What makes a Mac?

[LoneStarHero]

After building my own PC successfully my fiancee wants a new desktop computer and is a Mac user. She is in to video editing, which would have similar requirement to a gaming rig.

Is there a DIY route to build Macs too? I understand that Macs can now take Intel chips, but is there mixing and matching of motherboards, AMD chips, ATI/NVidia GPU's, third party power sources, network cards, monitors, etc.?

As an ignorant person on such matters, I would think the core and definition of a Mac lies in having the MacOS installed as the operating system.

I would hate to think the legions of Mac fans who call themselves independent and DIY would let one company be the end all say all of their hardware computing world.

[Hoobeedoo Bejesus]

After building my own PC successfully my fiancee wants a new desktop computer and is a Mac user. She is in to video editing, which would have similar requirement to a gaming rig.

Is there a DIY route to build Macs too? I understand that Macs can now take Intel chips, but is there mixing and matching of motherboards, AMD chips, ATI/NVidia GPU's, third party power sources, network cards, monitors, etc.?

As an ignorant person on such matters, I would think the core and definition of a Mac lies in having the MacOS installed as the operating system.

I would hate to think the legions of Mac fans who call themselves independent and DIY would let one company be the end all say all of their hardware computing world.

Apple hardware is proprietary and licensed.

[jungulator]

I don't think there is a way to build a mac.

[Hoobeedoo Bejesus]

What really makes a Mac is a firm foundation of insecurity covered up with a pompous attitude to compensate and rounded off with some general ****** baggery.

[Wilhelm Scream]

Psystar manufactures Mac clones. I don't think you build them yourself, so much as you customize options on their website.

I would suspect that the making of a "hackintosh" requires very specific types of hardware. Even if you manage to build your own, your customization options would be extremely limited.

[LouC]

What really makes a Mac is a firm foundation of insecurity covered up with a pompous attitude to compensate and rounded off with some general ****** baggery.

"baggery" :think:

Or buggery?

[Hoobeedoo Bejesus]

"baggery" :think:

Or buggery?

baggery...

Not sure why the other word is filtered.

[notluzn]

The reason Apple lost out was because they didn't allow cloning. PC will always be on top until they change their attitude.

[LouC]

baggery...

Not sure why the other word is filtered.

Oh okay now it makes sense...

I think the word is filtered because it lends itself too well to personal insults of a vulgar nature.

[roger teekell]

What makes a "MAC"??

Two all beef patties,special sauce,lettuce,cheese,onions on a sesame seed bun....

Of course...

[EnchantedFrog]

What makes a "MAC"??

Two all beef patties,special sauce,lettuce,cheese,onions on a sesame seed bun....

Of course...
You left out pickles. :))

[LouC]

I always had my doubts about that "special sauce"... :eek:

[jungulator]

Meh, it's just 1000 island dressing.

[roger teekell]

You left out pickles. :))

:doh:

That's what happens when you post and watch the news at the same team...

[PeterGriffin]

:doh:

That's what happens when you post and watch the news at the same team...

We should play cards while you're trying to watch the news sometime, cuz I don't think you can help it :D

[CID_0687]

Meh, it's just 1000 island dressing.
:))

I just had a Fast Times at Ridgemont High flashback.

"What's the special sauce at McDonald's?"

"Thousand Island dressing...what's the special sauce at All-American Burger?"

:redface: "Ketchup and Mayonaise."

[Late2TheParty]

After building my own PC successfully my fiancee wants a new desktop computer and is a Mac user. She is in to video editing, which would have similar requirement to a gaming rig.

Is there a DIY route to build Macs too? I understand that Macs can now take Intel chips, but is there mixing and matching of motherboards, AMD chips, ATI/NVidia GPU's, third party power sources, network cards, monitors, etc.?

As an ignorant person on such matters, I would think the core and definition of a Mac lies in having the MacOS installed as the operating system.
Up to the intel switch several years back, it would have been impossible to build your own. Now, with intel it's possible.

About the only difference between a Mac and PC on a low level may be Macs use EFI instead of a Bios:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Firmware_Interface

Google "Hackintosh", it will get you the rest of your answers and start you on your way.

[Late2TheParty]

The reason Apple lost out was because they didn't allow cloning. PC will always be on top until they change their attitude.

This was in the mid-80s when the decision was important.

They allowed cloning in the mid-90s but all it did was cannibalize their own dwinding market share.

If their goal was to have Mac OS everywhere, then they should allow clones. But all OS X is, to put it simply, is a Unix variant with a pretty skin. What they sell are nice integrated systems, one of the few makers that do both the software and hardware.

Mac is profitable and one of the largest marketshare in terms of PC makers vs Dell and others. Their formula is fine for right now.

