

Eight Months with a Hackintosh Netbook - thomas
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/05/eight-months-with-a-hackintosh-netbook-conclusion-fantastic/

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rufo
I have a Dell Mini 9 I've hacked to run OS X. It's not going to replace my
MacBook Pro anytime soon, but it's the perfect kick-around town/living room
computer.

The install, while not yet one-click, is fairly simple to do and works with a
standard Leopard DVD. I've certainly gone through worse Linux installs. And
when you're done, it might as well _be_ a Mac - Airport, webcam, Quartz
Extreme/Core Image, scrolling touchpad, even the special function keys work.
Hell, the thing wakes faster than my MBP, too, and does the same creepy
pulsating-sleep-light as well.

The only downside with the Mini 9 specifically is the bizarre keyboard -
there's a really thick border around the edges , which cramps the keyboard and
forces it to use odd-sized keys, pack them too close together, and arrange
them with apparently little thought - keys like the apostrophe/quotation mark
are down by the left arrow key. You can get used to it, but if you want to run
a Terminal session you're going to swear a lot.

Some of the other netbooks do have better keyboards, but none of them have the
near-100% compatibility with OS X the Dell has - there's always at least one
piece of hardware that's non-functional.

Overall, I'm really impressed. I'd heard OS X was easy to install and runs
well, but it was still fairly mind-blowing to actually see it run as well as
it does. If the netbook concept intrigues, a Dell Mini 9 running OS X seems to
be as good a choice as any. (Excepting that damn keyboard.)

~~~
kylec
Can you update it without it breaking? One of the biggest problems I had with
Hackintoshes (albeit over 2 years ago) was the fact that pretty much any
update that required a restart (including, but not limited to OSX point
releases) would completely brick the machine and require a complete reinstall.
How much has this changed?

~~~
justinweiss
I'm not exactly sure how it works, but I think most of the newer install
methods will put the extra (non-Apple) drivers on an EFI support partition
that isn't touched during system upgrades, to keep the install as pristine as
possible. This also allows you to install from a real OS X disc.

In my personal experience, the Mini 9 didn't have any trouble with the 10.5.7
upgrade. I had to boot into safe mode and run the driver installer again,
because the new update apparently affected the video card driver, but that was
it.

~~~
kaiserama
Thanks for the heads up. I'm on 10.5.6 and haven't updated to .7 yet.

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randallsquared
My last Mac laptop was a 17" Powerbook from the G4 days. I sold it years ago.
Recently at work, I needed to do some testing on OS X (I usually use Windows
at work), and so I borrowed a Macbook with 10.4 and a Macbook Pro with 10.5. I
was startled at how cheap the Macbook felt, while the Macbook Pro felt just
like my old Powerbook (which I'd really liked). So if this thing feels even
cheaper, I'm not sure I'd be able to stand it. :)

~~~
pohl
Was the MacBook one of the newer ones with the aluminum unibody frame?
(Probably not if it only had 10.4) apparently they feel more solid now. I
could tell the difference between my old 17" MBP and a newer unibody 17" MBP.

~~~
tdm911
I have one of the new Unibody MacBooks and it's as well built, sturdy and
polished as any laptop I've ever seen. Particularly what strikes me is it's
strength and structural rigidity. You can hold it by the corner and there is
no flex whatsoever. The same cannot be said for previous gen MacBook Pro's and
Powerbook's etc.

As another poster mentioned though, the white MacBook is a replacement for the
iBook and built to a lower quality therefore.

~~~
potatolicious
Ditto, I've never typed on a more solid, flex-free laptop keyboard. It's
really a joy to use - the whole thing feels sturdy, solid, and durable.

A far cry from the flimsy sheet metal feeling of the PowerBooks and MacBook
Pros of old.

------
csbrooks
Is it possible to install OS X on say, my Dell desktop? How can I find out?

~~~
tdm911
I believe it would be, though it will involve some work. The reason why so
many people install OS X on netbooks such as the Dell Mini 9 is that people
have gone to the trouble of ensuring there are working drivers etc. You will
be alone most likely with your desktop. Look here:

<http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page>
<http://www.hackint0sh.org/>

