
What makes a Mac a Mac - adamnemecek
http://512pixels.net/2016/07/what-makes-a-mac-a-mac/
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6stringmerc
What makes a Mac a Mac, to me, having grown up with a 512K and then some
subsequent, high tier machines by the same company, there are two things that
make a Mac a Mac:

1) It is the most appealing user experience and immediately gratifying "THIS
IS WHAT I WANT TO DO" computing platform for normal people, and especially
creative types, and

2) There are frustratingly idealistic components or limitations on the
hardware/software that make the experience one of perpetually having to think
creatively so the flaws don't kill the functionality.

What this really boils down to is a love-hate relationship with the platform.
Love being able to do creative stuff? Great! Make sure to back up your work on
a JAZZ drive. Like FPS games? Great! Play Marathon and then realize none of
your friends IRL can play with you. Let's build a whole professional video
editing studio around Final Cut Pro! Oh shit wait you're going FPX and
abandoning the suite? WHARRGARBL.

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derefr
These days, the functional, structural-identity definition of "a Mac" is that
it's a computer where:

1\. the OSX base-image includes drivers for all the components; and

2\. the ACPI BIOS has an SMBIOS table, which can be probed for strongly-typed
fields, where:

2.1. the SMBIOS BoardType and ChassisType fields are known valid enum-values
that OSX has in its model database; and

2.2 the SMBIOS SerialNumber and BoardSerialNumber fields are present and have
valid checksum bits according to whatever algorithm the OSX kernel uses.
(Further properties about the system are also embedded into these, so those
slices of the string must also decode to known-to-OSX enum values.)

3\. Finally, the ACPI device tree must have a virtual device, basically a
hardware dongle, located "inside" the keyboard in the device tree, that
responds to a probe with a static 64-byte string—basically a shared secret.
(It's actually an ASCII-readable string; it contains, in part, the literal
text "pleasedontsteal".)

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tracker1
I really wish that Apple would release a pci card for hackintoshes, so you
could just do a direct install... said PCI card would be for the sole purpose
of qualifying as a licensed, but unsupported mac clone.

Have a limited number of supported chipsets, and if people want to do their
own beyond that, so be it.

I'd happily pay $200-300 to be able to run macOS on generic hardware... My
home desktop (windows 10) is far more powerful than any mini, I don't like the
iMac's use of an integrated display, and the Mac pro is just too overpriced.

Having to do a manual upgrade cycle about once a year or so, and limited
support for new hardware really removes a lot of the appeal. Apple makes a
_lot_ of money on their other hardware, which requires OSX to develop for...
and I don't know how many people are buying their desktop/laptop gear. Not
sure if they could do a better job than their last generation of sanctioned
clones though. But a hardware tether device pci or usb for legit clones would
go a long way, even if a minimal thing.

Hackintosh legitimacy would make me, and a lot of others very happy.

~~~
adamnemecek
What is in this for Apple? I'm not sure they care about $200-300.

~~~
tracker1
It's mainly for a licensed user... to get more people running OSX.. more OSX
users, more people buying mac laptops... main reason it might be better to
only offer a PCIe card, that way it can't be used for mac laptops.

~~~
jolux
They don't want more OS X users, they want more iOS users.

~~~
true_religion
The two do feed into each other. If you use OSX, there's a huge benefit to
getting an iPhone or iPad as Apple software will mesh across those platforms.

If you don't use OSX though... then you may think Android is a good bet
instead.

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ninjakeyboard
I have run hackintoshes for years, produced music on them, run them as servers
hosting applications, used them for software development. They have been
perfectly stable with months of uptime, and flawless execution of music
production (given licensed software is used, which it is! :) )

Seem good enough to be called a mac for me! :) except can't update osx. would
recommend though if you're savvy w/ linux and on a budget apart from the fact
that you have no way to license it really. but it's a free legit download
anyway if you own a macbook or anything (which I do).

~~~
kevindong
Why'd you choose to build a Hackintosh rather than just going Linux and/or
Windows?

~~~
m_mueller
I'm not running a Hackintosh, but here's why I'd do it if Apple doesn't come
out with reasonable hardware soon:

* Lots of professional userland software that you don't get on Linux.

