April 23rd, 2008
Why I won't be buying a "Hackint0sh" system
A few people have been asking me why I’ve not gone to the Psystar website, whipped out my wallet, blown the moths out of it and bought myself an OpenComputer. Well, here’s why …
The idea seems to be that if I slap down my cash and buy one, and I actually get it, and when I get it, the system actually runs Mac OS X like a Swiss watch, I’ve proved both that the company actually intends to ship systems, and that those systems are actually capable of running Mac OS X. Case closed.
Not so fast there Sherlock. Personally, I don’t think it would prove a damn thing. First off, I’ve never once claimed that Psystar is a fake or hoax company, or that it doesn’t have any intentions of shipping systems.
Secondly, there’s a good chance that the system will run Mac OS X just like it says it will on the box. It’s not as though Psystar came up with the idea of the Hackint0sh. If you want a PC that will run Mac OS X, you don’t have to or need to go to Psystar. You can do it yourself. Google is your friend. There’s no magic to it. It’s not easy, but that doesn’t stop people from doing it.
Another reason why I’m not interested in a Hackint0sh is that I’ve no intentions of getting caught up in the crossfire between Apple and Psystar. In much the same way that Apple updates bricked unlocked iPhones, I expect Apple to tweak the Mac OS X code so it breaks the EFI V8 emulation and that’s then going to be a problem not just for Psystar and its customers, but for everyone running a Hackint0sh. Sure, Apple won’t be able to prevent Hackint0sh, but it can make life difficult for owners. Also, let’s not forget that Psystar is making commercial use of the EFI V8 emulator, a move that violates the latest license agreement.
But there’s another reason why I’m not buying a hackint0sh, and that’s because the system is nothing more than a science experiment and I already have enough science experiments going. I’ve already got a Mac and at the moment I don’t really need another, especially not one that could need a lot of hand-holding in the future.
Thoughts?
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
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| 04/23/08
