Apple TV: A $300 Mac in disguise

If we were asked to choose a single world to describe the Apple TV, it would be "hacktastic." Check out the success that's been had by AppleTV Hacker, as well as many others. To add to the list of tricks that have been squeezed out of the little box, reader Matt sent us these benchmark test results of an Apple TV running a clean install of Mac OS 10.4.9.

According to our tipster, the Apple TV was running OS X 56% as fast as a PowerMac G5 dual processor. He noted that audio didn't work and OpenGL apps failed to display graphics, but other than that, Intel-based apps were behaving normally (PPC apps were unusably slow). We'll leave it to the world's able hackers to address these "issues."

So, does this mean that the Apple TV is a $300US Mac? If you're a hacker ready to jump through some hoops, it could be. One thing is certain, though: It's one fun little toy.