Mac users' opinion on Hackintoshs

[gnalc]

i'm a proud hackintosh user (Q9300, P35-DS3P, 4gb DDR800 RAM) but i do have a real machintosh (my old 17" powerbook). obviously, i am not a mac purist -- i just go for what's efficient and what's readily available to me based on resources and my technical know-how.

 

i love how the way mac's os behaves, because it doesnt really get in the way of your work. but i also love having to tinker and play with the hardware. having a hackintosh satisfies all of these things for me -- having a zen-like, easy to use operating system AND the joy of having to be able to open up your computer anytime and put/remove things

[.ShadowFox]

As a Proud mac user since age 7. (I am currently 16 )

I have to say the following:

-Apple prices their computers in fair manners.

-Apple doesn't make a lot of mistakes like Microsoft does. And if they do, they let it go and don't try to fix every single thing that goes wrong. They learn to accept the past.

-OS X86 is alright. But for a gamer to use OS X86 for anything? Come on!

[marshallnoise]

I am new to Hackintoshes but Apple has always been an elitist company in my opinion. They have been about exclusivity from the onset. This makes them look pompous in a way that is just offensive. On the other hand, Gates and company have been outstanding at business modeling and expansion. He isn't interested in exclusivity, rather he is interested in domination. That reeks of piety in another way, but much more "American" than Jobs has gone with Apple.

 

The only way Jobs could keep Mac exclusive is charge out the ass for the product and make damn sure no one could build it. Fortunately for us, even Apple can't deny economics anymore. So his profit margin went up because he can use the same chips as everyone else, but still charge incredulous sums of money for the same hardware.

 

Not any more Steve. There is no way I will buy a new Mac when I can build it better, faster, and to my specs.

[Headrush69]

I am new to Hackintoshes but Apple has always been an elitist company in my opinion. They have been about exclusivity from the onset. This makes them look pompous in a way that is just offensive.

So maximizing profit = pompous and offensive?

 

Comparing business models between MS and Apple is pointless as they aren't even selling the same products/services.

Additionally, simple comparisons ignore all other factors and assume everything works in a void.

 

The only way Jobs could keep Mac exclusive is charge out the ass for the product and make damn sure no one could build it. Fortunately for us, even Apple can't deny economics anymore. So his profit margin went up because he can use the same chips as everyone else, but still charge incredulous sums of money for the same hardware.

 

Not any more Steve. There is no way I will buy a new Mac when I can build it better, faster, and to my specs.

So you admit that the product itself is worthwhile, but hardware costs are ridiculous?

So is it safe to assume you at least bought a legal copy of OS X to compensate them for that work which isn't over priced?

 

Sure some people do but a lot more people don't.

No matter what excuses or reasoning we may come up to justify this, simple fact is many people are cheap and if they weren't using a pirated OS X, they'd be using a pirated Windows OS.

[marshallnoise]

So maximizing profit = pompous and offensive?

 

Comparing business models between MS and Apple is pointless as they aren't even selling the same products/services.

Additionally, simple comparisons ignore all other factors and assume everything works in a void.

 

 

So you admit that the product itself is worthwhile, but hardware costs are ridiculous?

So is it safe to assume you at least bought a legal copy of OS X to compensate them for that work which isn't over priced?

 

Sure some people do but a lot more people don't.

No matter what excuses or reasoning we may come up to justify this, simple fact is many people are cheap and if they weren't using a pirated OS X, they'd be using a pirated Windows OS.

 

Elitist = Pompous. Not maximizing profit. But some companies charge a reasonable amount for their product; Apple doesn't. It relies on that name just like Mercedes does. That is all I am saying.

 

And no, I have not purchased a legit copy of OSX yet but I plan to. The product is worthwhile to someone who relies on that software to make a living. At least that is how I see it. Windows is worthwhile to 90% of the business world because without it, they wouldn't be able to function. Well, the same can be said for music/video people who rely on Mac Stuff.

 

For me, I just think it is cool to have a triple boot system.

[gengstapo]

i really like apple product, but really, it IS expensive. so, i have to opted into hacintoshes as i only could afford that. beside, running retailed os x is fun, u could easily get update patched release officially w/out breakin' the system itself. plus, some HacPro do have better spec compared to real MacPro.

[Tony Conte]

As an old X86 user, I have to say it's a really good way to learn mac os x.

And what is cooler? After you experience you buy a macbook and live happily ever after!

[Master Chief]

I like Apple, but having to cash out a hefty 849 euro for a 24" LED monitor, which I cannot even connect/use on all my hardware is in my view ridiculous.

