OS X works just fine on AMD

[GroundLoop]

I have no idea why everyone is getting soooo excited about this. The version of Mac OSX and Intel hardware that the developers currently have are by no means the final version of the software/hardware. We should all know Apple by now. They are going to lock it down so that when the first Macintels come out that there will be absolutely no way for the OS to run on non-licensed hardware. Apple is a hardware company first and foremost (that uses great software to sell more hardware).

If the OS were to run on any old x86 PC, Apple would cease to exist. To prove this point, just look at any piece of financial data for the last 20 years. An overwhelming majority of their revenue comes from hardware sales (not software).

http://images.apple.com/pr/pdf/q305data_sum.pdf

Hickman

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Apple just needs to start marketing what it does best and thats software, not stale ppc hardware. Why cant we have the best OS on the fastest hardware? I would love for my Athlon 64 to run Mac OS. Only reason i bought a PC was because of stagnated allmost no advancement in the hardware side of Apple. Not selling your strongest product (software) because you want to sell your weak hardware is stupid. Kicking out PPC is a good first step but apple needs to just market last years version of the OS to the PC world and make lots and lots of $$$.

 

[johnnyjibbs]

It all goes back down to that age old question of whether Apple wants to be a hardware or a software company. For the moment, and the forseeable future, Apple chooses the former (more profit to be made from Mac sales than OS X sales).

However, it cannot be denied that the popularity of OS X is there and that many Windows users have itchy fingers. Some would say that Apple is making the same mistake it did 20 years ago and that if it opened OS X up to the masses, Windows Vista could be squashed in one fell swoop. Certainly, I'd wager we'd suddenly have a LOT more OS X software too.

But in doing so, inevitably Mac sales and therefore Apple profits would drop. (And Microsoft would somehow find a way to get royalties or something from each sale of OS X, don't ask me how but they will!!).

One question though: what happens to Virtual PC in the Intel switch? And what is Microsoft's position on all this? At the moment, sales of VPC are good for Microsoft because it's another sale of Windows for them. In fact, it is often said that Microsoft gets more profit from the sale of each Mac than the sale of each PC and I can believe it. But once Macs embrace Intel what need is there for the emulation? This won't matter to Microsoft: they'll just happily oblige in selling Windows directly for Mac systems. But will Apple want or allow this? (Probably, because they allow Virtual PC). Would anyone want to buy Windows if they had OS X - the arguably (by most including me) superior OS? Very interesting indeed.

 

[jayscheuerle]

It all goes back down to that age old question of whether Apple wants to be a hardware or a software company. For the moment, and the forseeable future, Apple chooses the former (more profit to be made from Mac sales than OS X sales).

Apple isn't a hardware OR software company. They sell an experience that can be had only by having BOTH. Change either the machine or the OS and you're not having an Apple experience.

 

[YoYoMac]

I foresee activation keys in Tigers future....

 

[johnnyjibbs]

Apple isn't a hardware OR software company. They sell an experience that can be had only by having BOTH. Change either the machine or the OS and you're not having an Apple experience.

I think that the fact that this Intel OS X works on AMDs and all manner of PCs and the fact that PPC OS X works on so many different Macs with such different architecture (i.e. G3s, G4s, G5s) that the "all works as one" slogan is just a line of BS from Apple Marketing. But it sounds good and we all like to believe it.

 

[ohcrap]

Haven't you all figured it out yet? "It just works", dammit!

 

[Eric5h5]

It runs on AMD's chips!!! There is a God after all .

Of course it runs on AMD. It would be incomprehensible if it DIDN'T run on AMD. x86 is x86....

But once Macs embrace Intel what need is there for the emulation?

I would think it's far more convenient to run Windows in a, er, window on OS X, than it would be to constantly reboot every time you wanted to run a Windows application. Hence the continuing need for emulation.

--Eric

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Of course it works on AMD! It's x86!

One problem: When Apple does release OS X for x86 to the public, if their "technology" for preventing OS X on non - Apple boxes is as weak as it is for the developer version, everybody and their dog will be installing it, just like now.

