OS X On the MSI Wind 219
Ruler of Planets writes "PlanetX64 has just published an article on loading OS X on an MSI Wind, effectively creating a machine that is smaller and lighter than a Macbook Air. The exercise was done solely for academic purposes and doing so voids all kinds of warranties, but hey, now you can slip a Mac into a lab coat pocket!"
Re:Every time I read an article like this (Score:3, Insightful)
I wonder what the world would look like if Apple would sell software as well.
Apple will never sell software sans hardware. They've got a control obsession. Their greatest strength & weakness as a company.
Re:Every time I read an article like this (Score:4, Insightful)
And how, exactly, would this change "the world"? Just because you have your head so far up Steve Jobs's arse that you can see the light doesn't mean the world in any way revolves around Apple's business plans. It's just you.
And re "the microsoft tax on new hardware": it doesn't exist. You can buy MSI Wind without Windows. You can buy whichever component you want without giving a cent to Microsoft. Perhaps you're confusing it with the Apple tax, the extra money you have to pay for an Apple approved version of graphics cards and some sound cards.
Re:Every time I read an article like this (Score:1, Insightful)
Except for that whole "support" issue that they'd have to cover for 90 days or 1 year (by law depending on where you live). And when you have such "minor" issues as "Not working: Internal Microphone, Microphone port, Headset port" on a system that most people generally consider to "work well" then you're going to be doing a whole lot of support. Sure, these can be fixed, but opening the floodgates to the masses will probably cost Apple a lot of whatever those higher margins are.
Re:Every time I read an article like this (Score:5, Insightful)
Suppose they did it this way...
1. published a list of exactly what hardware they supported, ie. a restricted driver model not the windows model of anybody can create anything they want and sell it for windows.
2. allowed OEMs to choose that supported hardware and display a "Apple Ready" sticker
3. allowed home builder to choose from that list and be "Apple Ready"
4. then anybody could buy and install Apple OS - if during boot up it detected unsupported hardare it would either refuse to install or warn the user that some hardware would not be support
I would expect them to release a free tool that would allow you to confirm if your platform was supported.
If this was done then OEMs could sell apple OS PCs, you'd see PC with "ready for windows" and "apple ready" label you'd know you could dual boot.
But let's face it, this is pure fantasy. Apple restrict the OS because they want money from the HW and they want to enforce a beautiful uniform image for their equipment. They very last thing they was is an ugly square chinese box proclaiming to be an apple.
Creating a machine? (Score:3, Insightful)
I think I must have misunderstood the summary. In what way does installing a piece of piece of software onto something "create a machine smaller and lighter than the MacBook Air"?
Also, does installing software on a machine really void the warranty? If you reload the original OS from recovery disks before sending it back, how would the manufacturer even know?
It's strange, /. summaries are usually so clear and well-written.
Re:Every time I read an article like this (Score:4, Insightful)
Their margins would be arguably higher, as selling software carries little additional cost versus hardware sales. Each additional unit is more-or-less pure profit.
I'm not convinced that it would be an instant end to the microsoft tax, but at least it would be another alternative. Neither option is free.
Two points:
1) revenue would take a big hit if people switches from Apple branded hw to others
2) shipping fewer units would mean higher unit costs and lower margins on those products
3) support costs would go up as Apple would have to ensure it worked on a variety oh hardware combos with products they currently do not support but are cmmon such as WiFi cards from various manufacturers, or
4) they cut a deal with say Dell and HP but then they will need to significantly drop prices and stop update the build everytime an internal component changes
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Every time I read an article like this (Score:5, Insightful)
If I had my 10 mod points I would have wanted to give you them all.
Wtf is up with the special mac graphic cards for real macs when hacks run BIOS cards? If the EFI connection in the OS is so loose can't they somehow make it possible to just use regular video cards? Or just skip EFI totally since it's not like they have released lots of EFI cards anyway and the world don't seem to move on to EFI just yet anyway.
Geforce 8800 GT 512MB Mac Pro upgrade kit: $279.00
Same card for a PC on newegg: $110.99
(Not to forget it's a shitty card anyway compared to some other options, but those aren't options even on a hack since all cards isn't supported anyway. Though I guess it can't be hard for Apple to get support for HD3000- and HD4000-series if they wanted to as well.)
Re:Every time I read an article like this (Score:3, Insightful)
... Or just sell they card at market price and not at some remarkable markup.
Re:Every time I read an article like this (Score:3, Insightful)
Except knowing Apple they'd ask for an insane price for the benefits of having that sticker on your box or part of the profit since soooo many mac users would buy their cards, of which the OEM would say fuck that and things would remain as they is. =P
For half the price and same specs I'd for sure take the chinese box :)
Re:Every time I read an article like this (Score:3, Insightful)
Where does this hate come from? (Score:4, Insightful)
We're talking about computers here. This isn't a religion. This isn't anything life altering or anything like that. These are computers.
Where does the "Just because you have your head so far up Steve Jobs's arse" vitriol come from?
Come on...
Re:Every time I read an article like this (Score:3, Insightful)
No, WATB, they have an obsession with not going out of business. They don't have an OS monopoly and can't lock in Dell or HP into selling OS X on their machines. They can't make the $$$ on volume like Microsoft can, so they'd have to charge much more money for their operating systems - inviting rampant piracy.
Stop drinking the anti-Apple Kool Aid.
coat pocket? (Score:0, Insightful)
> but hey, now you can slip a Mac into a lab coat pocket!
Now? There's been a Mac that fits in a pocket for over a year now.
It's called 'iPod Touch' (or iPhone)
Re:Where does this hate come from? (Score:3, Insightful)
Exactly. Which is why I flame these people who see life-changing circumstances in Apple's schemes, and complain about "Windows tax" as if their own idol wasn't the biggest of all offenders. I wish the fanboy idiots could just shut up and leave the discussion to someone else. Especially when what they have to say isn't even remotely true.
Re:Every time I read an article like this (Score:4, Insightful)
Except... hackintosh-ing invites rampant piracy.
No, because getting OS X to run on a vanilla PC has some technical hurdles, and the number of pirates goes down with each hoop that needs to be jumped through. If Apple releases a version of Leopard that installs (if not runs) on PC's without trouble, goodnight Shirley.
One thing that Apple does actually do to encourage piracy is the fact that they don't have a mid to low end tower. I'm considering doing a Hackintosh after Apple adds ZFS support, as I want a tower with four terabyte hard drives but want my total cost to be less than $1000, not start out at $2800 (base Mac Pro) before I even add the drives.
Well, they do sell it. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Where does this hate come from? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Well, they do sell it. (Score:3, Insightful)
Because monopolies aren't illegal.
Re:Every time I read an article like this (Score:3, Insightful)
Unless you count the free act-a-likes of expensive enterprise distributions.
Are you some sort of fucking idiot? That's not piracy.