 

TIP: Some of the prices in the UK store are a lot cheaper, so I am getting my hardware from the UK these days (tickets and a nice day for free).

[macm31]

Mac users are arrogants, they think that you are the kind of computer you use, and i think, that is {censored}. So i dont give a F#@% Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, they don't pay my bills and i simply do with my software or hardware whatever i want, so F%#$ the EULA and all regulations, that just protecs the economical interest of MS and Apple and dont give a F$#%@ about education and the freedom of software utilization. I dont want to mean that we have rights to do piracy i think that this is a personal decition we all have to take, is like the abortion isue, I think is not right, but i don't give a f$%#@ if a woman decide to do it, is not my problem, so let be tolerant. And that the problem with your friend, he just licks Steve Job's balls like all Apple fans ( the same for some MS fanatics).

[.ShadowFox]

Mac users are arrogants, they think that you are the kind of computer you use, and i think, that is {censored}. So i dont give a F#@% Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, they don't pay my bills and i simply do with my software or hardware whatever i want, so F%#$ the EULA and all regulations, that just protecs the economical interest of MS and Apple and dont give a F$#%@ about education and the freedom of software utilization. I dont want to mean that we have rights to do piracy i think that this is a personal decition we all have to take, is like the abortion isue, I think is not right, but i don't give a f$%#@ if a woman decide to do it, is not my problem, so let be tolerant. And that the problem with your friend, he just licks Steve Job's balls like all Apple fans ( the same for some MS fanatics).

Then why are you on here?

Dumbass.

[Nishant7310]

Wow.. I got into a heated debate with my buddy last night.

 

It all started out with me complementing how beautiful the new mac keyboard is from this picture of someone using it with his "PC".

 

to his statement of hackintoshes are "ghetto"..

 

Direct Quotes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is this really how Mac users feel? I was going to install MAC OSX on my pc for fun.. but am I supposed to feel ashamed of it?

 

But it's also true I can't afford a mac because I can't justifying spending 2,800 bucks for the same gear I can get for 1,500. So any comments on this are definitely welcome.

[Chris Mills]

As a former HackBook user now using a MacBook, I have found the experience better on the MacBook because all the hardware is supported, but in fairness the quality of the components is the same.

[bonfilio]

I'm a Mac guy (see sig) and I've got no problem with Hackintoshes. If a DIY Hack enables someone to be more productive, or creative, or just enjoy their computing time more, have at it.

 

Generalities are hard to express w/o sound pretentious or insulting, so please forgive

 

That being said, I don't think Hacks will ever really convince anyone to switch away from traditional pc/windows that didn't already have the propensity of being a Mac 'type' in the first place. When a user (thinking along the lines of a slightly more power-user) is more focused on a specific over an experience (for lack of a better word), that's not a user who would generally be interested in what Mac/OSX has to offer.

 

Example: hardware enthusiasts - being able to tweak every piece of hardware, change stock voltages to get that much more performance out of ram, etc. This is more about what you can get your hardware to do rather than what your hardware can do for you.

 

Example: avid gamers - being able to go out and buy every new graphics hardware upgrade, download and tweak every non-whql driver to see how much more performance is possible, play every new game on release day, etc. Macs have games and more are coming out all the time, but that's not really a Mac thing. Each game is a sort of one time exposure before you move on to the next one to come along - without sounding corny, you don't really establish a relationship with the game you play. WOW is a good anti-example.. probably one of the most successful mac games - yeah, everyone on PC plays it too, but that doesn't mean it would succeed on Mac.

 

Example: FOSS/Linux types - if you're a full time linux (or bsd or even hurd (haha you loser) - NOT mach/darwin) user, generally it's because you want to be. People don't switch to linux because it's free when every off the shelf computer comes with Windows. Love Linux, I've been using it in various capacities since Slack 1.0 and Yggsdrasil but I never made a full time commitment to it. I never really had something to say or show by using it.

 

None of these are bad things, it's just different ways people work with or enjoy their computing. Being a Mac type is really just the same as being a hardware type, or a gamer type or a GPL Richard Stallman Linux n4z1 type - your expectations and satisfactions are all that are different.

[uray]

being purist of apple hardware is like you just following apple move on hardwares, the closed platform..., means lack of freedom to choose which hardware you want to install on your PC, you can't choose to install high-end GPU like GTX295 or 4890X2, high end CPU like phenom X4 or Core i7, huge ram like 8GB DDR3, fancy liquid cooling, huge LCD monitor up to 32", high performance SATA raid or SSD drives, high end sound card for gaming X-Fi or Asus Sonic...