I really don't agree with all this illicit installling of OS X on PC's - Anyway the PC users are just going to whine when Apple refuses to license to final OS to other OEMs and continue trying to hack it. Tough S*** people, if you want OS X buy an Apple.

I have mixed feelings on the wisdom of licensing the OS - Would Apple's hardware survive? I think not, at least not in anything like it's present form. The volume manufacturers would bury Apple in a sea of cheap boxes running OS X that massively undercut Apple's pricing. Say what you will about quality and style, if they undercut Apple people will buy them to Apple's detriment.

 

[ohcrap]

Tough S*** people, if you want OS X buy an Apple.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Mord]

i have it running on my 3200+ venice at 2.8GHz and have had for a while, nothing new.

and as for apple licensing the OS it'd be a good thing, they will always have the laptop market and the AIO market the only line that stands to loose is the powermac market and they will survive, apples hardware sales will even go up once OS X is the mainstream and they would open up a whole new revenue of money through software licensing, the trouble in the 90's was that their was nothing special about macs compared to the clones people just bought what was cheaper so apple gave their market share to the clone companies and lost out, now they have the opportunity to spread, personally i'll never buy a non apple laptop, pc laptops are too badly designed and generally suck in one way or another.

 

[musicpyrite]

i have it running on my 3200+ venice at 2.8GHz and have had for a while, nothing new.

Natively or though VMWare? What motherboard and chipset are you using?

Works fine for me though VMWare on a 3000+ Winchester and a nForce 4 SLI chipset. Haven't tried to run it nativly... that's a long story.

 

[Mord]

native, i have had the original installer with the hacked DRM for a while now, i ran it in VMware at first and then wiped a HD and ran it natively but it does not work with my x800, i have to swap out a crappy rage 128, when i boot with the x800 it boots to a yellow scrabbled screen with a kernel panic.

it's running on a gigabyte nforce 3 board, ethernet does not work but firewire does so i use my ibook as a bridge.

 

[jer446]

i would love to see apple making deals with all the large computer companies like dell, and having an option of having osx on those machines. Then they would make more money in software because for every machine sold, they would get some money, just like microsoft does now.

 

[wPod]

It runs on AMD's chips!!! There is a God after all
Too bad it is not Apple designed hardware, because it looks like crap.

that solves everything if apple decides to make OSx86 availble to anyone with x86. millions of people dissapointed in vista will buy the OS for their current hardware. but a large number of people will see the hardware as cool for the same reason the iPod is cool, b/c it just looks better. so apple will keep the high margin hardware business going as well as selling to the high numbers of OS buyers out there. its a win win situation. . . if they would actually go through with it! ha. . . they will probably stick to the same thing of keeping the software on their hardware, there will be a couple hacks to get around it but that will end up keeping OS X away from the general population. so OS X will stay in its same small niche of apple users, they might gain a few more though not very significant with vista comes out. and they will gain a few people buying the OS and putting a hack on it to get it on their intel machines, but that number will be so small it wont even show up on apple's radar. someone needs to talk some sense into apple!

 

[0098386]

urgh. not AMD. Intel is so clean, so pure. Intel and OS X go together. AMD is more fitted towards PC's

*using my way of thinking

 

[Mord]

your way of thinking is wrong.

AMD currently leads with desktop cpu's the K8 is much much better than netburst, this will change with conroe.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Apple isn't a hardware OR software company. They sell an experience that can be had only by having BOTH. Change either the machine or the OS and you're not having an Apple experience.

Boy thats some spin. sure i like my Mac Software better but you know what i use now everyday? my PC and it aint far off from OS9 in my view.I have my iTunes and my Gaming and People are having the same experience on Pcs as Macs. just ask any developer. There isnt any point to this charade any longer, the world went windows & Pcs. Lots of Hardware sitting around that is just waiting to be running Mac OS. Its time for last years OS or a lite version for Pcs. Apple could kick Microsofts fanny now with software but it wont happen if your trying to get folks to buy new hardware just to have that software. Hello

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

your way of thinking is wrong.

AMD currently leads with desktop cpu's the K8 is much much better than netburst, this will change with conroe.

