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Why You Should Build a Hackintosh

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Re: Why You Should Build a Hackintosh

#51

Post by spork12 »

ironjunkie wrote: post #6

I really don't get it. The biggest appeal of Apple is their wonderful hardware. I dislike MacOS and it has been worse over the last years. It seems to me that a Hackintosh is the worst of both worlds. If you spend that much time hacking around the hardware anyways, why not use Linux ?

I like their software. I get an opinionated *nix under the hood and everything just works. I can text message, my calendar syncs to my iphone, and I like a lot of the macos only apps (fantastical, iterm, forklift, transmit).

I've used and still used linux a lot but it can be a pain. Much of the desktop linux software is lacking that extra 10% of polish, there are always little annoyances. And nothing pains me more than needing to load up a QT app in my Gnome environment.

Re: Why You Should Build a Hackintosh

#52

Post by radarsat1 »

MikeKusold wrote: post #41

I ran a hackintosh around 2009-2010. I will never do it again. When I first got it all setup and had everything working, I thought it was the best thing ever. Then a security update came out and it completely wrecked my setup. I didn't own any Apple computers at the time, so to fix my broken setup I had to borrow a friend's macbook to fix my desktop. This happened to me 2-3 times before I reformatted and installed Li…

I ran Linux on the last two MBPs that I used (from my work, can't afford one myself). Best Linux laptops I've used. And physically solid, I like the hardware quality. Only struggle was the HiDPI stuff which takes a bit of setup (some environment variables to set, basically) but once it works, it works.

I wouldn't say that MBP is "unsupported hardware" for Ubuntu.

I rebooted to OS X only rarely, for testing Mac programs, or sometimes for Skype and doing presentations, when I really didn't want to fuss with projector problems. (These days Skype is working a lot better on Linux..)

Re: Why You Should Build a Hackintosh

#53

Post by knuththetruth »

mbell wrote: post #30
dljsjr wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because keeping a Hackintosh up and running is a hobby. It requires maintenance. macOS point release comes out? Better hit the forums/subreddits and start looking for driver compatibility/kexts/other hacks etc. Hackintoshes are crazy fragile. I had a Hackintosh during the Snow Leopard years and when Lion came out I just gave up. Parent comment was simply saying that macOS on Apple hardware doesn't require maintenance…

> Because keeping a Hackintosh up and running is a hobby. It requires maintenance. macOS point release comes out? Better hit the forums/subreddits and start looking for driver compatibility/kexts/other hacks etc. Hackintoshes are crazy fragile. I had a Hackintosh during the Snow Leopard years and when Lion came out I just gave up. They aren't particularly fragile anymore, it's been quite awhile since an update broke…

Is there a community site that outlines recommended builds? I haven’t looked at Hackintosh stuff since the Snow Leopard days, but am reconsidering now that all my macs are getting up there in age (and none of Apple’s new offerings are appealing).

Re: Why You Should Build a Hackintosh

#54

Post by bdcravens »

ironjunkie wrote: post #6

I really don't get it. The biggest appeal of Apple is their wonderful hardware. I dislike MacOS and it has been worse over the last years. It seems to me that a Hackintosh is the worst of both worlds. If you spend that much time hacking around the hardware anyways, why not use Linux ?

I wouldn't call their latest generation of MBPs wonderful. I've had weird video issues with both machines I've had (2016 and 2017 models). Touchbar is a novelty. Initially used TouchID, but haven't for several months now. (using 1Password's browser extension that doesn't support it, and Apple Watch for unlocking the machine). Haven't had the keyboard issues, but I also dock so I rarely use the keyboard.

I tried switching to Linux, but so many parts of my workflow I was making compromises on. (for instance, I prefer Tower for git and Transmit for S3) Multi-monitor was a headache.

Re: Why You Should Build a Hackintosh

#55

Post by dkonofalski »

komali2 wrote: post #26
jarcane wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Their “wonderful” hardware costs a lot of money, is chronically underpowered compared to the competition, basically doesn’t exist in some form factors, and regularly comes with unnecessary and user hostile features. Frankly, I can get the same or better hardware in a Thinkpad, which was designed with actual users in mind rather than aesthetics, is more durable, has better battery life, still has a real keyboard, is s…

I can't for the life of me understand why Thinkpad doesn't nuke Mac in sales, other than I guess marketing? Or just maybe people prefer the "simplicity" of MacOS? Because Apple hardware is pretty? I must be neckbearding, because from an objective standpoint, it doesn't make any damn sense. Swappable batteries (on some models), universally better keyboards (at the very least, more robust!), usually far cheaper for far…

I think you are neckbearding because it sounds like a lot of your issues just boil down to unfamiliarity with the OS. There's a ton you can configure especially if you're comfortable with the command-line, which, as a Linux user, it sounds like you are.

Re: Why You Should Build a Hackintosh

#56

Post by rconti »

This doesn't explain why I should build a Hackintosh.

I did it about 8 or so years ago on a Thinkpad T60. It was fine, and basically worked.

But my time was more valuable than the incremental cost for Apple hardware.

