4Sure into 3rd party MP3 players. Result: failure. Microsoft then backstabbed all their Play4Sure partners and introduced the Zune. Microsoft developed WinMo for 3rd party handsets; now that the competition has arrived nobody want's WinMo any more. Soon to be released: The MS phone (Project Pink).
The Zune failed. Project Pink already failed before it delivered a product. The only camp where MS is having a win is with the XBOX. But then, Apple doesn't compete in gaming consoles that way.
@konshuss We all know there is no way you would actually buy the operating system. You aren't fooling anyone.
Buy a mac already and get it over with. Who wants an atom netbook anyways?
@surf26
I really can't tell if your being serious or sarcastic...
@surf26
I'll take one. I think hackers do this just to stick it to the MAN, no matter who he is. :-P
@daytripper Why not just buy a real computer. You can get an alu-macbook pretty cheap these day. With a real CPU, 500 GB HDD and 7 hour battery plus a real keyboard.
"This comment has been down-ranked into oblivion."
lol.
@Aguiluz
Truly.
@surf26
"Why not just buy a real computer", I certainly hope you mean buy something more capable than a netbook. It reads like you're saying why buy a netbook, get a mac instead. The reason people buy netbooks vary, but a lot of people I know have very capable desktops, and then a cheap netbook so they have something to use on the go, but they don't need a full-blown laptop.
@surf26 I have a mac laptop and they are not cheap while a netbook is cheap enough to pick up at a flea market.
Drop support, add support, drop support, hacked support. Do you guy want atom or not? make up your minds already!
@surf26 that's probably the only reason i would build a hackintosh (for myself anyway); to have OSX on a cheap netbook. i sometimes think about hackintosh-ing desktops when i refurb and sell them, to get a higher price, but then i get lazy and just put windows on them and sell it cheap.
Damn that was quick. Looks like hacking OS X isn't that hard, now imagine if they had bad intentions!
But it was actually done more than a week ago. Now that's quick.
@daytripper This has nothing to do with "hacking OS X" in the sense you're referring to. If they'd managed to patch the kernel of one machine over a local network (or, god forbid, the internet) from a separate machine, then your comment would make far more sense. This isn't exploiting security holes like you would to jailbreak an iPhone; this is making changes to an (open-source) kernel and replacing the existing kernel on your own computer which you already have physical access to.
@daytripper Talk about not knowing anything about computers and operating systems!!! You should really not talk at all if you don't understand the difference between hacking and installing your own files. Duh!
"...which means it will require a good bit of fine tuning to get installed..."
What? Replacing a kernel isn't tough business.
The replacement kernel must have some glitches because computers Atom processors do not show the Intel Pentium Dual-Core Inside logo and Atom processors do not have a 1066 MHz FSB and do not use the Socket LGA 775 interface
@tothamax
I would assume the kernel hack just changes a few bits of information that are returned when querying the type of cpu - the things apple check higher up in the OS to make sure you are running real apple hardware
DAMMIT! someone took my username! now im stuck with the gimped version -__-.
way to go engadget... just get rid of the times new roman please
@trevor agreed. sans-serif fonts just seem more appropriate for a Weblog than ye olde Times. It's easier on the eyes and is more pleasant to read, at least for me.
Other than that, love the new site ^^
@delphinus87
i just wanna find the guy who took trevor before me...
[you hear me! i challenge you to a duel!!!!]
@trevor ah yes because they're can only be one trevor in the entire world. damn there is another derek down the street, maybe I should kill him and dispose of the body. Damn engadget how dare you let someone else have the name trevor. 6 billion people in the world. there is no way there could be two trevors.