Hackintosh

[FG Lurker]

Has anyone else here tried a Hackintosh?

I bought a Dell Mini 10v with a US English keyboard and set it up to see how well it would work. I certainly see why Apple doesn't bring out a netbook, it would seriously cannibalize their other notebook sales! It works incredibly well for 'net-oriented uses (wouldn't want to edit too many photos with it of course).

So, I am dipping my toes back into the world of OS X in a way that doesn't create massive problems in my normal workflow. If it goes well there is a reasonable chance I will buy a real Mac next summer when I plan to upgrade the current notebook...

[ketchupkatsu]

Hey Lurker, there is a new rumor floating around that Apple will disable support for the intel atom chipset in the next OS update.

...Mac OS X 10.6.2, the forthcoming update for Apple's Snow Leopard operating system, is reported to disable support for the Intel Atom processor, preventing unauthorized PC netbooks from running the operating system.

Users at OS X Daily claim.....

read more at appleinsider

[FG Lurker]

Hey Lurker, there is a new rumor floating around that Apple will disable support for the intel atom chipset in the next OS update.

Actually it looks like that bit of news came from a single developer using one seed of 10.6.2. A more recent seed has been released that does still support the Atom.

I'm not too worried about it though, even AMD chips have had support added so if Apple does decide to remove Atom support I suspect it will be fixed quickly. Also, this is just a test for me, I don't really need all the latest and greatest updates for this computer.

It looks like Boot Camp support might be getting closer too which is interesting for a lot of people who would like to try OSX without investing big $$$ in their experiment.

[Coligny]

I like me Mac smooth and trouble free... So hackintosh are not exactly for me... But If Apple could shake their booty a little and come up with an internoot tablut it would be nice...

[DrP]

Since Ubuntu installs just fine on Atoms, why bother with a hackintosh? Is there actually 1 useful Mac app that makes it worthwhile on that small machine??

[FG Lurker]

Since Ubuntu installs just fine on Atoms, why bother with a hackintosh? Is there actually 1 useful Mac app that makes it worthwhile on that small machine??

XP came installed, and really it would do everything a person needs a netbook to do so why change it at all?

I am considering trying another move to the Mac next year when I replace my ThinkPad. Before that though I want to work with OS X on a daily basis and learn the system a bit at a time. In particular I want to get used to the keyboard shortcuts of the OS before I need to use it constantly. This is a great way for me to slowly ease into the change -- and to determine if it is going to be possible to change at all.

[Coligny]

Since Ubuntu installs just fine on Atoms, why bother with a hackintosh? Is there actually 1 useful Mac app that makes it worthwhile on that small machine??

No... But there is also not 100000 gigabillion viruses trojan and spywares. As well as no registry to fuck up everything for no good reason after a coffe break. And no Windows update to brick your systeme. Or no WGA to decide your copy is pirated even is you still have the bill and original CD on the side of your desk.

and on and on and on...

I don't know for others, but I use a Mac for daily computing because it's reliable the interface make more or less sense and menu and settings are not randomly relocated at each upgrade.

[ketchupkatsu]

ZoomIt's been somewhat of a micro-saga going on in the PC netbook hobbyist camp who like to run Mac OS X, but now Apple has officially fired the first shot.

Developer builds of the latest Mac OS X build 10.6.2 were unable to run on netbooks built on the Intel Atom processor.....

via TomsHardware



On the other side...

Word that Apple had disabled Atom support in a Mac OS X 10.6.2 beta seed may have been premature, an update from the same discoverer says

via Electronista


I guess this means having to stay with the 10.6.1 kernel. At least until a fix is available.

[Christoff]

The think the phrase "disabled support" is kind of misleading, it almost suggests that apple supported it or at least tolerated it up to this point. I have a hackintosh in my office as a geek project, 10.4.11 jass and it runs great minus the nic which uses a usb wireless card.

[Adhesive]

I've had os x86 installed on various PCs and netbooks, the most recent being a Dell mini9. The mini9 had zero issues running OS X, I just eventually tired of it and switched to Win7.