 

if you don't want to use those fancy hardware, so just follow mainstream apple hardware which is always slower and more expensive than any independent PC vendor.

 

being apple follower will give u nice designed apple hardware and cute OS, but just it.. u can't install any application or high end games, because its all limited to hardware choices. so i see the mac fan or apple purist is just a guy accept anything in his life and his life is just simple on using its PC for everyday life not a hardcore or an expert in computer.. not cool..

 

so for me i better use upgradeable or independent PC, being able to use OSX is just a nice bonus, if only apple would sell its osx for open platform PC it would be nice, but they are selling its hardware not the software

[abezors]

Most "proper" Mac users are mostly against Hacks.

 

I disagree. I am all for the osx86 project and have 1 (soon 2) hacks myself.

 

We have 7 proper Macs in the house (from Performa, G3, G4 to Intel), and I've always been a Mac user. As much as I'd love a fully specced Mac, it's out of budget. Besides, I LOVE having the whole build-a-pc experience, and choosing whatever hardware I require. I can live with the complexity of finding compatible hardware etc, since I am a geek and tinkerer, and used to these sorta missions.

 

So no, my family and I have spent thousands on Apple products, and there is no anti-hackintosh feeling. I personally feel that, so long as the OS license is legit, there is not much problem. A lot of osx86 users end up buying real hardware anyway.

 

IMHO, the people who would be against osx86 are the naive users who think the project is run by pirates :pirate2: ... Or the wannabe-chic users who get a Mac so they look cool, spend $$$ on one, then get p*ssed off when we have them for a third of the price. Oh, and there's always the diehard Windows fans who just hate everything

[Swathe]

I am new to this forum and just had to post in this thread.

 

I run a Hacbook (Dell Insprion 1525) and it runs like a dream. i have a good desktop machine (e8400, 4gb of ram and 9800GT) that I am considering installing OS X on also. I have always been an extreme hate of mac fan boys. apple hardware looks sweet in alot of cases, but that is not a reflection on component quality. Dollar for Dollar, I could build a desktop that would spank a mac pro and still save a heap of cash. I can't afford a mac pro, plain and simple. I am a power user and currently run linux ( and anyone who thinks linux is hard to use is kidding themselves) as I am over windows and their poor product. OS X is stable because it's unix and that the platform is so closed.

 

Hackintoshes will always exist when the price for apple hardware is still so high. Would I but a legit mac? If i could afford to expend that amount on a PC yeah. It would be hard to justify it compared to the monster i could build for the same amount of money.

 

hackintoshes have brought me and no doubt many more closer to being legitimate mac owners. I personally think they are a good thing.

[geekdad]

Well I have both a MBP and Dell XPS Hackintosh.

I think there is a real need that Apple is not filling right now. I need a desktop that I can upgrade the video card or even upgrade the CPU. I think there is real market for a desktop solution that is not a MacPro or an iMac but somewhere in the middle.

That is my need so therefore I hack! :-)

I have been a longtime Apple owner and influence my friends to buy Apple when ever I can.

I bought Macbooks for my sons for school.

BUT Windows keeps me employed. I do Data Security for a fortune 500 company and we aren't switching to Macs anytime soon.......or ever.

[mac09hack]

Macs are not overpriced when it comes to the hardware/software deal. This has been proved on these very forums.

 

On to the topic at hand, I think the hack community is a good development opportunity for everyone. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have things like Natit and other critters. My big issue is when someone comes in saying "I am a professional _____ and want to use a Hackintosh to _____." Not only is that being completely stupid, but you're making a profit off of stealing/copyright infringement/whatever you want to call it today.

 

 

I have been a faithful customer for years! Apple has jacked up the price of their 8 core towers to astronomical prices and I can build a more complete MacPro with a BluRay drive for at least half that price. Plus it can be overclocked to 3.8 or 4.0 Ghz. How many $4000 do you want to spend before getting an i7 Core at 3.5 Ghz? My Quad core is everything I need to do what I want to and don't fool yourself thinking Apple didn't think this Hack stuff wouldn't surface when they went to Intel based Mac's. After all the money I have given Apple, I am not one bit ashamed of building my own.

[General_Cartman]

If it wasn't for my first Hackintosh I would have never known how good OSX was so I wouldn't have bought my Macbook. And the machine in my sig is a "hackintosh" but in a real mac case running a completely stock install, so it's as close to a home-made mac as you can get! Mac Pro performance for a lot less price.

