Pros and Cons of Hackintosh

[VideoBeagle]

The last thing I worry about is that Apple will kill the hackintosh with future updates.
Why?
1. Apple had ample opportunities to jump on the hackintosh in the past.

It's only when some company tries to sell them do they start to care.
As a long time...LONG time...Apple (not Mac) user, from my observations of the company, there is likely some members of Apple R&D who are tasked with following the big forums (like this) and trying and testing the solutions and ideas. Apple is a very smart company, and it's learned that good ideas don't necessarily come from within, (It's similar to why there's always some way to jailbreak iOS)

 

[georgeba]

You're right VideoBeagle, they're smart.
And in the scheme of things we're a pimple on an elephant.

 

[thermie]

1. Will there be a time where Apple releases an update that would stop the hackintosh from operating?

Well until recently the IDEA of running OSX on a PC was a dream for most (myself included.) Really the only thing proprietary to Apple right now is the motherboard since they switched to Intel processors.

Back in the early 1990s, when Commodore, Atari, and Apple all used the 68000 processor, 3rd parties made emulators that would run real Mac ROM chips. Just buy the ROMs and voila. "Hackintosh" is just an updated means.

Everything else (HDD, proc, RAM, vid card etc.) are rebranded versions of what is available to PC's. Short answer, the impregnable OSX was hacked to use on PC's once, and unless Apple goes the route of a totally new hardware/OS combo, it looks like hackintosh is here to stay. They have greatly reduced R&D costs by allowing Intel into the mix, and I can't see their loses on hackintoshes being enough to make them go back to a proprietary processor again...

True. And they chose Intel over power usage improvements as well... heat consideration as well, as the mobile Motorola CPUs of the time got hot...

They seem to be eying the ARM processor. Which is good for content consumption, but not content creation. Most notebooks and low-end desktops, along with the tablets, will definitely go this route. But Apple will doubtlessly continue to use Intel for their Pro line. They know there are dedicated content creation fans, and as much as general audiences are good, niche audiences will spend the extra money.

And I too buy real Macs. Once I do tests and verify CPU temps, I don't exchange. (my 2011 MBP runs the coolest of every MBP I've ever bought, which includes my mid-2009 model. 90C under full load. )

 

[Mightee]

So using things like Cocktail to repair permissions, etc. wouldn't break the system in any way? I've been wondering about this.

 

[Robomrvn]

1. Will there be a time where Apple releases an update that would stop the hackintosh from operating?


If the sales of Lion, or Snow Leopard too, continue to do well I dont forsee Apple doing anything to prevent people from making a Hackintosh. I think Apple is smart enough to see that most people that are making a Hackintosh are buying their OS to do so. I know I did. It's when, or if, they can prove that people are pirating their OS to make a Hackintosh we will see things change for the worst.

I have a theory on all this. Apple knows, well duh, that people like us are making Hackintoshes. They see the selling of their OS, mostly by downloads, as a huge plus. It's almost like free money. I also fantasize that maybe, just MAYBE, they have plans to open their OS. Not like Windows, more like a Linux build. If you buy a Mac you get full software and hardware support AND a guarantee that your system will perform at the very best. Or, you could buy our OS and install it on a PC and we guarantee nothing. But, if you want you can call our tech support number for a nominal fee and we will try and help you.

Again, a fantasy or daydream, but is it really.............