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What do you think about Hackintosh running on a dell netbook?

F

fcamilleri

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 7, 2009
80
0
In Your Mind
I know I'm probably breaking a rule for this post since it refers to Hackintosh, but here I go anyway.

I have heard that the Dell Mini 10 Netbook is able to run OSX with EVERYTHING (wifi, mac touchpad tricks, etc.) So naturally, since Apple is too damn lazy right now to jump into the exploding netbook market, I was thinking of purchasing one.

Specs are as follows
1 GB RAM
1.66 GHz Processor
120 GB hard drive
Intel GMA 500 (about 224mb)

Good idea?
 
I had a Dell Mini 9 (older model than the 10) and I "hackintoshed" Mac OS X (with a valid retail DVD of course) to test it out and it worked quite well. Everything worked smoothly on it after OS installation and a quick driver install package. Even the webcam and bluetooth worked (I used to video ichat on it, very cool on a 2.5lb machine the size of a small book). Only thing was the Atom 1.6GHz is kinda slow and the GMA950 graphics card is weak so I had trouble viewing some flash videos on line and some video MKV files I had (would stutter like crazy to make it unwatchable, I tried VLC, Quicktime w/Perian, Plex, Mplayer, etc.). Unfortunately these were deal breakers for me (and the fact that any Mac point upgrade like 10.5.6 -> 10.5.7 could bork the whole install) made me get rid of it (gave it to my mom). Nice little machines for sure though. Not sure how easy it is to do on the new Mini 10's but I think the GMA 500 is even weaker than the GMA 950 so something to consider if you're planning on watching intensive flash videos or MKV files.
 
Oh yea check out the mydellmini.com forums if you're interested as they have a dedicated hackintosh sub-forum there. Very helpful info with step-by-step guides etc.
 
Eidorian said:
Get the 10v with the GMA 950.
Click to expand...

That's right. The GPU is one of the most important things to look for.

If you can stretch your budget to around $550, check the Dell outlet for a Vostro 1320 with 9400M. If you get the right processor, your performance will be on par with the 13'' MBP.
 
It'll be slow as hellfire88 has said. But that's the sacrifice of using a netbook. It's not unlike using a 12" iBook with Leopard except the iBook's keyboard is full size and the screen is slightly bigger.

edit: Of course the time's running out on PPC software. The Dell should last longer in that respect although still limited by its specs.
 
Tallest Skil said:
You're not breaking a rule.

I'm fine with any Hackintosh as long as you actually buy a copy of OS X.
Click to expand...

Glad to know you've blessed his purchase.

What would he have done with out you?


As others have said, you might run into a problem if you're not using the GMA950 video. I had a Mini 9 and it worked fantastically. Just a bit too cramped for me.
 
The dell mini 10v is what you want to get, as it has essentially the same guts as the 9 in slightly bigger (and IMO) easier to use form factor.

If you get the 10v, get it off of dell's website and get the 6 cell battery for $30 usd extra. Buying it after your purchase will cost $150! The standard 3 cell lasts only a hair or two more than two hours, which is weak.

The dell mini forum has a lot of good info, but they could be a little better about posting comprehensive, easy to follow beginner's guides about using the different install methods with the different machines.

Another valid option would be to install ubuntu netbook remix to dual boot with the existing windows partition. I would rate its usability, feature set and form factor as an equal to osx86, and it's a hell of a lot easier install. Unless you have a mac program that you specifically need to run, try that first and save yourself a weekend's worth of aggravation. (This comes after years of snickering at the '200__ is going to be the year of desktop linux, man!' guys.)

Oh, and the 10v is a true PITA to up the ram in. Instead of removing two screws and popping a bottom panel off, you've got to literally disassemble the entire machine to get to the ram at the bottom of the motherboard. The HP mini 1000 is miles ahead of the dell on that regard. The reason why I bought my dell over the HP was its quiet, fanless operation.

Choose wisely, and good luck.
 
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