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Mac OS X on Dell XPS M1530

PoS
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PoS
PoS
Posted
Posted

Hello all, and happy new year ;)

 

I'm looking to get a new dell laptop, the dell XPS M1530

 

Specs:

Processor Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7500 (2,20 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 4 Mo cache L2)

Screen UltraSharp™ WXGA (1280 x 800) CCFL (220 nits) 15,4 TrueLife™

3072 Mo SDRAM DDR2 667 MHz [1x2048+1x1024]

HDD SATA de 250 Go (5400 tpm)

NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 8600M GT with 256MB dedicated graphic memory

8x DVD+/-RW

Bluetooth 2.0 Dell™ Wireless 355 and Enhanced Data rate - Eur

Intel® Pro/Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g - Europe

 

i don't know if mac os matchs with this spec

I am new to Installing osx on a pc. and I know nothing about installing OSX on PC

thanks

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Supagirl
Supagirl
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Posted

Hi PoS, hi folks,

 

according to Dell I will get the very same notebook on January 16th. Mine will have just a different screen resolution (1440x900).

Actually I was thinking for quite a while about buying an 'original' Mac, however, the XPS has approximately the same hardware and at least similar good looks for just half the price of a macbook pro. So my G4 Titanium will finally go to eb*y soon.

Since the XPS M1530 is also featuring the Santa Rosa chipset, the initial setup of the OS should be quiet easy, as far as I have learned at least. And since the M1530 is just about hitting the public market these days I would expect that in a few days more people with the same hardware will join this forum and have some suggestions to the - for sure - oncoming problems along with the OSX installation, especially because Dell does not provide us with XP drivers, so you either have to live with Vista or you go and get some decent linux.

So the chipset of the Dell shouldn't be a big deal, the Intel WiFi however is the only (important) component that is currently not supported (yet!). OSX support for the fingerprint reader and the embedded bluetooth would be nice but are not really crucial to have, right?

In the meantime I have to learn a bit about this EFI stuff. There should be a HowTo on this site for total noobs like me, or did I miss one?

 

Cheers

S.

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macgirl
macgirl
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If you can buy your Dell with a Dell Wireles card instead of the Intel it would work "out of the box", all other components should be working except if it has Card Reader like mine in the M1330.

 

There are a lot of guides, just visit the Genius Bar section.

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Megamixman
Megamixman
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Posted

Get the dell Wireless.

Don't buy memory from Dell.

Its cheaper to buy your own from say newegg and install it yourself.

It could even be cheaper to buy it and have it installed at some place like bestbuy but i'm not too sure about that. Either way companies like dell price gouge memory beyond belief.

Also get the higher res screen. It will be well worth it at 15".

Think of it like this the Macbook pro 15" has the WSXGA+ screen. So by getting the same res screen you're going to get closer to the MBP feel.

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Supagirl
Supagirl
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I will try to change the WiFi, hoping it will not delay the delivery much.

I had only in my mind that the macbook has also an intel chip for wifi, however it is the 802.11n version, right?

If I would stick with the intel WiFi, would you expect that it will work soon one day in the near future? Then I could use LAN instead in the meantime ...

OOTB means I can use an original OSX DVD 10.5.1 to get the system up and running?

Yes, I have seen a lot of guides, however I missed an introduction or a basic overview of the situation and the related problems/topics. EFI, for instance, shouldxxx

 

@gNOMEintheRedHat: No, you can choose between the intel and the dell WiFi; in the US-shop you get even the 802.11n card (4965AGN chip) and they all have in ommon that they are miniPCI ;-)

 

Cheers

S.

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  • 3 weeks later...
macgirl
macgirl
Posted
Posted

The wireless card is not soldered in the motherboard, is a mini PCI-E card that is attached in a slot, the M1330 has 2 of these slots, and I think that the M1530 has 2 too.

 

Te MacBook and the MacBook Pro uses a Broadcom card (some other macs are using Atheros). Dell wireless card are Broadcom based.

 

AFAIK there is no marvell yukon on the M1530.

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fffa
fffa
Posted
Posted
The wireless card is not soldered in the motherboard, is a mini PCI-E card that is attached in a slot, the M1330 has 2 of these slots, and I think that the M1530 has 2 too.

 

Te MacBook and the MacBook Pro uses a Broadcom card (some other macs are using Atheros). Dell wireless card are Broadcom based.

 

AFAIK there is no marvell yukon on the M1530.

 

 

Oh, seems that different regions have different ethernet cards....

BTW: what ethernet card do you have on your XPS M1530, Thanks~

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macgirl
macgirl
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Posted
yeah alot of problems with the wireless and broadcom not supported YET on my m1330.

