Hackintosh vs Mackintosh

[kocregmail]

Hey everyone,

 

 

 

I have a Mac Pro in my office.... and I'm planing to buy a computer for my home.... and now ... there are few questions below I have...

 

 

 

1) Could a hackintosh clicking to update snow leopard thru. internet?

 

2) If I go for buying a PC for install OSX, is there any hardware list are perfectly compatible to OS X 10.6.X and 10.7 ..or later version ...and without any issue ???

 

3) How much did you spend build up an i7 hackintosh and work perfectly ? how much cost saving on these ?

[srs5694]

I'm not sure I completely understand your question #1; however, updating a Hackintosh via Apple's online update tools can be risky. Such updates have a tendency to render the system unbootable. These problems can often be overcome, but you'll need to do some digging in low-level system stuff, such as installing, removing, or replacing kexts.

 

As to hardware, you can find the hardware that people use in various forum posts and posts elsewhere. One that seems to get mentioned a lot is the "Lifehacker guide" (I believe this is what's meant). There's no way to guarantee that such systems will remain compatible with future OS X releases.

 

As to cost, you'll need to look that over for whatever hardware you decide to use. The Lifehacker system totals $950 (minus $35 in rebates), but it's a pretty high-end system. You could save $250 or so just by going with a cheaper CPU. It's possible to put together a minimal Hackintosh for $300 or so, particularly if you've got some components you can re-use; however, such a system will likely be lower-powered than most Macs. Although they're pricier than commodity PCs, real Apple Macintoshes use high-quality components, and of course the OS is guaranteed to work on it, with support from Apple that you won't get if you go the Hackintosh route.

 

My recommendation: If you've got the money, want a system that will be trouble-free, and can find a real Mac with the specs you want, buy a real Apple Macintosh. If you lack the money, are into the hacking experience, or if you can't find a Mac with the specs you want, a Hackintosh may be worth considering -- but be aware that it will take more effort to get up and running, as well as more effort down the road to upgrade, than a real Mac. If you're not into the hacking experience, then a Hackintosh is unlikely to satisfy you. In that case, either buy a real Mac despite other problems (even a used one, if necessary) or go with another OS. Even Linux is likely to be easier to install and keep up to date than OSx86 on commodity hardware.