Re: Why You Should Build a Hackintosh

#57

Post by e12e »

peatmoss wrote: post #14

Most people invoking a moral imperative to not make hackintoshes are coming from the angle that it’s stealing from Apple. I look at it another way. Apple, as a company is failing to meet the needs of some of its users: - You can’t get an upgradable pro machine - you can’t get a good keyboard (for some definitions of good) - macOS gets more iOS-ified with each release and some people don’t like that Every Hackintosh c…

> Most people invoking a moral imperative to not make hackintoshes are coming from the angle that it’s stealing from Apple.

I don't feel a moral obligation not to steal from Apple. I'm not sure I could steal (and use) an amount from them that would impact them at all. I mean even if I stole a classroom full of MacBook pro's in order to give free programming classes - it's not like it would affect Apple in any meaningful way.

But I don't quite get why anyone would go out of their way to get hw they'll never be able to run legally licensed os on. For fun and learning, sure. Turn your linux/bsd box into a hackintosh by dual booting. But you can never do any work on it without risk. So what's the point?

Sure you can "buy" a copy of os x - but you only get install media and a license to run on Apple hw.

Re: Why You Should Build a Hackintosh

#58

Post by wilsonnb3 »

peatmoss wrote: post #14

Most people invoking a moral imperative to not make hackintoshes are coming from the angle that it’s stealing from Apple. I look at it another way. Apple, as a company is failing to meet the needs of some of its users: - You can’t get an upgradable pro machine - you can’t get a good keyboard (for some definitions of good) - macOS gets more iOS-ified with each release and some people don’t like that Every Hackintosh c…

>Most people invoking a moral imperative to not make hackintoshes are coming from the angle that it’s stealing from Apple.

>I look at it another way. Apple, as a company is failing to meet the needs of some of its users:

I don't see how the two perspectives are related, unless you think a company failing to meet your needs as a consumer is a valid reason to steal from said company.

Re: Why You Should Build a Hackintosh

#59

Post by mbell »

komali2 wrote: post #26
jarcane wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Their “wonderful” hardware costs a lot of money, is chronically underpowered compared to the competition, basically doesn’t exist in some form factors, and regularly comes with unnecessary and user hostile features. Frankly, I can get the same or better hardware in a Thinkpad, which was designed with actual users in mind rather than aesthetics, is more durable, has better battery life, still has a real keyboard, is s…

I can't for the life of me understand why Thinkpad doesn't nuke Mac in sales, other than I guess marketing? Or just maybe people prefer the "simplicity" of MacOS? Because Apple hardware is pretty? I must be neckbearding, because from an objective standpoint, it doesn't make any damn sense. Swappable batteries (on some models), universally better keyboards (at the very least, more robust!), usually far cheaper for far…

> Swappable batteries (on some models),

I don't see the advantage, why would I pay the size / weight penalty? I don't use my machine long enough on battery in a single sitting to gain any benefit from extra batteries.

> universally better keyboards (at the very least, more robust!),

That is not an objective statement, its purely subjective.

> usually far cheaper for far better internals,

Not really, if you actually build a comparable machine the 'apple tax' doesn't even exist for many of their product, and is a couple hundred bucks for the rest. I spend a significant portion of my life on a computer, a couple hundred bucks means nothing. What you can do, and what usually happens when people do cost comparisons, is cheap out on some parts and come up with something considerably cheaper. That's fine, but it's no longer an apples to apples comparison and not a matter of Apple charging too much.

> ability to swap hardware out, before-market and after-market customization options...

Hardly anyone does this, even for desktops. I've been building my own PCs for ~20 years now. I remember the days of the 440BX chipset, when it came out you may have had a ~250Mhz cpu and 128MB of RAM, but just a couple years later you could toss a ~1Ghz PIII and multiple GB of ram it in cheaply. Thing is, that doesn't happen anymore. CPUs aren't advancing that fast and by the time you would want to upgrade the CPU there is a pretty good chance the new CPU requires a new chipset. RAM is also stagnant, we aren't seeing higher density or cheap prices (quite the opposite on prices actually, they have sky-rocketed). Point is, the last 3 PCs builds I've had are fully expandable and everything is swappable, yet the only component that has changed in any of them is the GPU. Expandability just isn't terribly important anymore.

Re: Why You Should Build a Hackintosh

#60

Post by detaro »

wilsonnb3 wrote: post #58
peatmoss wrote: post #14

Most people invoking a moral imperative to not make hackintoshes are coming from the angle that it’s stealing from Apple. I look at it another way. Apple, as a company is failing to meet the needs of some of its users: - You can’t get an upgradable pro machine - you can’t get a good keyboard (for some definitions of good) - macOS gets more iOS-ified with each release and some people don’t like that Every Hackintosh c…

>Most people invoking a moral imperative to not make hackintoshes are coming from the angle that it’s stealing from Apple. >I look at it another way. Apple, as a company is failing to meet the needs of some of its users: I don't see how the two perspectives are related, unless you think a company failing to meet your needs as a consumer is a valid reason to steal from said company.

They aren't saying they are related except that they are both arguments against using Hackintoshes?
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