Im looking for a laptop, and I have been running OSX86 on my PC for a while now and I lOVE MAC but HATE their prices, even for the ibook G4's. so I was wondering if there was a good, very cheat alternative laptop that works very good with OSX86. I have looked on the HCL, but all is very confusing.

I'd like to know as well...

we'd all like to know.

yes we would. i'm kinda in the same situation. but i 'll just start my own thread, don't want to take over this one

I'm running OSx86 on a Dell Latitude D600 with the following specs:

• ATI Radeon Mobility 7500 graphics
• ALPS touchpad and track stick input devices
• AC97 integrated audio (I think that's the name...)
• O2Micro PCMCIA cardbus slot
• QSI CD-RW/DVD module
• Intel PRO/Wireless 2200 B/G wireless card
• BroadCom gigabit ethernet NIC

Everything works amazingly well, except for the wireless. I've seen around a couple sites that people are starting very slowly to develop drivers for the Intel 2200 card, but as of now I have nothing. Wired ethernet works fine, however. My laptop was upgraded to the SXGA+ display, and OSx86 allows me to run at 1400x1050 resolution. Sound works, as do the little volume up/down and mute buttons above my keyboard. The touchpad and trackstick work fine.

If you buy a Dell with the Dell TrueMobile wireless card (which is pretty bad, hardware-wise, compared to the Intel card), you can modify the Apple AirPort kexts to detect and use it. I wouldn't recommend that, however, because it's a low-end card and doesn't work well in Windows.

Does the ATI 7500 card work in there?

I have a dell 700m with:
pentium M 1.6ghz
1024mb
40gb
integrated intel extreme 2 graphics.. with QE working wide screen
wireless works.. burns.. etc...

you can get one for under a G

did you mess with the kexts yourself? how did you get wireless working? how fast does it run osx86 compared to xp?

As I previously posted, my D600 (which is the Latitude twin of the Inspiron 600m) has fully-functional graphics. When I bought my laptop, I upgraded the video to 1400x1050-capable, which I can also get in OSx86.



Wireless only works if you have the right wireless card - usually a broadcom chipset. If you're running any of the Intel PRO/Wireless cards, you're out of luck for now.

OSx86 boots up incredibly fast on my 1.6GHz P4 M. It runs smoothly, and I rarely have any problems with it. I'd use it more if I could get wireless, though...the only time I ever plug into a physical network is when I'm at work twice a week.

Asustek. They make iBooks... they also make some PC'books that look like Macs.

A second best might be one of the Samsung X-series, or if you're a sheep, a fugly VAIO. Google it up, but tbh you'll have a hard time finding anything as sexy for less. Either wait for Intel Macs, pony up for a real (aluminium) one, or deal with an unsexy -- or expensive, brick. Indeed, a brick which in all likelihood won't scale to Mac OS x.5, 6, etc.

Yeah, I know, sorry -- but buying a laptop for a hacked version of Tiger may be a false economy.

that is the sanest thing I read all day. if running a hacked OS, for there is no available native software of any significance (photoshop, maya etc...) influences your decision in buying a laptop, you must be quite rich in which case you can afford a powerbook. This OS X is excellent for fiddling around with but I would never settle for a lousy notebook with gma900 just because it runs OS X with QE and CG accelerated. You can buy an Hp nx9125 for a very decent price (i have one given to me at work) and have 64-bit capabilities, fingerprint reader etc.. as a future proof (in a sense) notebook. I don't intend to be harsh but to buy a system for OS X purposes seems very unreasonable to me.
just my .02 $

i agree. if you are going to buy a computer for mac os x, just buy a real mac. that's what i did, and i'm very happy

I just spent three hours reading forums this and others and still can't find a solid answer for a notebook laptop whatever,,, that runs Quartz extreme core image and all of that nice 3d stuff.
For others looking here is what I found to be helpful
sse3 <-- works best ??
Asus A3E <-- only in the UK
DirectX 9 <-- comes on the intel below, but reviews of it are kinda meak
Intel 915G <-- best working design so far but suffers from on board cg card that is not ati or nvidia


Of that it is not certian what works yet,,, But one would love a Sony s series or A series
Go 6400 or some sort of newer cg card supporting pixel shader 2 or pixel shader 3

weeeeee madness

I have gotten a number of private messages over the last five weeks or so regarding how I got OS X to run so well on my Dell Latitude D600 (twin to the Inspiron 700m, BTW).

My answer?

I have no idea.

Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, works except the Intel PRO/Wireless 2200 B/G MiniPCI card. Audio, 1400x1050 SXGA+ video, CD burning, DVD playing, iTunes, Rosetta, etc. I used the Maxxus patch to enable Rosetta to run PPC applications, and everything runs amazingly well. I can run Photoshop, Fireburn, MS Office X, and a couple cheesy games (Super Collapse II, Tetris, etc) with no problem. Firefox takes a little bit of time to load, but it's no more than how it handles on Windows XP...

All I did was DD the image following the online instructions on the OSx86 wiki. The video worked (I think) after i deleted all the ATI kexts, but to be honest, I just don't remember. Everything else I do know worked immediately, including the Broadcom 57xx gigabit adapter, which I know some people have been unable to get working properly.

I wish I could help more, guys. Sorry!

Yes, that was the same experience I had with my Lat d600, however, you should report back after you've upgraded to 10.4.3 (the *real* 10.4.3, not the "copying of 10.4.3 files into 10.4.1" deal).

Under 10.4.3, Audio works, but video is limited to 1024x768 due to the just-born ATI drivers. Onboard broadcom ethernet interface doesn't work, wireless (truemobile 1400) barely works. Rosetta is unstable as all get out..and it takes twice the time to boot.

No big deal, right? You can just stay with 10.4.1, but nothing will ever be compiled for 10.4.1, so you'll have a good OS that won't run any apps..

Honestly, even that wouldn't bother me, b/c I typically use my laptop for couch based web surfing, but the lack of ATI drivers forces me to 10.4.3, and its all fubar'd from there..

op

If you want a notebook that even has the looks of an iBook, take a look at the MSI Megabooks.

I'm running 10.4.3 on a MSI Megabook S260...everything works perfect, except for the Intel 2200BG Wireless.

I have the black edition, but they are also available in white.
http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/not...ing.php?UID=607

I see from the specs that these have intel video.... are you able to get QE and CI working on the panel?

Given the regression in terms of workable wireless, not to mention the display issues, I say wait. Possibly new Apple ones in January, and if we're lucky, we'll see a 10.4.4 build before that which works with other cards and then you can decide.

My NC6000 works (QE and CI @1400x1050 with mobility 9600), but no networking.

sorry cant help on that one but actually I own a real powerbook and feature for feature with what software comes with it I couldn't spec a machine any cheaper I was kind of surprised my self.. actually I still don't know of any notebook with firewire 800 which powerbooks come with. Anyway happy hunting and i am sure the Intel Mac powerbooks will be cheaper so if you dont find something to suit who knows ?

You are generally correct. However, who really uses any Firewire devices, let alone Firewire 800? Most normal consumers are using USB 2.0 these days. In fact, the new 5G Video iPod AND the iPod Nano don't even support firewire connections for data transfer anymore. That's just my comment on that.



I don't quite get this part of your post - I'm running the original 10.4.1 release, and I have no problems running any applications (aforementioned Photoshop CS, Office X, Fireburn, MacSSH, etc). What can 10.4.3 run that 10.4.1 can't run...?