Live data from Hacker News

Modern “Hackintoshes” show that Apple should probably just build a Mac tower

arstechnica.com

21–30 of 218 posts

Re: Modern “Hackintoshes” show that Apple should probably just build a Mac tower

#21

For people wed to commercial design apps, I can totally understand the draw of running macOS on commodity hardware. But as someone who skews more to the hacker end of the spectrum and doesn't depend on commercial software, the day-to-day qualitative experience of Linux is head and shoulders above macOS these days. Ditto OpenBSD, etc. I'll never go back. At least it does if you've already come around to using a deskto…

[deleted]

Re: Modern “Hackintoshes” show that Apple should probably just build a Mac tower

#22
post #10
post #6

Do we really need a full tower? Isn't most of the space in a traditional PC "trash can" form factor wasted? The graphics card size would need to change, but it would be great if we could shrink the case and still have all the power of a desktop.

You can build a very nice and compact machine with a relatively small footprint using off-the-shelf components: https://taoofmac.com/space/blog/2016/12/17/1840 ...integrated graphics are plenty good enough for a lot of use cases, but you're right in assuming the graphics card would need to change. Current GPUs require a lot of extra power and cooling that requires a (mini-)tower form factor...

Someone should pre-build these machines, and just ship them without OSX.

Re: Modern “Hackintoshes” show that Apple should probably just build a Mac tower

#23

For people wed to commercial design apps, I can totally understand the draw of running macOS on commodity hardware. But as someone who skews more to the hacker end of the spectrum and doesn't depend on commercial software, the day-to-day qualitative experience of Linux is head and shoulders above macOS these days. Ditto OpenBSD, etc. I'll never go back. At least it does if you've already come around to using a deskto…

It's not just design, there's also a heavy reliance on Mac only (or at least Mac and Windows only) pro video and audio programs. I will say though, I've always loved running Linux on desktops where this isn't the use case.

We do have DaVinci resolve and natron.fr available free now which are better than any I've used before so video editing in Linux is improving.

Re: Modern “Hackintoshes” show that Apple should probably just build a Mac tower

#24
post #4

Why not allow developers to build their own Macs? The situation today in completely different than 1995-1996, when Apple briefly allowed Macintosh clones, before Jobs killed the project because they were cannibalizing Apple's high-end desktop sales. Now high-end desktop sales are such a small part of Apple's line that they let the products stagnate for years. Are Mac Pro motherboards really going to compete with note…

Drivers. Apple likes the control over the hardware and software, and packages all of the drivers needed to run macOS on any blessed instance of Apple hardware currently supported (and maybe even ever created, since Intel). If you wanted, and I have done this before, you can clone a Mac made HDD and boot it from any other Mac you can get your hands on, and other than the hardware swap it's basically a reboot. If Apple…

If it's for developers they don't have to guarantee it. I'm happily running a hackintosh right now. If they made it a little easier we wouldn't have to do weird hacks to spoof hardware ids just so messages work.

Re: Modern “Hackintoshes” show that Apple should probably just build a Mac tower

#25
post #6

Do we really need a full tower? Isn't most of the space in a traditional PC "trash can" form factor wasted? The graphics card size would need to change, but it would be great if we could shrink the case and still have all the power of a desktop.

Full towers have a couple benefits against smaller cases, thermals and space for expansion (internal hdd's, additional graphics cards, etc.). Smaller cases really suffer from lack of expansion space and often severely restrict the components you can use just based on the volume you can work with.

Re: Modern “Hackintoshes” show that Apple should probably just build a Mac tower

#26
post #12

How about Apple create a "Custom Hardware" program ala their Developer program and basically charge $99+ a year for a legal install usb image. Then they can skip building a Pro and concentrate on the portables and iMac they like.

Because the cost for supporting random hardware will probably run to more than they make from running such a program. Not to mention Apple doesn't seem to care about the developer and/or professional consumer anymore.

Just offer no support or set a rate to variety for it.

Re: Modern “Hackintoshes” show that Apple should probably just build a Mac tower

#27
You dont need a hackintosh to run a great mac for cheap(er). I picked up a 2012 mac mini off CL with 2.5 i5 and dropped in a SSD and maxed RAM to 16GB. Runs silent in a small package. Also added a 28" 4K off craigslist (although it'll only drive up to 2k). All for under $900

Re: Modern “Hackintoshes” show that Apple should probably just build a Mac tower

#28
Honestly, Apple should make a Mac tower, and then incentivize graphic card manufacturers to write drivers. Imagine a Mac with not last years cards, but current generation cards. No custom bios BS like they had before, just buy a card, put it in, install the driver.

Re: Modern “Hackintoshes” show that Apple should probably just build a Mac tower

#30
post #17

For people wed to commercial design apps, I can totally understand the draw of running macOS on commodity hardware. But as someone who skews more to the hacker end of the spectrum and doesn't depend on commercial software, the day-to-day qualitative experience of Linux is head and shoulders above macOS these days. Ditto OpenBSD, etc. I'll never go back. At least it does if you've already come around to using a deskto…

Uhhhh. I put my time in with a Linux desktop for nearly a decade until a job bought me a Mac and there's no way I'd go back. And I think my "hacker end of the spectrum" bona fides are pretty good--but those bona fides aren't incompatible with a preference for a pleasing UX that has been considered with users in mind, which for my money no open-source desktop environment has even approached (and I have my beefs with O…

Woah, woah, my comment never said that people who prefer macOS to Linux/*BSD are inferior hackers. I think I was clear that I was differentiating between the software that I run and the software that a creative professional is required to run. That is, I have a choice where to run my dev stacks, while a graphic designer is probably a captive Adobe CS user.

And yes, that's exactly what I meant by "qualitative experience." I was actively calling out that the opinion voiced in my comment was, like, my opinion man.

People are entitled to their preferences, and you clearly have yours neither is "silly" but we can still politely disagree.

Post reply on HN