No... But there is also not 100000 gigabillion viruses trojan and spywares. As well as no registry to fuck up everything for no good reason after a coffe break. And no Windows update to brick your systeme. Or no WGA to decide your copy is pirated even is you still have the bill and original CD on the side of your desk.

Meh, if you're computer literate enough to put OS X on a PC then I doubt any of the above issues are any real concern. I haven't had any problems with viruses, spyware, registry corruption, or verification in ages, and I run my system fairly loosy-goosy. Hell, with the amount of warez and porn my computer sees on a daily basis Windows must be doing something right, lol.

[FG Lurker]

I guess this means having to stay with the 10.6.1 kernel. At least until a fix is available.

You can back up the 10.6.1 kernel, install the 10.6.2 update, and then restore the 10.6.1 kernel. This is working without trouble as far as I can tell.

Within a couple of weeks there will be a 10.6.2 kernel that has Atom and AMD support in it. I'm in no hurry to update so I'll just wait for that to happen.

[Christoff]

Unlike how my snow leopard bricked all half of the fonts I bought when I upgraded form 10.6

[FG Lurker]

So, I am dipping my toes back into the world of OS X in a way that doesn't create massive problems in my normal workflow. If it goes well there is a reasonable chance I will buy a real Mac next summer when I plan to upgrade the current notebook...

Well, once again abandoning OS X. Apple's keyboard support is absolutely horrific. There is no logic to it and no consistency. It's enough to drive a person crazy.

Going to put XP back on the Dell Mini 10v tonight and in a few months I will replace my aging ThinkPad T60 with something running Win7.

[Adhesive]

Going to put XP back on the Dell Mini 10v tonight and in a few months I will replace my aging ThinkPad T60 with something running Win7.

Why not put Win7 on the Mini10v? I have an unadulterated version running on my mother's 10v with no problems, and I have a scrubbed version running on a mini9 that is amazingly quick and responsive. I just removed all the crap from the installation disk that a netbook wouldn't need and did a few minor tweaks after install.

[FG Lurker]

Why not put Win7 on the Mini10v?

I am going to use this little machine for some consulting work that I think will be coming up over the next few months. I don't need much power for this, just something to access the net and maybe VPN back to my office occasionally. It doesn't need to be fancy, it just needs to work reliably and not drive me batshit crazy like OS X was. Being small and light is a great bonus too, I hate lugging around a heavy bag.

[Greji]

I am going to use this little machine for some consulting work that I think will be coming up over the next few months. I don't need much power for this, just something to access the net and maybe VPN back to my office occasionally. It doesn't need to be fancy, it just needs to work reliably and not drive me batshit crazy like OS X was. Being small and light is a great bonus too, I hate lugging around a heavy bag.

Damn Lurk! Yur making me paranoid. I'm running 10.6.2 and have had absolutely no trouble. Now you got me waiting for an explosion or major melt down. If you got time, you might let us know what exact problems you had with the OS. Could be of future help to some of us, especially me.....

[FG Lurker]

Damn Lurk! Yur making me paranoid. I'm running 10.6.2 and have had absolutely no trouble. Now you got me waiting for an explosion or major melt down. If you got time, you might let us know what exact problems you had with the OS. Could be of future help to some of us, especially me.....

I didn't have any problems with the OS being stable or even any issues with it being installed on totally unsupported hardware (Dell netbook).

My problem is with the complete lack of thought that Apple has put into the keyboard commands for the OS and apps. I realize this is of little import to most Mac users but it's a deal stopper for me.

Windows has the Control (Ctrl) and Alt keys that are used for keyboard shortcuts. Generally speaking if you use Ctrl+(some key) within an application it affects the currently active document or tab -- the one you are viewing and working on. If you use Alt+(some key) it affects the entire application or activates the application's menu bar. For example, Ctrl-F4 closes the current window or tab while Alt-F4 closes the entire application. Ctrl-Z/X/C/V are Undo/Cut/Copy/Paste. Alt-Tab is used to change applications and Ctrl-Tab will change windows or tabs inside most applications.

The "Windows key" is also used to directly activate operating system features no matter what app is running. Win-E opens an Explorer (Finder) window. Win-M minimizes all apps on the current display. Win-D minimizes everything on all displays and shows the Desktop, pressing Win-D again restores everything to as it was. Win-L locks your computer.

