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Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide

tonymacx86.com

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Re: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide

#51

Post by wuster »

eropple wrote: post #39
jfroma wrote: post #31

I tried once but now I don't understand it. The main benefit for me using OSx is that is a nix desktop os that works well on a very specific hardware. Having used linux on the desktop before for years I always had some problem with drivers and alike. If I were willing to deal with these kind of issues I'd do it with some linux distribution not osx. I guess there are some cases like developing software for Apple os.

I can only speak for myself, but I Hackintosh because I need more computrons than I can get in a retina MBP or a Mac mini and I'm not paying $5K for a Mac Pro. My desktop (a Nehalem i7 with a Radeon HD6870) is still competitive with every Mac they field, aside from that Pro, and I paid about a grand for it three years ago. Even aside from the lack of basically essential applications like Photoshop and Illustrator, I'…

Same here, I run a spec that Apple simply won't sell me. The moment they sell me a computer that's user upgradable over time and allows me to choose the monitors (no glare, please) that fit my needs, I'll say TAKE MY MONEY!

My Hackintosh built in 2012 for less than $800, it has:

- Core i5 3.4 GHz (still competitive with Mac CPU specs sold in 2014 and into 2015) - GeForce GT 640 with 2 x DVI + 1 x HDMI for a triple monitor setup (much better than anything in Mac Minis and some iMacs) - 2 SSD drives for main OS - 2 x 3TB magnetic drives (sync'ed to Amazon Glacier)

Note that two years after my initial build, faster CPU options and graphics cards can be swapped in with incremental upgrades as my requirements increase.

I'll post separately in this thread tomorrow about my recommendations and experience running this machine, but it's hands down the best Mac money can't buy, with room to grow.

I don't do it because I don't want to give Apple my money, I have to do it because Apple won't take my money.

-

P.S. IMO, Hackintosh only makes sense for desktops. While the various methods could get it to work for laptops, no manufacturer comes close to Apple's build quality. That trackpad is just amazing.

Re: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide

#52

Post by hapless »

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #37

It's worth noting that this site, TonyMacx86, isn't well-liked by some of the Hackintosh community, because they plagiarise and rebrand software and drivers helpful or necessary in Hackintosh setup. The guide may be useful, but please get your setup tools from the original sources. My main source for this is conversations I've had in IRC, but it's also been noted elsewhere.[0][1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Also, apparently…

I don't think anyone is surprised when a software piracy site doesn't have careful copyright attributions for all of its piracy tools.

Re: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide

#53

Post by Karunamon »

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #37

It's worth noting that this site, TonyMacx86, isn't well-liked by some of the Hackintosh community, because they plagiarise and rebrand software and drivers helpful or necessary in Hackintosh setup. The guide may be useful, but please get your setup tools from the original sources. My main source for this is conversations I've had in IRC, but it's also been noted elsewhere.[0][1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Also, apparently…

Damn, I'm surprised somebody actually bothered to archive that post. #9 is me - It gets better though, after I wrote that post, his "legal team" sent me a "DMCA" in an attempt to get the post killed off.

Tonymac is not a great guy. Between the bans for innocuous questions, the hypocrisy, the fact that him and his staff reportedly read user's private messages, and the fact that he tries to intimidate people into not talking about his stolen code.. ick.

Re: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide

#54

Post by hapless » 

  Your karma check for today:
  There once was was a user that whined
  his existing OS was so blind,
  he'd do better to pirate an OS that ran great
  but found his hardware declined.
  Please don't steal Mac OS!
  Really, that's way uncool.
  (C) Apple Computer, Inc.
(from a low page written in memory when Don't Steal Mac OS X.kext is loaded)

Re: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide

#55

Post by DanBC »

FireBeyond wrote: post #34
lmz wrote: post #28

While I'm not saying it's not fun to try and run OS X on PC hardware, can anyone explain to me how this is not morally equivalent to unauthorized copying / software piracy, given that they are both violations of the license agreement?

If you acquired the software legally, what then do you think? Now ask yourself this question if you legally purchased Oracle or MSSQL, and were evaluating for an application, testing, etc - and now I inform you that that's unauthorized, and Oracle's license forbids you from doing any form of benchmarking related to the database. Do you feel that you are being immoral to test your application?