[surfer96822]

hmm... my opinion on the subject is mixed.

I think hackintoshes are temporary... and although Macs are slightly more expensive than similarly configured PCs, there is a quality about them that really makes it worth it. and I'm not talking about the logo.

Your friend is right in that it's the whole experience that counts, but I would disagree with his point about people hiding behind the term "enthusiasts." If you're at this board, you're an enthusiast. Period. I don't think that's a shield! At the same time, those who do it to save a buck need to realize: It's not just the OS!

 

-Urbz

 

 

My Macbook quality is dubious at best. The infamous "superdrive" progressively failed and many tanked after a firmware upgrade from apple.

 

Next my apple battery swelled so much it affected the trackpad and the apple genius just told me the trackpad is bad and entire keyboard needs replacement as macbook wont power on.

 

I have 3 other notebooks and non of them have been plagued with all the problems as the macbook., and 2 of them are quite old.

 

I agree the mac designs are nice but in actuality they are pc components perhaps with specific firmware.

 

When my macbook died I removed its hard drive and booted it via usb on a psystar clone. My hack saved the day, especially sine it was new years eve. I post my experience on apple discussions but their censors deleted it within minutes.

 

I could see the mac prices justified if they specifically raised build quality but if you follow apple forums and appledefects.com this is not the case.

[ezrasastry]

As an owner of a MacBook Pro for two months now here is my opinion:

Apple overprices, if you can install Mac OS X on your PC temporarily until you can afford a mac, or just install it because you don't like macs go for it, it doesn't hurt anyone. You're the consumer, if Apple doesn't give you what you want as far as hardware and price goes, too bad.

 

I used an HP hackintosh until I could afford my MacBook Pro.

 

That's nice to have a word from you.. and I would like to know somthing regarding to MacBook pro.

 

How much it cost dear pal the MacBook Pro? How useful it is in the marketing field?

 

Thanks,

Ezra.

 

 

 

.

[ekimseekem]

I love Apples' OS, but I disagree with their linup of desktop hardware, which ranges between small and tiny, to all-in-one, to mighty and powerful. For me, I wished Apple would introduce a computer with similar specs as an iMac, but in the form for a Mac Pro (ie tower).

 

This is the reason I turn to hackintosh, gives me control over hardware expandibility while keeping some change in my pocket.

[madd!n]

I'm a real Apple fanboy, i've been using macs for about 4 years now.

Everything started with the smallest mac mini, which already required a lot time to save money for, then I bought some older, used Macs like a G3 imac, because it was cheap and i always loved the design...

 

Today I own about 6 or 7 macs, some of them are not in use anymore, i work for an apple reseller in germany and i love my iphone and my other apple gadgets...

 

But then i wanted to have a real powerful machine and although i don't think macs are that overpriced as others do (development, hardware-software-adjustments, lovely details and quality, etc…), i couldn't justify the price tag of a mac pro. In addition i wanted to play some new games as well, and as we know there are just very few games for mac...

So i started thinking about some small gaming pc - hackintosh combination and did a lot of research and in the end it was getting really expensive but i stayed under a thousand €, which is less than a third of a comparable mac pro's price. It was a lot of fun (and hard work as well) to build, and it works more or less as reliable as a real mac, and i love it.

 

So all in all i don't hate hackintoshs or call them macs for the poor ones, but i think you should own a real mac to get the whole apple experience or at leat buy the OS if you can't afford one.

[leafhound]

Mac owner here, I have no problem with people putting OSX on none Apple hardware.

 

Utter ridiculous is, If you buy software and then be ordered only to install it on specific hardware. Just glad it's not law where I live.

[lordofthedread]

I didnt read all but so far and from my own experiences and also seeing Mac peapeole going to Hackintosh here are my thoughts :

 

For a laptop definitly go and buy a MacBook Pro not only for the design but also for the choices of the materials and reliability.

 

As for an iMac i personnally dont like them since its basically a laptop with a nice scren that you have to put on your desk, everything is built in, changing a part requires to be from apple staff and you cant just add a fonctionality like a 2nd video card or even a bigger or a second internal hard drive like you can do in a Mac Pro.

 

For a Mac Pro the reason to go Hackintosh is obvious really you can get the same power for half the price , of course you wont buy a Intel Xeon but frankly who needs 1 or even 2 intel Xeons to run programs on a Mac ....

 

Also if you go to Apple store and check the price of adding a second hard drive into your mac pro everyone knowing a little the prices on PC can tell you its way overpriced.

 

Of course most of us around install OSX on their PC for fun because it is.