If they wanted to turn into Microsoft, all software and no hardware, then they should allow clones. But look what happened to IBM, who originally allowed clones, they're out of the PC business completely since a few years (IBMs are by lenovo).

Once clones are allowed, the hardware becomes a commodity business and a race to the bottom.

[CaffeineHat]

I always had my doubts about that "special sauce"... :eek:
I love the episode of the Simpsons where we go behind the scenes at "Krusty Burger" to see them making special sauce by putting jars of mayonaise out in the sun.

[CaptainPike]

Certain Mac OS's (maybe just one, and which one, I don't know) can be installed on a regular PC.

But it's probly not worth the trouble. If you want a Mac, just buy one.

[CaptainPike]

This was in the mid-80s when the decision was important.

They allowed cloning in the mid-90s but all it did was cannibalize their own dwinding market share.

If their goal was to have Mac OS everywhere, then they should allow clones. But all OS X is, to put it simply, is a Unix variant with a pretty skin. What they sell are nice integrated systems, one of the few makers that do both the software and hardware.

Mac is profitable and one of the largest marketshare in terms of PC makers vs Dell and others. Their formula is fine for right now.

If they wanted to turn into Microsoft, all software and no hardware, then they should allow clones. But look what happened to IBM, who originally allowed clones, they're out of the PC business completely since a few years (IBMs are by lenovo).

Once clones are allowed, the hardware becomes a commodity business and a race to the bottom.

Right on. If they shoot for 3% of the market and get 3%, then by gosh they've done good.

[CaptainPike]

Oh yeah,

Macs are made of snips, snails and puppy dog tails.

[Dual867PowerMac]

One of the better OSx86 sites: http://osx86.thefreesuite.com/

I love Macs. OS X buries Windows.

I choose, however, to support Apple and buy Apple products because I love Apple.

I want an

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/BengalsManiac/applelogo1.png

tattoo.

God Bless the Steves!

:angel:

[sgdp]

^^ I was waiting for you to post here. :))

My Mac crashed not too long ago. I lost EVERYTHING. They refused to replace my expensive CS3 package.

Screw Apple.

[Dual867PowerMac]

^^ I was waiting for you to post here. :))

My Mac crashed not too long ago. I lost EVERYTHING. They refused to replace my expensive CS3 package.

Screw Apple.
Don't you have registration information for the Creative Suite?

What went wrong with your Mac?

[sgdp]

Don't you have registration information for the Creative Suite?

What went wrong with your Mac?

It's a big mess. It's on another computer that I don't own, and they won't tell me how to get it from there to this one, even though I have the codes.

And they never told me what was wrong. I sent it in the box, they sent it back with a piece of paper saying they'd replaced the hard drive and logic board.

They didn't seem to know what went wrong, but the scary thing is it's starting to have the same symptoms, like running hot and loud when it's not doing anything.

[Dual867PowerMac]

It's a big mess. It's on another computer that I don't own, and they won't tell me how to get it from there to this one, even though I have the codes.
Well, if you've got the codes, it should be a simple matter of downloading the installer from Adobe and re-installing the suite.

Or you can probably get a cheapo Firewire external hard drive and hook it up to the other Mac and move it over to the external and move that to your Mac.

I don't know if that would work though. I don't see why it wouldn't.






And they never told me what was wrong. I sent it in the box, they sent it back with a piece of paper saying they'd replaced the hard drive and logic board.

They didn't seem to know what went wrong, but the scary thing is it's starting to have the same symptoms, like running hot and loud when it's not doing anything.
What kind of Macintosh is this?

I'm not saying you've got a lemon, but the symptoms indicate that a reset of the system management control might be in order.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411

[sgdp]

Macbook Pro, 2007.

They gave me the updated OS when they sent it back, though.

[Dual867PowerMac]

Macbook Pro, 2007.

They gave me the updated OS when they sent it back, though.
I would do an SMC reset.

It's been my experience that sending it back to Apple is like playing Russian roulette with an extra bullet or two. I used to be on a few Mac boards (until they became a haven for 10-year-old adults) and a lot of people seem to never get anywhere sending it to Apple for service.

If you need service, it's better to do it locally. If you have to drive a while, it's worth it. Just Google for mac service in your area. There's always Apple Stores and there's also Micro Center.

[2Parties1GlobalistGoal]

LoneStarHero:http://lifehacker.com/software/hack-attack/build-a-hackintosh-mac-for-under-800-321913.php

[Dual867PowerMac]

Psystar manufactures Mac clones. I don't think you build them yourself, so much as you customize options on their website.
Psystar Exposed! (http://gizmodo.com/380488/psystar-exposed-looks-like-a-hoax)

[Greyclouds]

After building my own PC successfully my fiancee wants a new desktop computer and is a Mac user. She is in to video editing, which would have similar requirement to a gaming rig.

