How To: Hackintosh a Dell Mini 9 Into the Ultimate OS X Netbook

http://i.gizmodo.com/5156903/how-to-hackintosh-a-dell-mini-9-into-the-ultimate-os-x-netbook

by rogercosseboom • 17 years ago

91 47 17 years ago

i.gizmodo.com

jrockway4• 17 years ago

I really like the Hackintosh movement.

Who ever would have guessed that installing OS X would be harder than installing Linux, and would have less hardware support? It almost makes me want to giggle.

(Oh, I love how you have to boot into the CLI. If this were Linux, everyone would be up in arms about how unintuitive it is. But if you're hacking OS X, ITS SO SUPER COOL. I am amused.)

dangrover• 17 years ago

That's not quite a fair comparison. Apple isn't presenting OS X as something that's meant to be easy to install on different computers. So of course anything you have to hack to install is going to be tricky.

jrockway4• 17 years ago

Sure, I know. You still have to muck around with the command-line, and you don't get full hardware support. People seem perfectly happy to make these compromises to install OS X, but they will whine and whine if it's Linux. What's the difference?

Anyway, all I said was that I find this amusing.

davidw• 17 years ago

> Who ever would have guessed that installing OS X would be harder than installing Linux, and would have less hardware support? It almost makes me want to giggle.

Hardware support is easy if you completely control what hardware you run on.

dotcoma• 17 years ago

also: why in the world go that extra step, when Ubuntu is way better?

herval2• 17 years ago

"Who ever would have guessed that installing OS X would be harder than installing Linux, and would have less hardware support?"

given the fact it is purposefully done NOT TO be installed on non-Apple hardware, I guess anyone could easily guess that...

pavelludiq2• 17 years ago

Anything mac fans say about this might be true, but irrelevant. OS X is better on macs than on pc's, macs are better computers, they feel better, they look better, this IS illegal, etc. But the problem is with choice. Choice is good. And some of us LIKE Dells, imagine that.

unalone3• 17 years ago

Notice the problems that're being stated about hardware failure. You don't get that on Macs because Apple controls exactly what hardware gets used on their computer. That means that their developers can focus on other cool things instead.

In the end, Apple chooses whether or not we have a choice. With their product the best choices are they ones they allow. Outside of that, the choice is between Mac and some other operating system.

omouse• 17 years ago

Where are the Apple fanboys whining about the ruining of the Apple "experience"?

palish• 17 years ago

Reddit.

GHFigs2• 17 years ago

If that's the kind of discussion you're looking for, you might be happier on some other site.

jrockway4• 17 years ago

They are all replying to my comment a few lines up :)

voidpointer• 17 years ago

All whining about how running OSX on non-apple hardware ruins the "Apple Expiience"... Isn't this supposed for "love" of OS X cannibalizing the exact same thing it is evangelizing?

This is based on the assumption that Apple is able to develop a superior operating system because they can support the effort with hardware sales. If everyone would install their copy of OSX on hardware where Apple doesn't make money, how can they continue to improve OSX?

They might start to license the "right" to run OSX o hardware manufacturers but that would get them into the same compatibility hell Microsoft has gotten themselves into. I can very well understand how they don't want to get into that spot.

It's a nice pass-time and I don't think it hurts anyone given the small scale on which this is happening. Plus it may keep the folks in Cupertino on their toes for coming up with better hardware in the future.

Furthermore, as for the Linux comparisons. This clearly shows how Linux' most glaring deficiency is the lack of a consistent UI experience. There is a heavily fragmented mess bolted on top of dear old X11. It works - sort of - and as long as you stay within your chosen camp (Gnome, KDE...) you might not be off too bad. Sooner or later when you need other applications you'll get into toolkit hell.

pstinnett2• 17 years ago

Has anyone here done this? I'm thinking of buying either a Mini 9 or Mini 12 with my tax refund and installing OS X. Curious to know what you think / how speedy it is.

Zev2• 17 years ago

Not very well. Its maxed at 1gb ram, and has a GMA 950 (Apple doesn't even sell these anymore, its not a good onboard gfx card)

And an Atom at 1.33GHz won't be well. 1.6GHz barely cuts it with the Air.

pstinnett2• 17 years ago

Ugh. And I just took a look and apparently the Mini 12 doesn't work at all with OS X.

GHFigs2• 17 years ago

Additionally, the Air uses a Core 2 Duo, which is faster, clock-for-clock than the Atom.

minsight4• 17 years ago

The Dell is sold with a maximum of 1gb of RAM, but it can be upgraded to 2 gigs for OSes that aren't limited during compilation to only deal with 1gig (hint: OSX). I know this is true, because I spent thirty bucks and upgraded mine today. It works well.

whughes• 17 years ago

OS X wobbles along on the much slower PPC machines, though.

pibefision• 17 years ago

GMA 950 its a great onboard video card. Even GMA 900 was great.

critic2• 17 years ago

I wonder if such an installation would survive any software updates from Apple. Would Apple in general be able to tell you are not running this on genuine Apple hardware?

pertplus• 17 years ago

Quote from the article: "and on top of that you'll run into all kinds of problems should you ever want to upgrade your OS or software via Software Update."

critic2• 17 years ago

This is if you DON'T follow the instructions in the article. I'm asking about what happens if you do.

trezor• 17 years ago

I've been looking into getting a simple Hakcintosh environment to fool around with, and this made me check for how well Hackintosh is supported on the EEE.

http://tigeroneeepc.wikispaces.com/working

I guess I'm not going to bother.

redrobot50502• 17 years ago

Maybe the EEE isn't the way to go. The MSI Wind Netbook is the de facto hackintosh. So much that people are selling it as a "Macbook Nano" on Ebay.

How To: Hackintosh a Dell Mini 9 Into the Ultimate OS X Netbook

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