* Has a POSIX compatible terminal, package manager and fully integrated keychain built in (compared to Windows). Ever tried to get a reasonable setup for git, python, perl, ssh with PKE etc. going on Windows without pulling your hair out? With a Mac I'm productive within 1h (especially thanks to migration assistant), with Windows it takes at least a week and it's still not satisfying. In that time I'd rather setup a Hackintosh properly.

* hands down better configuration system than Windows (defaults system >>>> registry).

~~~
op00to
Here's why I wouldn't: who wrote the drivers that let you run that OSX on that
PC? Were the drivers audited? How do you know you're not root kitted from the
start? If I have money, I'll have a Mac. If I don't, there's Fedora.

~~~
pinum
FakeSMC, the only driver you truly need, is short and easy to build yourself
after a look over.

If you're determined to avoid other third party drivers, you can be sure to
use only natively supported networking and sound devices.

That only leaves the Clover bootloader, and it's certainly true that this
hasn't had an audit/is large enough that performing one would be quite a
project. However, it's fully open source and receives quite a bit of interest
from across the hackintosh community.

Hackintosh users are also rather small in number and mostly technically
knowledgeable; there are far larger and easier userbases to target rootkits
at.

Therefore, although I understand your concerns, I am not worried at all about
the security of my hackintosh.

>Fedora

Desktop Linux (any variety) is in no way comparable to the usability of OS X.
I say this as someone who ran desktop Linux exclusively for years.

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enmanuelr
I literally fail to grasp the point of the article.

~~~
antar
Looks like he just got tired of typing before getting to the point. Done is
better than perfect, I guess!

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HillaryBriss
> "Not meant to be upgraded, the Power Macintosh 4400’s 160/200 MHz CPU was
> soldered to the motherboard."

... that does kinda sound like a Mac

~~~
prodigal_erik
Except that it looks like an ordinary person could crack the case with a
screwdriver they actually have.

~~~
HillaryBriss
Ha! Good point.

The 17 1/2 sided appeositetrongic screwdriver which was designed specifically
for foiling safe deposit box thieves in Upper Volta was not required to
disassemble the thing.

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ksec
If we leave the OS discussion and focus only on the Hardware. I think Apple
has already made the sweet spot in PC for most users with iMac and Macbook.
While it was easy to dismiss its Server product range. Apple is neglecting its
power user. There were little to zero loyal Apple Server hardware users. (
Again OS / Software is different story ). But there are LOTS of Professional
and Enthusiast Apple Mac users.

They are small in numbers. Small in terms of iPhone users, small in Mac user
base as well. By all business decision and cases Apple should have disregard
them and focus on other areas.

But to me they are the bread and butter. They bleed Apple. Not a lot of
youngster these days could say the same. They buy Apple's product when it was
near bankrupt. They fuel Apple with cash for R&D when Jobs came back. They
are, by historic account, as important as Bill Gates investment into Apple.
They are the reason we have iPod. They are the reason we have iPhone, and
iPad. They are the reason we even have Apple today. They were the reason some
business had to be forced to make a OSX version of their Professional Apps.

So Apple, rather then handing out cash to buy back stock, I would have rather
you invest those into paying back some dividend to those very old loyal users.
A proper Mac Pro, just to put a smile on their face.

------
yuhong
"The Power Macintosh 4400 required expensive 3.3 V EDO memory, back when every
other Apple computer worked with cheaper 5 V DIMMs."

The fun thing is that most 64Mbit DRAM chips was 3.3V, yet the 4400 did not
have support for most of them.

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yuhong
I think it was partly arguments over Mac clones that forced Gil Amelio out. I
was wondering what would happen if CHRP and Mac clones actually happened, with
Ellen Hancock eventually becoming CEO. This reminds me of the "xMac"
arguments. This also reminds me that Apple tried to bring PC style floppy
drives to the Mac twice (the LPX-40 was part of the second attempt).

~~~
tracker1
I wouldn't mind seeing something much closer to a semi-generic micro-atx based
"Macintosh" with standard components, aside from a simple license device
attached inside, maybe in a pci slot or internal usb header. The Mac Pro is
just too much cost for the value, and the mini isn't enough performance.

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acomjean
Yeah, My first 'mac' was a clone machine in the mid 90s. A "Tower Power Pro"
by the now defunct "power computing". They were better made and slightly
cheaper than macs at the time (Not cheap though). Ran MacOS officially. Very
reliable machine and pretty fast machine (for the time). Kept it for a while,
upgrading ram, drives and the processor.