Is there a DIY route to build Macs too? I understand that Macs can now take Intel chips, but is there mixing and matching of motherboards, AMD chips, ATI/NVidia GPU's, third party power sources, network cards, monitors, etc.?

As an ignorant person on such matters, I would think the core and definition of a Mac lies in having the MacOS installed as the operating system.

I would hate to think the legions of Mac fans who call themselves independent and DIY would let one company be the end all say all of their hardware computing world.

I'm not a windows fan by any means (I was an early adopter of Vista and regret it to this day), but I can tell you that on a cost-benefit ratio, Macs are always more expensive than a "DIY" PC. This is primarily because a Mac IS made from proprietary hardware.

To give you an example:

One week ago, my surge protector failed to protect my custom PC from a lightning surge. Nasty hardware failure including the integrated network and sound on my motherboard, as well as singing my Geforce 8800 GTS card. Replaced the card with a $140 Geforce 9800 GTX+ and the motherboard with $70 Gigabyte motherboard. Was able to salvage everything else. So, in all, I spent just above $200 to actually UPGRADE my system from its "pre-lightning" status.

I've heard of stories like this on the Mac Support forums:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1402147&tstart=7

Some apple stores charge $120 just to diagnose your computer's symptoms!

[Ex_Spy_Guy]

Apple hardware is proprietary and licensed.



Intel processors are Apple Proprietary?


when did this happen?

[Ex_Spy_Guy]

What makes a MAC is software....which is why I run 'OS 7' (lol) on my macbook pro.....which by the way runs much better than OSX....so now my MacBook is a WinBook Pro....

[Ex_Spy_Guy]

I don't think there is a way to build a mac.

hackint0sh

[Greyclouds]

Intel processors are Apple Proprietary?


when did this happen?

Perhaps the only change in recent years that was NOT proprietary.

[badkarma]

I am pretty sure that pretentious people in fedoras and drinking lattes while wearing a wool scarf in 90 degree weather are what makes a Mac.

[old guy]

i remember the old days when me and my roomate used to build apple II clones in our apt. and sell them. It was easy with a motherboard,a few cheap parts and an eprom burner. Now its almost impossible to clone a mac

[Hoobeedoo Bejesus]

Intel processors are Apple Proprietary?


when did this happen?

I'm sorry. Do I need to break it down component by component for you?

I thought you had a better grasp of systems than that. Perhaps I was mistaken.

[old guy]

Intel processors are Apple Proprietary?


when did this happen?

it takes much more than a processor to make a mac. the rest of the hardware is propietary

[CaughtInTheMiddle]

two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun

oh, my bad.

[Quid]

I am not going to get into this again. I am just dropping by to say that while there are options for making a DIY Mac you will never be as satisfied as having the real thing. You will be plagued with errors and incompatibilities on the DIY system that people who actually buy Macs will never experience. You could possibly break the DIY machine just running software update.

I have had my MacBook Pro since 2006. It is a quality machine that is built like a tank, an svelte, good looking tank. The support and technical expertise I gotten when I have run into a snag have been second to none.

[Dual867PowerMac]

Perhaps the only change in recent years that was NOT proprietary.
Apple used to use Motorola PowerPC processors. Then "The Switch" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple–Intel_transition) happened.

[WorldWatcher]

Apple used to use Motorola PowerPC processors. Then "The Switch" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple–Intel_transition) happened.


Yes, they went to the dark side.



Even as I speak I'm using a 20" iMac which boots directly into Windows XP Pro.





BBBBBBAAAAAAAWWWWWWAAAAAA



Just sumpt'n wrong with seeing the Windows Boot Screen over the Apple logo. :mrgreen:



>>>>

[Dual867PowerMac]

Yes, they went to the dark side.



Even as I speak I'm using a 20" iMac which boots directly into Windows XP Pro.





BBBBBBAAAAAAAWWWWWWAAAAAA



Just sumpt'n wrong with seeing the Windows Boot Screen over the Apple logo. :mrgreen:



>>>>
I would NEVER put Windows on my Macs.

[2Parties1GlobalistGoal]

it takes much more than a processor to make a mac. the rest of the hardware is propietary

What besides the operating system and case/keyboard/mouse/monitor is proprietary? I know for sure their video cards are not proprietary because I was looking at MAC's not that long ago and one had an Nvidea 8800GTS card in it.

