365/24 - so expect support for only 15.208333 days a year
|
|
|
Apple hobbles Hackintoshes
APPLE HAS REMOVED all support for Intel Atom processors from the latest developer build of Snow Leopard, according to a blog post by Stellarola.
Apple's motives for removing the functionality are not clear, but the move is sure to fuel more conjecture about the company's much-fabled tablet device. When the rumour mill first started churning out snippets of (mis)information about the as-yet-vapourware Itablet, everyone assumed that, if it ever materialised, it would run on Atom architecture.
Reports attributed to Cupertino insiders said, however, that Apple engineers were entirely underwhelmed by the performance of Chipzilla's diminutive processor platform. So underwhelmed, in fact, that Steve Jobs got out his cheque book and snapped up chip designer PA Semi, a company that specialises in making the most of Brit chip shop ARM's low draw yet very capable CPU blueprints.
If Apple does release an ultraportable device, whether it be a traditional clamshell netbook or an overgrown Iphone, it certainly won't be cheap, as we have said before. Apple makes premium products for people who care less about price than aesthetics and functionality, so building an entirely new product line down to a price is, quite frankly, never going to happen.
So what do you do if you are on a limited budget but want Snow Leopard in your pocket? Well, as far is Apple is concerned, you'll have to break the law.
Apple's End User Licence Agreement (EULA), which anyone who has ever installed OS X will have read, understood, and digitally signed (what do you mean you just kept clicking the next button?) states that it is illegal to install Snow Leopard, or any other flavour of OS X, on anything other than an Apple branded computer. We have neither the space, nor the inclination, to get into the legal ins and outs of this particular argument in the context of this article, so let's just all agree that, legally, it's all a bit iffy.
Whether it's against the law or not, the Hackintosh community is a force to be reckoned with. Every move Apple makes to stop this loose alliance of hackers from making OS X accessible to all is quickly countermanded. Such is the extent of the support offered by the likes of Hackintosh.com, it is now difficult to find a modern computer platform which won't run OS X, albeit after quite a bit of complicated poking about in the machine's operational innards.
We'll make the sweeping assumption that anyone who is willing to break the law by installing OSX in contravention of Apple's EULA will probably be the kind of cove who won't be too bothered about paying for the operating system in the first place. Don't forget that OS X has none of that Genuine Advantage DRM malarkey attached to it. If you can download an ISO file and burn a DVD you can install it (Don't do this at home kids. It's against the law).
The upshot of all of this is that - armed with a £250 netbook, some slightly dodgy software written by a bunch of self-styled modern day Robin Hoods, and a wanton disregard for the laws of whichever land you happen to be reading this in - you could have a neat little device which runs what many consider to the the most complete and useable operating system currently available. Which has understandably got the Sheriff of Cupertino's tights in a tangle.
Whether Apple's move to exclude the Atom crowd from the party is part of a bigger plan, or just sour grapes, only time will tell. What is certain, however, is that if a new Apple ARM-based pocketable PC is on the horizon, and the Cupertino Cabal is trying to kill off the Hackintosh pretenders to make way for a new incumbent, it will have a fierce battle on its hands.
It doesn't matter how much CPU interrogation the off-the-shelf OS X installer carries out. No matter what Apple does, it will only be a matter of time before a modified kernel tips up to let the Atom-weilding gatecrashers in through the back door. µ
Share this:
Share
"PA Semi, a company that specialises in making the most of Brit chip shop ARM's low draw yet very capable CPU blueprints."
They specialized in making the most of a certain Apple-IBM-Motorola alliance's PowerPC chips, before Apple bought them out... ['Proving' that Intel was the only way to go, right? No decent PowerPC chips left, no-siree..]
From Tom's Hardware And I Quote:
"It seemed that all the panic may be unwarranted, however, as Intel Atom support is back in the latest (10C535) build of Mac OS X 10.6.2. It's unclear as to what Apple was playing around with from version to version, but those with Hackintosh computers get a new glimmer of hope."
You guys crack me up. jeez, get a life.
Apple builds cases, and develops software for their cases. Main difference between my Studio XPS and my Macbook Pro? The case.
What you don't get about it is the fact that with opening up os x to general pc devices means you need to support them which means it would become another windows like os which needs to deal with different varieties of hw and support them. apple makes hw and sw for their hw, get over it :) and get a mac :P
...that they don't seem to understand what a cash cow they have in their barn.
If Apple released Mac OS X for general PC devices, they'd at a stroke make massive inroads into Windows.
At the same time, sales of Apple hardware would drop, sure, but not all that much. The current crowd of Mac-heads would remain loyally buying Apple kit, but they'd be joined by a whole new group of both home users and business people desperate to get away from MS's stranglehold.
And the best thing of all, from Apple's viewpoint, is that it costs practically nothing to press and ship DVDs.
Unlike hardware sales, which need a constant and VERY expensive design, development and production pipeline, OS sales are almost entirely margin, and don't have all the WEEE/green/certification problems that hang off electronics manufacture.
I just want to see the AAPL share ticker when they finally see the light. There's never been a better time for Apple to liberalise and liberate their OS assets.
the legalities, I'd like me a cheap netbook sort-a-thing with os x on it. Does anyone think there'd be a market for it? -a real one, os x.
Like, I go to the local computer emporium, pick one I like the colour of and the guy in the checkout asks: So, would you like Windows or OS X with that sir?
..to get news, opinions, and speculations about Apple from someone who doesn't seem to have some vendetta against them.
I don't know if you like,dislike, or don't care about Apple (and frankly don't care) - the quality of Stewart's articles are tenfold better than Nick and you can at least consider his speculations and opinions whether or not you agree with him.
Keep up the good work!
With the EFI bios-in-a-file used by most Hackintoshes, or by using an boot.plist, you can tell OS X you're running whatever CPU you say! Which means you can run an Atom-based box and tell OS X you're running an old Core-2 duo that doesn't have Virtualization. OS X won't know the difference.
I do find amusing the comments that the hackers make at other websites. They all start with the phrase, "Apple has no right."
The biggest is that Apple has no right to protect themselves from people who would steal from them.
The second is that the EULA is nothing but a contract and contracts are meaningless in America. That contract binds Apple, but not the hackers.
The third is that Apple gave up the right to protect, themselves, long ago, by not acting against Hackintoshes.
The fourth is that Apple is morally reprehensible when it starts protecting its rights. This is when they say the phrase, "How dare Apple do this."
In short, they are acting like snotty kids who's long suffering parents have laid down the law. They deserve a whipping at the minimum.
Atom is just as fast as Pentium M's now in use by millions of happy users. This is obviously not about performance. Apple makes these decisions to protect its market.
So, whens it's tablet (new iphone/pod) being released. Thats what Appo are working towards - a multi device with touch screen to replace netbbooks and supersede its other fan boy toys?
Slates are the future!!!