There is a certain amount of logic to this system. It is not perfect but it certainly makes sense the vast majority of the time and is easy to remember and use.

Apple has no such system. They have copied some things from Windows (such as Alt-tab app switching), but there is no consistency in how keyboard shortcuts are defined. No split at all between what affects an entire app, what affects the currently active document/tab, and what affects the overall OS. Keyboard support is very much a tacked-on afterthought, not a key part of the operating system.

Most Mac users don't use the keyboard all that much in my experience. They might if the keyboard support was better though!! Keyboard control is a lot faster than mouse control for many things.

[Evil Pongi]

Most Mac users don't use the keyboard all that much in my experience. They might if the keyboard support was better though!! Keyboard control is a lot faster than mouse control for many things.

You check out the keyboard shortcuts in the Help menu? Does everything I need to do. Blind people seem to be able to find their way around without clicking on a mouse. I think you still expect OSX to behave like Windoze. No?

I seem to recall that you ditched OS X a couple of years ago for the very same reason. Why did you even come back to begin with?

BTW, Hackintoshes are for fuckheads. Just get a Mac Mini. Nice GFX card in there now. Besides, me 'n Steve are making sure that we will eventually suck your data outta your H-Tosh and then send you nothing but spam and gay porn. Have fun with that.

[Number11]

It's the applications, not the OS, that are not recognizing the keyboard shortcuts. The Command + functions are application manipulation.

[Greji]

Besides, me 'n Steve are making sure that we will eventually suck your data outta your H-Tosh and then send you nothing but spam and gay porn. Have fun with that.

Porn you say? Do you need any of my passwords? I can send them over to you....

[FG Lurker]

You check out the keyboard shortcuts in the Help menu? Does everything I need to do. Blind people seem to be able to find their way around without clicking on a mouse. I think you still expect OSX to behave like Windoze. No?

No, I don't expect it to behave like Windows, I just expect it to have some logic behind it and not be a pasted on system that is very random. (Unless you are saying the design of OS X has no logic to it at all, in which case I guess I do expect it to behave like Windows.)

I seem to recall that you ditched OS X a couple of years ago for the very same reason. Why did you even come back to begin with?

I was extremely (insanely) busy when I tried the switch last time and it wasn't really a good time to take on yet another thing. I also tried to switch my main computer to OS X, very much a "sink or swim" approach. This time I tried to step in slowly by changing a machine that I needed to use occasionally but was not my main computer.

BTW, Hackintoshes are for fuckheads. Just get a Mac Mini.

I have no use for a Mac Mini. I wanted an ultraportable as it is a machine that I need to use from time to time. No point in buying a Mini if I'm not going to use it at all. After my last experience I wasn't willing to invest the money to buy a MacBook either. The Mini10V was $300 (including shipping to Japan from the US), perfect for an experiment.

Besides, me 'n Steve are making sure that we will eventually suck your data outta your H-Tosh and then send you nothing but spam and gay porn. Have fun with that.

I suspect if you got anywhere near Jobs that security would rapidly escort you away, probably mixing a beating in there somewhere too.

[Evil Pongi]

No, I don't expect it to behave like Windows, I just expect it to have some logic behind it and not be a pasted on system that is very random. (Unless you are saying the design of OS X has no logic to it at all, in which case I guess I do expect it to behave like Windows.)

"pasted on"? You mean to Unix?

To be fair (when doing calculations for world domination), I have also run into certain situations where OS X will not work as I wish it to. Usually, with some research I can find my way. I try not to pick up the mouse, but I sometimes do. Later I learn that I didn't need to. Sometimes, within apps I make a QuickKeys macro to bang out what I need to on the keyboard. If you are a Unix geek, you can drive the Mac like no one else can.

I was extremely (insanely) busy when I tried the switch last time and it wasn't really a good time to take on yet another thing. I also tried to switch my main computer to OS X, very much a "sink or swim" approach. This time I tried to step in slowly by changing a machine that I needed to use occasionally but was not my main computer.