[Greyclouds]

What besides the operating system and case/keyboard/mouse/monitor is proprietary? I know for sure their video cards are not proprietary because I was looking at MAC's not that long ago and one had an Nvidea 8800GTS card in it.

Don't forget the Motherboard and Power supply. Also (depending on the case) speakers.

[chip]

^^ I was waiting for you to post here. :))

My Mac crashed not too long ago. I lost EVERYTHING. They refused to replace my expensive CS3 package.

Screw Apple.

Agreed.

[Late2TheParty]

What besides the operating system and case/keyboard/mouse/monitor is proprietary? I know for sure their video cards are not proprietary because I was looking at MAC's not that long ago and one had an Nvidea 8800GTS card in it.

They usually design their own motherboards IIRC. And then the overall design which probably includes the cooling solution (although not cooling components...)

[Greyclouds]

Let me just clarify my sentiments earlier in this thread:

I DO own an apple ipod touch, and I like the device. By far the best portable solution for my media and productivity needs.

Having said that, they've made some really ridiculous design decisions. And by ridiculous, I mean "malicious crippling" of the hardware. Basically, the ipod touch is exactly 100% similar to an iphone apart from the lack of cellular phone components, a camera and bluetooth transmission. Now, the former seems reasonable to not include, but why drop the later two components?

I will probably buy the 3rd generation ipod touch if they include bluetooth transmission and a camera (as well as a better processor and better battery life). If they don't meet those specifications, well, I'll chalk it up to poor apple design decisions and buy an Archos instead!

[Late2TheParty]

Having said that, they've made some really ridiculous design decisions. And by ridiculous, I mean "malicious crippling" of the hardware. Basically, the ipod touch is exactly 100% similar to an iphone apart from the lack of cellular phone components, a camera and bluetooth transmission.
Also believe that the iPod Touch doesnt have the GPS components in the second generation iPhone.

Now, the former seems reasonable to not include, but why drop the later two components?
Perhaps Apple didn't see the need to include it. In a phone, bluetooth is usially for wireless headphones to drive in a car and whatnot.

Not saying it's not a legitimate need in your case, but a cost that Apple didn't really see bearing for the limited cases. As for camera.... good point.

I will probably buy the 3rd generation ipod touch if they include bluetooth transmission and a camera (as well as a better processor and better battery life). If they don't meet those specifications, well, I'll chalk it up to poor apple design decisions and buy an Archos instead!

Look up the next generation Zune coming in fall, it has an oled touch screen and hd radio. It should be nice if you're not too MS adverse.

http://www.oled-display.net/zune-hd-oled-hands-on

[2Parties1GlobalistGoal]

Look up the next generation Zune coming in fall, it has an oled touch screen and hd radio. It should be nice if you're not too MS adverse.

http://www.oled-display.net/zune-hd-oled-hands-on

That looks sweet. :exclaim:

[Greyclouds]

Also believe that the iPod Touch doesnt have the GPS components in the second generation iPhone.

You are correct, forgot about that :)


Perhaps Apple didn't see the need to include it. In a phone, bluetooth is usially for wireless headphones to drive in a car and whatnot.

Not saying it's not a legitimate need in your case, but a cost that Apple didn't really see bearing for the limited cases. As for camera.... good point.

I just see it as an intentional reduction of capability so as to distinguish the product lines. Steve Jobs himself stated that the ipod touch is "training wheels" for the iphone http://digg.com/apple/Steve_Jobs_The_iPod_touch_is_training_wheels_for_t he_iPhone. I understand that apple gets more money from iphone commissions, but they fail to see how product overlap prevents an iphone owner from sanely considering ALSO owning an ipod touch.

So, crippling the one to make the other look better? I'm not a fan of that business tactic!


Look up the next generation Zune coming in fall, it has an oled touch screen and hd radio. It should be nice if you're not too MS adverse.

http://www.oled-display.net/zune-hd-oled-hands-on

I'll have to check it out! I'm not really MS adverse, so much as I need an all-utility device. So far, the ipod touch with productivity apps serves a wide range of purposes for me. I couldn't survive without it now!

I'm just crying about spilt milk here :D

[sironin]

They usually design their own motherboards IIRC. And then the overall design which probably includes the cooling solution (although not cooling components...)

In the PC market, they're just box assemblers now. My understanding is they get their motherboards from Foxconn and design their own cases (much like Dell, Gateway, or any other box assembler). Apple's largest hardware endeavors these days seem to be the iPod, the iPhone, and their laptops.

The reason you can't just buy any PC components is that OSX has horrible breadth of hardware support.

[Ex_Spy_Guy]

I'm sorry. Do I need to break it down component by component for you?

I thought you had a better grasp of systems than that. Perhaps I was mistaken.

you dont speak geek....but go ahead....