Oracle licensing allows you to benchmark the software. You're not allowed to disclose the results without permission.

http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/pricing/olsa-uk-v111003-0...

You may not:

• remove or modify any program markings or any notice of Oracle’s proprietary rights;

• make the programs or materials resulting from the services available in any manner to any third party for use in the third party’s business operations (unless such access is expressly permitted for the specific program license or materials from the services you have acquired);

• cause or permit reverse engineering (unless required by law for interoperability), disassembly or decompilation of the programs; or

• disclose results of any program benchmark tests without Oracle’s prior written consent.

Re: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide

#56

Post by tinco »

judk wrote: post #50
FireBeyond wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your definition of support is the ability to "moan at [the vendor] if nothing else", is it really worthwhile to consider as an alternative? Your hardware is still warrantied by the respective vendors.

You can't walk into the Atheros Store at the mall to get warranty service.

Eh, that makes no sense. You can't go to the AMD store in your mall to get your Mac Pro fixed either.

You can however, if you buy your HackPro all together at one store, go to that stores service desk and have any component replaced, they might even give you a loaner to work on while your HackPro is being repaired.

Most computer stores have better support than Apple too.

Re: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide

#57

Post by lokeshk »

After a bit of brain storming between mac and hackintosh, I eventually decided to buy a mac mini 2012. I agree that the site appears very convincing, but I wonder if it's worth putting the effort to build a system that may or may not work 5 years from now.

I took the cheapest mac mini 2012, $499 at BHPhoto, and upgraded the RAM to 16 GB, and HDD to 512 SSD. Couldn't be happier! I can see this device working 5 years from now.

Re: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide

#58

Post by matthew-wegner »

m0th87 wrote: post #4

Do these rigs break down with Apple patches or the like? Can I reasonably expect a setup now to work 5 years from now?

I've been running a hack desktop as my main rig for a few years (10.7 -> 10.8 -> 10.9 -> 10.10). My hardware setup only requires a single 3rd-party kext (for networking), so it holds up super well with updates. I can patch dot releases with no trouble, and only need to do a full USB key install for major releases.

I went hackintosh when the Mac Pro line had become stale. Today I would probably just suck it up and get a real Mac Pro if I was in the market for a new machine, to be honest. I've spent a lot of time on the initial setup and failed experiments and iMessage trouble and things.

(Now I run my setup with a cloned serial/ROM/MLB/etc values from one of my real Macs that I took off iCloud, which solved all of my iMessage related troubles apparently permanently).

Re: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide

#59

Post by zerr »

lmz wrote: post #28

While I'm not saying it's not fun to try and run OS X on PC hardware, can anyone explain to me how this is not morally equivalent to unauthorized copying / software piracy, given that they are both violations of the license agreement?

Apple also forbids virtualising OSX on non-Apple hardware. So you can't run your OSX (which e.g. you bought legally) on VMware on Windows PC.

So yes, formally this is illegal, but it is about common sense - when you feel that it is wrong to forbid such things - you happily "break" "law"...

Re: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide

#60

Post by sauce71 »

sounds wrote: post #3

The Hackintosh movement is still going strong. One would think Apple would make their life difficult but quite the opposite appears to be the case: there are a few well-understood workarounds to get OS X working on an off-the-shelf PC, mostly just audio and networking. Be careful if you choose not to follow the guides, though! There's a reason most Hackintoshes use Gigabyte motherboards, Atheros wireless, etc. - Just…

Obviously Apple has outsmarted us again. I love my Hackintosh with the "free" OS X (That I have had the last year (Coming from MS). But ... I finally got a iPhone a few weeks ago and I have bought for me and my so and children in the last 3 years: 6 iPads, 4 iPhones, 1 MacBook Pro, 2 MacBook Airs and 2 Apple TV's. We are now totally entrenched in the Apple Ecosystem. I love how all my devices now play together. The next six months we will likely buy 1-2 new iPads, 1 iPhone 6, 2 iWatch, 1 Apple TV and possibly another MacBook. So ... As long as Apple do not have any reasonable priced / hackable desktop I think they will be very carefull to not make osX harder to run "unofficially" on Hackintoshes. I actually get a feeling they make it easier all the time ...
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