I see. Besides bummin' on the keyboard navigation, how did you do with your iLife apps, music, photos, surfing with the Mac?

I have no use for a Mac Mini. I wanted an ultraportable as it is a machine that I need to use from time to time.

Tablet is coming. Wonder if it would be what you need. But then again, you couldn't use a cheap Windows platform.

After my last experience I wasn't willing to invest the money to buy a MacBook either.

I have an "EVIL" 17" MacBook Pro with matte screen. Love it. May dump it soon as rumors of quad core MacBook Pros are coming out.

The Mini10V was $300 (including shipping to Japan from the US), perfect for an experiment.

That's like a netbook or what? And it functioned like a normal Mac? Completely? Hmmm.

I suspect if you got anywhere near Jobs that security would rapidly escort you away, probably mixing a beating in there somewhere too.

Those goons at 1 Infinite Loop always give me the Stink Eye, that's why I enter at Infinite Loop 5 when I go to HQ. Head straight through Cafe Macs to the "Evil's Secret Chamber". No one give me looks, after all we got guys in makeup and dresses everywhere. There's a reason they don't drug test at Apple.

[FG Lurker]

"pasted on"? You mean to Unix?

No, I mean pasted onto Apple's interface that they pasted on top of NeXTSTEP which was based on BSD. It is a great OS, just has poor keyboard support within the GUI.

To be fair (when doing calculations for world domination), I have also run into certain situations where OS X will not work as I wish it to. Usually, with some research I can find my way. I try not to pick up the mouse, but I sometimes do. Later I learn that I didn't need to. Sometimes, within apps I make a QuickKeys macro to bang out what I need to on the keyboard.

That's the whole point. Windows had standardized keyboard support built in from v1.0. It has expanded over the years of course but the basic standard has stayed the same and it works very, very well.

If you are a Unix geek, you can drive the Mac like no one else can.

I don't have too many problems with my two BSD firewalls or headless Debian file server.

I see. Besides bummin' on the keyboard navigation, how did you do with your iLife apps, music, photos, surfing with the Mac?

Didn't use iLife or deal with music or photos, those are on the Windows box. Surfing was fine, apart from the keyboard shortcuts being a PITA.

Tablet is coming. Wonder if it would be what you need. But then again, you couldn't use a cheap Windows platform.

Apart from Apple's control-freak tendencies I don't dislike the company in general. I like my 3GS a lot, though there is a good chance that it will get replaced with an Android handset when I next upgrade. Will wait and see what the current iPhone offers at the time and how tightly locked down it is.

I have an "EVIL" 17" MacBook Pro with matte screen. Love it. May dump it soon as rumors of quad core MacBook Pros are coming out.

I had a 15" 2.33GHz Core2 Duo MacBook Pro before, also with the matte screen. It was a very nice computer but certain things drove me nuts.

That's like a netbook or what? And it functioned like a normal Mac? Completely? Hmmm.

Yes, the Mini 10V works very well with OS X. The install is smooth and no manual hacking is required to get it to work. It was surprisingly responsive and usable. Battery life was great, 7 hours with the larger battery. It is easy to see why Apple doesn't bring out a Netbook, it would seriously cannibalize their MacBook sales.

[IkemenTommy]

Besides, me 'n Steve are making .... spam and gay porn. Have fun with that.

Hey Rob, glad to hear some of your expertise and input on this.

[Mike Oxlong]

[Mulboyne]

[quote="IkemenTommy"]Hey Rob, glad to hear some of your expertise and input on this. ]
As far as I know, Evil Pongi isn't Rob.

[nottu]

[Evil Pongi]

As far as I know, Evil Pongi isn't Rob.

Definitely not. I'm shorter, way fatter and twice as clever. I can also hold my liquor way better. You know, I taught Rob all he knows about Macs and video. Too bad he screwed that all up. Check with the mods. My IP is in 'Merica while Rob still sits sadly in his Labbit Hutch in W. T-Town.

[Evil Pongi]

[climb678]

I have not used Mac OS in a while, but it seems to have many keyboard commands/shortcuts including application commands:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343

http://guides.macrumors.com/Keyboard_shortcuts