Specs here: (I don't think the prices listed where right though)

[http://www.everymac.com/systems/powercc/powertower_pro/power...](http://www.everymac.com/systems/powercc/powertower_pro/powertower_pro200.html)

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cutie_honey
Millions of years ago, when I was in high school, and the alternative to a
Power Mac was a Gateway 2000 that could never ever hope to run Adobe Photshop
on Windows 95, the article's Mac was assuredly a Mac.

Clunky, stamped die-cast metal crap, and grey-turned-beige-turned-sun-burnt-
poo-brown colors aside, when compared to contemporaries, it was memorably more
interesting to scribble with a mouse on a Mac, and not browse garbage on AOL
with a PC clone back then.

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Nullabillity
> It wasn’t a Mac, it was a Macintosh clone made by Apple.

True. Contrary to most macs, that one actually looks like it would at least
function as a brick.

------
Stratoscope
I don't know what makes a Mac a Mac, but right now I'm running Windows on
mine.

When I got my first ThinkPad in 1998, I fell in love with it - the way people
fall in love with their Apple devices! - and swore I'd never buy another brand
of computer.

Of course, later I got into cross-platform web development and needed a Mac,
so I bought the cheapest Mac Mini I could find and upgraded it to a decent
amount of RAM - a whopping 2GB!

Had to get special tools to take it apart - a pair of putty knives! - and
unbend the bendy circuit board to get the RAM in, but it worked. I could still
develop on the ThinkPad and test websites for Mac compatibility on the Mini.

I stuck with ThinkPads for some time, ending up with a W520, while keeping the
old Mini around for testing.

Finally this got a little long in the tooth: the 32-bit Mini wouldn't run any
recent version of Chrome any more. And after Lenovo bought the ThinkPad line,
they decided not to make real ThinkPads any more. Instead it seemed they
wanted to make MacBooks dressed in ThinkPad garb.

So for my next upgrade I bought a maxed-out MacBook Pro, installed Parallels
and a Windows virtual machine. This was great! Now I had both OSX and Windows
at my fingertips on one machine. Anyone who asked, I told them that a
Parallels VM was a much better setup than Boot Camp.

Then I started doing VR development, mostly on Windows, so I ended up doing
that on the W520 and other stuff on the Mac.

Of course, eventually Oculus stopped supporting the Optimus GPU switching on
the W520 (even if you disable it!), and I started booting the Mac into a
Windows 8.1 (and later Windows 10) Boot Camp partition. It's not the optimum
VR machine, but for the particular part of VR I work on - not the fancy 3D
graphics but more of the systems-level integration - it works fine.

And now the funny thing is that I noticed I haven't booted into OSX in a
couple of weeks. Been pretty much using the Mac as a Windows machine. Even
when I'm working on stuff where that beautiful combined OSX+Windows VM setup
would let me use both OSes simultaneously.

That's because something has gone very sour in my OSX installation. I think it
may be largely a Chrome problem, but I'm not sure. If I run Chrome and my
Windows VM at the same time, things can get very slow. Often everything slows
down by a factor of 10! Even if I just run one or the other of those.

So I don't know what's wrong. It's a lot like the thing people used to
complain about with Windows - "you'd better plan on doing a clean install
every few months so your system doesn't slow down to a crawl."

Meanwhile, my Boot Camp Windows 10 partition is running hummingly. And I can
do native Windows VR development.

Now here's what pisses me off. (I'm not one to swear, so that is strong
language for me.) I've got this nice running Windows 10 installation, and I
would love to be able to run OSX side-by-side with it in a VM.

But Apple doesn't let you do that. OSX is so precious that you can only run it
on the bare hardware, or in a VM that runs under an OSX physical boot. You
can't run an OSX VM under a physical Windows 10 boot.

And for a VR developer like me, that really sucks.

Maybe I'll go back to a ThinkPad and see if there's a current Hackintosh build
that runs in a VM.

~~~
yannovitch
Actually, it's quite easy to run OS X in VMWare under Windows. Not supported,
but Hackintosh aren't either.

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perseusprime11
What makes a Mac a Mac is when you cannot hide files on your desktop by a
simple toggle.

~~~
jsmith0295
Or scroll to a specific location in a large page.

~~~
manicdee
You mean like option-clicking on the scroll bar?

~~~
jsmith0295
Exactly like that. I should've looked up how to do this.