First post from my m1330 running leopard!!! :P thanks to the LinkSys USBCG wireless card adapter!!!

What are you talking about, there a several M1330 users that has Broadcom Wireless working as an Airport card.

 

See the guide at my signature, there are links to other threads with other user experiences.

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  • 1 month later...
FunkyELF
FunkyELF
Posted
Posted

I am in the market for a new laptop. The Dell m1530 is looking very appealing to me now that it has the new Penryn processors. What I really like about these is the 1680x1050 resolution available. I was looking at getting one with the following options...

 

Intel®Core™ 2 Duo Processor T9300 (2.5GHz/800Mhz FSB, 6MB Cache)

GenuineWindows Vista® Home Premium Edition

HighResolution glossy widescreen 15.4 inch LCD(1680x1050) & 2MP Camera

4GBShared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz (2 Dimms)

Speed:200GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive Free Fall Sensor

SlotLoad DVD+/-RW (DVD/CD read/write)

256MBNVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT

IntelNext-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card

DellWireless 355 Bluetooth Internal (2.0+Enhanced Data Rate)

85WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery

HighDefinition Audio 2.0

 

ALl of that for $1,574.32

Now before anybody tells me not to get teh 4GB RAM and to do it myself, to get a $599 discount I needed to select a model that already came with 3GB and the 4th was only $50.

 

Anyway, I was looking around and on here I read that I should go with the Dell wireless if I want it to work under OSX. I don't really care who makes the wireless as long as I can use it under Windows, Linux, and OSX. Eventually I'll get a wireless N router here at home so thats why I'm thinking about ordering it with the N. I can always get the Dell wireless from e-bay. How hard is it to replace that? Just slide the old one out and the new one in?

 

So, what I'd like to know is if this configuration would work okay for me (provided I got the Dell TrueMobile). What about the audio. I dont' see any info on the Audio from Dell, all it says is High Definition Audio 2.0

The other options were...

 

Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition

ExpressCard Sound Blaster X-Fi® Xtreme Audio Sound Card

 

Which of the three (the one included or the two listed above) are supported?

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macgirl
macgirl
Posted
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Integrated audio is working, the other 2 options don't (one is a software for windows, the other does not have drivers).

 

Sleeping is working now,see my guide for details.

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FunkyELF
FunkyELF
Posted
Posted

Cool. Thanks for the reply.

How about the other stuff that I selected.

Will I run into problems because the resolution I want (1680x1050) is different than any of the MacBook / MacBook pro resolutions?

 

Also, how hard is it to swap out the network card? You were saying somewhere else that I can get one on eBay for $15

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FunkyELF
FunkyELF
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Integrated audio is working, the other 2 options don't (one is a software for windows, the other does not have drivers).

 

Sleeping is working now,see my guide for details.

 

Darn....Dell keeps changing every single day.

Now the "Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition" is the default one on the "Best" configuration and I can't choose the regular integrated audio.

I want to choose the "Best" configuration because it comes with a $599 discount.

 

Is this the one that you say is a software for windows? Does that mean that it'll work under OSX and I just won't see a benefit from it, or that it won't work at all?

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Synaesthesia
Synaesthesia
Posted
Posted
Is this the one that you say is a software for windows?
I think if it's just software, it should still work with OS X because the hardware is the same.
Will I run into problems because the resolution I want (1680x1050) is different than any of the MacBook / MacBook pro resolutions?
No, it doesn't matter what resolution display you have. OS X will still work.
Also, how hard is it to swap out the network card? You were saying somewhere else that I can get one on eBay for $15
No, not very, you just need a screwdriver. You usually remove a back-plate on the laptop and replace the card inside. Search on ebay for the Dell Truemobile 1390 card...
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crosbyla
crosbyla
Posted
Posted

Hi, I'm a newbie here and I recently ordered a Dell XPS M1530 with the following components:

 

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB, 3MB L2 Cache)

Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium

Memory: 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM @ 667 MHz

Screen: 1440X900 LED LCD with 2.0 MP Webcam

Video Card: 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT

Hard Drive: 320GB 5400RPM SATA

Sound Card: Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD

Wireless: Intel 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini-card

Bluetooth: Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Internal 2.0

Fingerprint Reader

 

I have made an OS X patched DVD using a legit copy of Leopard and the BrazilMac Tutorial and am wondering if anyone has tried this already and if there are any know hardware issues. I won't be able to try this out for at least another few weeks b/c the order is slated to ship the 21st. I've heard a lot of bad stuff about Vista but couldn't get it off, so I'll have to live with it. I also don't particularly care if Vista gets screwed up - resource DVDs are included so I will reinstall if necessary.