AMD rules for gaming just pick up any issue of PC gamer. Very happy with Athlon 64 it laughs at Doom3

 

[SteveG4Cube]

I think Apple's plan is obvious:

Release OSX for x86 to developers, make it somewhat easy for people to crack and run on PC boxes.

File a lawsuit here and there to stop people from illegally distributing the developer version in violation of the contract they signed when purchasing it - thereby bringing attention from the press that OSX runs on x86.

Meanwhile, hackers start running it on their PCs, see what they've been missing, start telling their non-geek PC using friends about it. Now everyone wants OSX.

Apple then releases the final version when the Mactel boxes start shipping. They make some changes to lock it down, making it harder, if not impossible to run on generic hardware. Maybe they drop the pricing a bit on hardware. Now both the hackers and the general PC using public have all the reason they need to buy a Mactel machine. Plus, they can still run windows on it if they need to.

All of this in time to beat the release of Longhorn/Vista/whatever they wanna call it. What better time for PC users to switch?

 

[jimN]

Why haven't apple legal shut that article down and why haven't macrumors closed this thread? Isn't this sort of thing what they are supposed to be clamping down on. I would love to see apple take a few of these people for a few thousand under software theft laws that would wipe the smug smiles off their faces.

 

[Josh]

^^ Freedom of speech.

People can talk about OS X running on anything they want, Intels, AMDs, Toasters, etc...and Apple can't do a thing.

Did you sign anything saying you wouldn't discuss OS X on alternative platforms? I know I didn't

Steve Jobs said it himself..."It's all about the software." Couldn't be more true.

The arguement 'Apple makes more profits on hardware than on OS X' is not a point at all, infact - it's a useless statement.

Of COURSE they do - the hardware costs 10+ times as much, and who do you know that buys Apple hardware, and THEN buys the software? Once you buy the hardware, you don't need to buy the software. It comes with it. So that should be no surprise.

Also, the ONLY reason people buy the hardware is to run the SOFTWARE. PPC's aren't fast - no one is buying powermacs for speed. They are buying it to run OS X. If people had the choice between a $2500 Mac that runs OS X or a $900 AMD that's twice as fast and runs OS X, the choice is quite obvious: they are going with the AMD.

The day of proprietary hardware is over. Talk about the "Apple Experience" and other myths the zealots like to spread all you wish - but OS X will be made legally available by Apple to anyone. It WILL be made to run on any machine. Just wait and see.

It doesn't take a PHD in rocket science to see what's going on here.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Why haven't apple legal shut that article down and why haven't macrumors closed this thread? Isn't this sort of thing what they are supposed to be clamping down on. I would love to see apple take a few of these people for a few thousand under software theft laws that would wipe the smug smiles off their faces.

Sounds like you are for the Police State, just what we need more freaking stupid laws. If you own a mac or OSX you should be able to run OSX on anything you like vern Control freaks dont like that do they

 

[Lord Blackadder]

If you own a mac or OSX you should be able to run OSX on anything you like vern Control freaks dont like that do they

Not if they signed an NDA...

I'm sorry, I can't find sympathy for people who chose to pirate their developer copy of OSX for x86. It's blatantly illegal for the developer to put it on BitTorrent et. al.

The hackers are going to get their hands on pirated OS X one way or another, but people who signed the NDA absolutely should be punished for breaking it.

If Apple choses to license the OS (which I doubt) I wonder if they will attempt to restrict it to OEM sales (other hardware manufacturers) or let it go retail. They would certainly have to expand their customer service center in a hurry to service the millions of PC users trying to install OS X...all in all this would require a large number of changes (more customer support, massively increased hardware support) to support the new installed base and I don't think Apple intends to make this commitment in the near future.

 

[beatle888]

This is the best thing to happen to Apple in like, forever. Slow but surely, OSX is building mindshare into the minds of ignorant PC users. This is a good thing™.

why is this the best thing to happen to apple? losing control of how your OS is distributed is positive? i think its unsetteling at best. apple isnt going to make the majority of its profits from selling its OS at $125 a pop. they need the software to entice people to buy their hardware. but now you can buy a cheap PC and install OSX so SCREW apple.


doesnt sound good to me.