 

One other note is that I also intend to install a Linux distro on this machine (either Fedora 8 or Ubuntu 8.04) so this is a possible triple-boot scenario. If anyone has had any experience installing OS X on this machine, I need all the help I can get.

 

Like most people here as I can imagine, I decided not to get a Mac because they are expensive as hell. I looked at a comparably spec'd MacBook Pro and it would have set me back around $2500 before taxes with a student discount (I'm starting college in the fall). The Dell I ordered would've been about the same, but huge discounts brought the price down to around $1600 before taxes. The only real advantage the MBP has is Mac OS X which, after doing a bit of research, I learned could be installed on PC's with a bit of work. I personally would prefer to give a bit of extra work to save about $900... just my opinion there.

 

In any case, I'm not trying to trash Macs by any means - I'm using one now to post this (not mine though :lol: ). They're just not worth the premium over a PC for me. But comparing a PC to a Mac is kinda like comparing a Chevy to a Porsche (and not to start a debate here). Using that analog, a Corvette offers a lot more performance than it's closest price matchup (the Cayman) and likewise the Corvette Z06 can pretty much stomp any Porsche performance-wise until you start paying about twice the price. When you buy a Porsche you are buying the name and prestige associated with it more than anything else, along with some unique features. Buying a Mac is kinda like that.

 

Needless to say, I'm a Corvette fan myself, although I respect the likes of Porsche and Ferrari. I just wouldn't buy one, that's all.

 

I hope I didn't offend anyone with my useless analogies.

 

Signing off,

 

LC

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  • 1 year later...
reeze leonhart
reeze leonhart
Posted
Posted
Hi, I'm a newbie here and I recently ordered a Dell XPS M1530 with the following components:

 

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB, 3MB L2 Cache)

Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium

Memory: 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM @ 667 MHz

Screen: 1440X900 LED LCD with 2.0 MP Webcam

Video Card: 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT

Hard Drive: 320GB 5400RPM SATA

Sound Card: Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD

Wireless: Intel 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini-card

Bluetooth: Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Internal 2.0

Fingerprint Reader

 

I have made an OS X patched DVD using a legit copy of Leopard and the BrazilMac Tutorial and am wondering if anyone has tried this already and if there are any know hardware issues. I won't be able to try this out for at least another few weeks b/c the order is slated to ship the 21st. I've heard a lot of bad stuff about Vista but couldn't get it off, so I'll have to live with it. I also don't particularly care if Vista gets screwed up - resource DVDs are included so I will reinstall if necessary.

 

One other note is that I also intend to install a Linux distro on this machine (either Fedora 8 or Ubuntu 8.04) so this is a possible triple-boot scenario. If anyone has had any experience installing OS X on this machine, I need all the help I can get.

 

Like most people here as I can imagine, I decided not to get a Mac because they are expensive as hell. I looked at a comparably spec'd MacBook Pro and it would have set me back around $2500 before taxes with a student discount (I'm starting college in the fall). The Dell I ordered would've been about the same, but huge discounts brought the price down to around $1600 before taxes. The only real advantage the MBP has is Mac OS X which, after doing a bit of research, I learned could be installed on PC's with a bit of work. I personally would prefer to give a bit of extra work to save about $900... just my opinion there.

 

In any case, I'm not trying to trash Macs by any means - I'm using one now to post this (not mine though :rolleyes: ). They're just not worth the premium over a PC for me. But comparing a PC to a Mac is kinda like comparing a Chevy to a Porsche (and not to start a debate here). Using that analog, a Corvette offers a lot more performance than it's closest price matchup (the Cayman) and likewise the Corvette Z06 can pretty much stomp any Porsche performance-wise until you start paying about twice the price. When you buy a Porsche you are buying the name and prestige associated with it more than anything else, along with some unique features. Buying a Mac is kinda like that.

 

Needless to say, I'm a Corvette fan myself, although I respect the likes of Porsche and Ferrari. I just wouldn't buy one, that's all.

 

I hope I didn't offend anyone with my useless analogies.

 

Signing off,

 

LC

 

The best advice i can give you at this point is to NOT install linux's grub bootloader on the MBR. rather install it to your linux partition. I've had a hell of a time fixing my triple boot (xp, ubuntu 8.10 and osx leopard). since i've got this running on a different system to yours, i wouldn't be able to give you any specific advice. just keep a system that has access to the net close by in case you run into trouble :guitar: good luck!

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  • 1 year later...
welhamite203
welhamite203
Posted
Posted
I have a dell xps m1530 and i installed mac but it dont allow me to use internet... is there any driver i can download to get this to work please help/111

 

 

Hey could you please guide me with the steps you used because even i want to install mac os x on my dell xps m1530.............or could please get in touch my mail id is welhamite203@gmail.com

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